Bluetooth is playing a leading role in this year’s holiday season. Consumer electronics like wireless earbuds, smartwatches and IoT accessories have surged in popularity as seamless and efficient wireless connectivity is cementing its place in modern digital life.
Today, experts regard Bluetooth technology as a cornerstone of interoperability. They recognize it for its effortless wireless communication across myriad applications in healthcare, automotive and industrial IoT. Originally designed for short-range communication primarily focused on audio, Bluetooth has evolved into a powerful multi-functional tool supporting complex networks. Through innovations in Low Energy (LE) technology, mesh networking and precision location services, the demand is growing for Bluetooth’s energy efficiency, data throughput and scalability, and ushering in an era of intelligent infrastructure.
Key trends
Forecasts indicate that by 2028, Bluetooth-enabled device shipments will reach 7.5 billion annually. To meet the challenge, Bluetooth is pushing the boundaries in interesting ways. Four key trends are expanding its influence:
- Mesh networking
- Bluetooth Beacons
- Sustainability and energy harvesting
- Health and wellness wearables
Mesh networking
Bluetooth Mesh Networking supports many-to-many communication, creating a decentralized, reliable framework for interconnected systems. Unlike traditional point-to-point or hub-and-spoke topologies, mesh networking allows each device, or node, to relay data across the network. This redundancy enhances reliability by eliminating single points of failure, making it ideal for complex environments requiring synchronized device operation.
Projected to drive the global smart home market to $563.2 billion by 2030, Bluetooth Mesh technology is rapidly transforming connectivity in homes and industries alike.
In the residential sector, Bluetooth Mesh allows users to seamlessly control multiple smart devices, like:
- Video doorbells
- Robot vacuums
- Indoor garden systems
- Multi-room music
- Golf simulators
- Autonomous lighting
- Security
- HVAC systems
With advanced automation, customization and monitoring, convenience and efficiency are put in the hands of users. This holiday season, Bluetooth Mesh is fueling the demand for interconnected residential smart systems.
In industrial spaces, Bluetooth Mesh is facilitating predictive maintenance, allowing equipment like compactors to signal when full, preventing costly overflow, cutting down on truck visits, and shrinking carbon footprints. In renewable energy applications, Bluetooth Mesh is managing battery energy storage systems which store excess solar power for seamless, on-demand energy. Though not on anyone’s gift list this year, Bluetooth Mesh is weaving together the infrastructure of sustainable, efficient buildings that serve both people and the planet.
Bluetooth Beacons
Beyond network resilience, Bluetooth Beacons have become the cornerstone of high-precision indoor positioning. Operating within the 2.4 GHz ISM band, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons support real-time tracking and proximity-based interactions while leveraging low connection latency and millisecond interaction. These beacons broadcast short data packets that contain signal strength and unique identifier metadata at regular intervals and are detected by other BLE devices to approximate distance.
Typically, the signals prompt app actions, notifications, or proximity alerts on devices such as smartphones. It is interesting to note that there are two different protocols for Bluetooth beacon technology, each serving distinct purposes within BLE-based positioning systems.
First, iBeacon, developed by Apple, enables device recognition of specific beacons through unique metadata fields, including:
- UUID (unique identifier)
- Major codes
- Minor codes.
This hierarchical structure allows precise zone-specific interactions, distinguishing between general and specific areas, like a floor level versus a particular store section.
Secondly, Eddystone, created by Google, expands functionality with data fields like URLs for linking to web content and TLM for operational status, supporting real-time diagnostics and data-rich interactions.
In industrial applications, beacons optimize asset tracking with centimeter-level accuracy through methods like Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD). High-risk environments, including construction sites and mines, use beacons to improve safety through geo-fencing and alerts. Retailers enhance customer engagement by utilizing Bluetooth beacons to send notifications, guide customers to promotions, and analyze foot traffic. At venues like stadiums, beacons improve navigation and crowd management, enhancing the spatial experience for attendees.
With recent advances like channel sounding, Bluetooth beacons are now viable competitors in an environment where ultra-wideband (UWB) is the major source for high-precision tracking. By measuring radio wave phase rather than signal strength, channel sounding allows Bluetooth to achieve sub-meter accuracy in complex environments with obstacles, presenting a competitive, cost-effective solution.
Sustainability and energy harvesting
Today’s gift givers are increasingly prioritizing products that are energy-efficient, environmentally responsible, and capable of minimizing waste. They want items that have long battery life and may be reused, recycled or sustainable to support a circular economy.
As IoT expansion pushes into billions of devices, daily demand for new and replacement batteries could reach unsustainable levels. Bluetooth’s shift to energy harvesting and low-energy operations addresses this challenge by engineering products that draw power from ambient sources like light, motion and heat.
Two recent innovations highlight Bluetooth’s potential to drive sustainable, energy-efficient solutions.
First,Silicon Labs’ energy-optimized system-on-chip (SoC) bolsters ultra-low-power applications, consuming only 150 microjoules in its power-on-reset function. By supporting renewable power sources like supercapacitors, xG22E enables Bluetooth devices to balance high performance with environmental responsibility.
Secondly, the Green IoT Bluetooth Hotmeal Container (GIoT-BHMC), which is designed as a mobile meal heating solution that relies on Bluetooth for temperature control and uses rechargeable batteries, demonstrating how Bluetooth-enabled products balance low energy use with practical applications.
Expanding the scope of Bluetooth
Smart wearables have surged in popularity and are one of the hottest items on gift lists this holiday season. Integral to personal health monitoring and fitness, over 21% of adults worldwide now wear a smart device to track health metrics in real-time. Bluetooth LE enables wearables to securely transmit biometric data to cloud-based platforms so health professionals can remotely monitor heart rate, sleep patterns and activity levels with minimal power consumption. Its burst transmission at intervals extends battery life, allowing devices to operate up to 10 days on a single charge.
But the wearables market is no longer limited to fitness trackers. Smart contact lenses, for example, monitor ocular conditions such as diabetes and glaucoma, while smart earbuds integrate gyroscopes, GPS and compasses to track movement and direction. Smart clothing (e-textiles) uses embedded sensors to monitor vital statistics like respiratory rate, heart rate and body temperature.
Bluetooth also enables an emerging class of wearables for mental wellness, like stress-management bracelets that track physiological changes and alert users when stress levels rise. These devices rely on Bluetooth to securely communicate with companion apps, empowering users to take proactive steps to manage their mental health.
The evolution of Bluetooth-enabled wearables continues to expand healthcare options, making real-time health insights accessible and convenient. By 2029, the wearables industry is projected to reach $493.26 billion, driven by advancements in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and miniaturization.
Companies like Realme are even integrating augmented reality (AR) and AI assistants, powered by tools like ChatGPT, to enhance the user experience with intelligent, context-aware interactions.
Conclusion
Bluetooth technology’s holiday season appeal affirms its evolution beyond simple audio streaming. Advances in Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), channel sounding and mesh networking have broadened capabilities and allowed competition with ultra-wideband (UWB) location services. And as Bluetooth beacons gain traction, Bluetooth’s role in real-time locating systems, asset tracking and device management will continue to expand in retail, industrial and commercial applications.
