The Next Wave: First Bluetooth Smart Devices Reaching the Market
The first Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready devices have already arrived, beginning with a heart-rate strap and new computers and a new iPhone from Apple. Motorola was next, introducing the first Android Smart Ready phone (the Droid RAZR) and the first Bluetooth Smart device (the MOTOACTV)—a sophisticated fitness tracker and music player you can wear on your wrist.
These pioneering products are being joined by more Bluetooth Smart Ready phones, and soon a plethora of new health & wellness devices, consumer electronics devices, and PC peripherals.
Bluetooth Smart Ready phones will dominate the market in 2012
The big shift begins in 2012, when a wave of Bluetooth Smart Ready phones arrives. By the end of 2012, virtually all new smartphones will include the Bluetooth v4.0 technology that is in all Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. This will allow phones to continue to connect with the billions of Bluetooth devices in the market today, in addition to new Bluetooth Smart devices.
Microsoft has also announced that Windows 8 will support Bluetooth v4.0 and low energy technology, paving the way for the first big wave of Smart Ready PCs in 2012.
Here is a roll call of some the first Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart devices:
Polar releasing first Bluetooth Smart heart-rate strap
Polar H7 heart strap
This Bluetooth Smart device allows you to quickly connect to any Bluetooth Smart Ready device, such as a tablet or smartphone, to store and display heart rate data and other workout statistics.
Polar makes a wide variety of heart rate sensors and fitness watches with sophisticated training features. This is the company's first Bluetooth Smart device, and its second Bluetooth enabled heart-rate monitor.
Bluetooth dongle and iPhone 4S app helps you find your lost car
Find My Car Smarter
This Bluetooth Smart device includes a Bluetooth v4.0 enabled dongle you plug into your car's power plug (cigarette lighter) and a matching app that runs on the Apple iPhone 4S.
Because the iPhone 4S is a Bluetooth Smart Ready device, it can find the dongle and pinpoint the location and distance to your car if you ever forget where you parked in a big lot, multi-story parking garage, or some other confusing place.
Find My Car Smarter is unlike iPhone apps with a similar purpose that make you launch the app when you park and mark the location before you leave your car. You only have to launch this app if you forgot where you parked.
Casio ready to release its first Bluetooth Smart device
Casio G-Shock smart watch
Casio has created its first Bluetooth Smart device—a watch that's able to communicate wirelessly with a Bluetooth Smart Ready phone.
The Casio G-Shock GB-6900 can notify you with a tone or vibration when you receive new calls or emails, and displays a visible alert. This could be especially useful when your phone is stashed in a pocket or purse and set to vibrate instead of ring, according to David Pogue of The New York Times.
The new G-Shock will be available in black, white and red. Because the watch uses Bluetooth low energy technology, it will be able to operate for two years on a single coin-cell battery.
The GB-6900 is reportedly due out in Japan by the end of December. No word yet on a release date or price for North America or Europe.
Motorola releases its first Bluetooth Smart Ready phone—the Droid RAZR
Droid RAZR
Motorola has resurrected its renowned RAZR phone brand with a new Android smartphone that becomes the company's first Bluetooth Smart Ready device. The new Droid Razr is nothing like the best-selling RAZR phones of a decade ago, however, except for its thinness.
This RAZR has a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display (a first for any mobile phone), a dual-core processor, a tough, "gorilla glass" screen, and a slim profile of just 7.1mm.
The Droid RAZR is the second Bluetooth Smart Ready phone to reach the market, joining the new Apple iPhone 4S.
The Droid RAZR is available now from Verizon Wireless for $299 on contract.
Motorola releases Bluetooth Smart device for music, running and more
MOTOACTV
This tiny new Bluetooth Smart device from Motorola is a sophisticated fitness tracker, smart music player and training system. It lets you listen to music on the optional Motorola SF600 Bluetooth wireless headphones while running or doing other workouts in the gym or outside.
The MOTOACTV includes precision GPS to track your distance and speed, a "smart" music player that learns what songs motivate you the most by tracking your performance against your music, a touchscreen, audio "coaching" on pace and distance, and more.
The MOTOACTV costs $249 for 8GB of memory or $299 for the 16GB version.
Apple releases world's first Bluetooth Smart Ready computers and phone
iPhone 4S
The new iPhone 4S may look like the iPhone 4, but it has many important differences inside. One big addition is the use of Bluetooth v4.0. This will allow the new iPhone to wirelessly connect to the next generation of devices coming out later this year with Bluetooth v4.0.
The new iPhone 4S also features a more advanced camera, the more powerful A5 processor, and many new software features.
Mac mini
Like the MacBook Air, the new Mac mini also adds Bluetooth v4.0, which wil allow it to wirelessly connect to the next generation of Bluetooth v4.0 phones and other devices coming out later this year.
The new Mac mini also features the latest dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD graphics, and high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology.
MacBook Air
The new MacBook Air—Apple's thinnest and lightest notebook—adds Bluetooth v4.0. This will allow it to wirelessly connect to the next generation of mobile phones and many other devices coming out later this year with Bluetooth v4.0.
The new MacBook Air also features the latest-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology, and all-flash storage.
Dayton and Nordic create first Bluetooth Smart device heart strap
Dayton heart-rate strap
Dayton Industrial Co. Ltd has created the world's first production-ready heart-rate chest strap that is a Bluetooth Smart device. The strap uses a new Bluetooth v4.0 low energy chip from Nordic Semiconductor. The device is now ready to go into production and will be able to pair with the new wave of Bluetooth Smart Ready phones expected out later this year.
Users won't need a special matching watch like most heart-rate monitors use today. According to Nordic, the strap can be paired with a phone or other Bluetooth Smart Ready device in seconds, allowing people to display their heart rate on their phone while they work out and analyze it later.