The new iPad, unveiled today by Apple, Inc. [NASDAQ: AAPL], is the
world's first Bluetooth Smart Ready tablet, incorporating Bluetooth
v4.0 and its hallmark feature low energy technology. As a Bluetooth
Smart Ready tablet, the new iPad gives any Bluetooth device, from
a static data-collecting sensor to a laptop or mobile phone like the
iPhone 4S, the ability to connect, share and distribute information in
real-time. No other wireless technology is able to provide the limited
energy consumption, usability, functionality and install base that Bluetooth
v4.0 brings to the market.
The fact that Apple's new iPad is a Bluetooth Smart Ready hub is
big news for the broad CE ecosystem – accessory manufacturers, app
developers, and most importantly, consumers. Every second, there are
over 60 Bluetooth enabled devices commercialized worldwide –
Classic Bluetooth technology and now Bluetooth Smart
devices joining the 7 billion Bluetooth enabled devices already
in market. This massive ecosystem is expected to expand remarkably
within the next two years: 2B Bluetooth enabled devices will ship
in 2012 and 3B are expected to ship in 2014, according to Peter Cooney,
practice director, semiconductors at industry watcher ABI Research, Inc.
So why is the new iPad better with Bluetooth technology?
For manufacturers:
-
As a Bluetooth Smart Ready hub, the new iPad is ready to
connect to the expanding universe of Bluetooth devices, both
Classic Bluetooth technology (think existing mice, keyboards,
and speakers,) and new Bluetooth Smart devices (fitness sensors
like the Polar H7 or Wahoo Blue Heart Rate Monitors, Casio G-Shock
GB-6900 Smart Watch, etc.).
-
The new iPad joins the iPhone 4S and the Motorola Droid Razr as some
of the first Bluetooth Smart Ready devices that are already
available to connect to the increasingly diverse and massive number of Bluetooth
enabled devices. The release of Windows 8 PCs and tablets will further
propel the millions of Bluetooth Smart Ready hubs that will
ship this year.
For app developers:
-
As a Bluetooth Smart Ready hub, the new iPad (like the iPhone
4S) enables app developers to turn data coming securely from Bluetooth
peripherals into compelling information for consumers via apps.