The most exciting factor in today’s world of integrated technology is what to expect next. One of the most recent, and commonly practiced developments, has been Bluetooth. The idea that we can communicate commands from one machine to another without the use of a wire connecting the two is amazing! Although wireless technology has existed before, its capacity was limited. With Bluez, AfterShokz has begun to embrace the growing standard of hands free and wireless devices.
Currently we are not using the most recent version of Bluetooth, version 4.0. But that’s by design–an engineering choice we made for a reason.
We realize that there are some benefits to the more current versions, 3.0 and 4.0. Still, many of these benefits are theoretical and typically unseen. Not to mention that our Bluetooth version 2.1 is the most widely used version on the market. Upon implementation in 2007, 2.1 was highly regarded for its backward compatibility. This Bluetooth is more secure, stable and compatible compared to previous and newer models.
So what to current version have that 2.1 doesn’t? Well, sure, those versions have updated software, but what does that really mean–what benefit does it offer? Version 3.0 has theoretically higher data process speeds. But these speeds often increase power consumption.
With that in mind, the use of 3.0 should be beneficial for the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile or A2DP. This feature is extremely beneficial when trying to create stereo sound. We have configured our headset to work with A2DP. Traditionally, the 3.0 version of Bluetooth allows for data transfer speeds of 24 Mbit per second. However, with Bluetooth 2.1, our transfer speeds of just over 2 Mbit/s would actually suffice.
As far as 4.0, no immediate impact has been seen on the consumer accessory market. Currently, 4.0 has been implemented into the iPad and HTC One. And, while this model reuses features in the older models, its reliability is yet to be seen.
All this said, we’re always keeping our ears open so we’re quick to catch the way technology is trending. And, when the time is right, we’ll certainly blend in the very best.
