Bluetooth becomes an important driving force for IoT

As an "old" technology that has been used for decades, Bluetooth's application range and market acceptance are increasing, which is inseparable from its long-term evolution of evolving technology. Especially in recent important evolutions, Bluetooth technology is more IoT,For example：

BLE solves the problem of excessive Bluetooth power consumption. The power consumption is a very core indicator in IoT devices, because low power consumption can not only increase the user's product experience, especially for battery-powered devices. There is also a positive significance in reducing costs. The emergence of BLE has enabled a variety of smart homes and wearable devices to begin to transmit using Bluetooth technology.

Mesh solves the problem of network coverage, because in a regional scenario, the cost of selecting a separate AP or gateway for network coverage is high, and Mesh technology can solve multiple devices in a certain application scenario at a low cost. Networking problem.

High-precision positioning opens up a larger application market. As a basic data dimension, location data has broad application prospects in the future. More than two-thirds of IoT devices will collect location data in the future, and in terms of positioning, accuracy is One of the most core indicators. In the latest version 5.1 of Bluetooth, the AOA positioning technology has been added, and the accuracy has been increased from the meter level to the centimeter level compared to the conventional RSSI positioning.

The power of the Bluetooth Legion is gradually expanding

The reason why Bluetooth technology can continue to develop, and the promotion of the Bluetooth Technology Alliance (SIG) is also inseparable. The SIG has greatly promoted the development of Bluetooth standards and the evolution of technology versions, community construction and market brand promotion. . On May 23, 2019, Bluetooth Asia 2019 was held in Shenzhen. At the conference, the latest developments of Bluetooth were demonstrated, especially the current strength of the Bluetooth Legion.

It can be seen that in 2018, the members of the Bluetooth Technology Alliance are close to 35,000 companies. At present, with the increasing number of wireless communication technologies on the market, Bluetooth still maintains its strong vitality. In the Asia-Pacific region, there are more than 12,000 Bluetooth technology alliance companies, of which more than 6,000 are in China, accounting for about half of the Asia-Pacific region.

Shipments of Bluetooth devices have also steadily increased. In 2018, shipments of Bluetooth devices were 3.7 billion units, and this number is expected to reach 5.4 billion units by 2023.

The number of low-power Bluetooth devices will increase day by day. It is expected that in 2023, 90% of Bluetooth devices will adopt low-power Bluetooth. Of course, Classic Bluetooth (BR/EDR) will not exit the market, and more Used in conjunction with the low-power Bluetooth dual-mode, it is expected that in 2019, 2.7 billion Bluetooth devices will be equipped with BR/EDR and low-power Bluetooth at the factory.

Location services will be the fastest growing application function Bluetooth

Functionally speaking, audio transmission, data transmission, location service, and device network are the four most important application functions of Bluetooth. Below is the Bluetooth Technology Alliance's forecast for shipments for these applications.

Audio transmission

Bluetooth eliminates the hassle of wires, headphones, and home entertainment devices, revolutionizing wireless audio transmission.

transfer data

From fitness trackers and health monitors to toys and tools, millions of new low-power Bluetooth data transmission devices are available every year to get consumers out of the wires.

Location service

New advances in Bluetooth technology enable powerful, low-cost indoor positioning and location service solutions.

Device network

The introduction of the Bluetooth mesh network paved the way for large-scale device networks, monitoring and automating the management of thousands of connected devices.

It can be seen that audio transmission and data transmission are the most important functions of Bluetooth technology, and the corresponding shipments are also growing steadily. The biggest highlight is the positioning application, although the current overall volume is not large, but Bluetooth positioning The compound growth rate of the function in the next five years will reach 43%. The compound growth rate of Mesh device networking is also 23%.

Market introduction to Bluetooth emerging applications

At the specific application level, in addition to the traditional PC and mobile phone market, Bluetooth technology will also erupt in the emerging market applications of consumer and industrial.

Emerging market development forecast

Intelligent building：Bluetooth technology continues to innovate, further expanding the definition of intelligent buildings by implementing large-scale equipment networks and precise location services, making building automation as a reality, not only improving the visitor experience, improving household productivity, and optimizing space utilization. By 2023, location services are expected to become the main application for smart buildings, and Bluetooth location service devices for smart buildings will grow sevenfold. From navigation to space utilization, Bluetooth technology helps improve building operational efficiency and improve the household experience.

At the same time, interconnected lighting solutions for smart buildings are on the rise. Leading manufacturers have released long-term product plans for lighting automation and control systems. By 2023, annual shipments of commercial building automation and security solutions are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 46% to 6.5 times.

In the application area, the retail and healthcare industries will also benefit directly from smart building solutions. Retailers use Bluetooth technology to personalize promotions and navigation services, providing a better shopping experience, increasing sales and lowering operating costs. Healthcare organizations use Bluetooth technology to monitor patients, track assets, and improve emergency services to address cost pressures, improve care service levels, and operational efficiency.

Smart industry：Bluetooth is leading the convergence of industry and information, paving the way for the industrial IoT revolution, helping manufacturers improve efficiency, productivity and security. By 2023, the annual compound growth rate of Bluetooth industrial equipment will reach 40%.

Among them, Bluetooth asset tracking and management solutions will become increasingly popular, helping manufacturers and distributors optimize inventory management and improve operational efficiency. By 2023, its commercial deployment will grow at a rate of 47% per year, accounting for 70% of market shipments, paving the way for the development of smart industries.

At the same time, smartphones and tablets are gradually replacing traditional human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for condition monitoring and device remote control. Enterprise-level wearable devices have great potential for development. In 2019, shipments of enterprise-grade wearable devices such as scanners, earwear, and trackers accounted for 34% of smart industrial equipment shipments, and will maintain strong growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 28% over the next five years. 

Smart home：Whether it's connecting a TV to a sound bar or connecting a PC to a keyboard, Bluetooth technology has been at the heart of connected homes for years. Today, the reliability, security and interoperability of Bluetooth will help unlock the full potential of the home automation market.

In the big market of the Internet of Things, more applications will emerge in the future, and more technologies will emerge, and Bluetooth will be a contributing force to this important contribution. In the future, what new evolution will Bluetooth have for the IoT market? We will wait and see!