WiFi Direct can eliminate Bluetooth 3.0: Study

SCOTTSDALE, USA: High-speed Bluetooth, or Bluetooth 3.0, was designed to move Bluetooth to higher speed applications.

It works by using classic Bluetooth to connect to devices, then Wi-Fi to deliver speeds of up to 24Mbps.

Also Read: An FAQ on Wi-Fi Direct from WiFi Alliance

The availability of high-speed Bluetooth via combo chips with classic BT improves its chances of success. However, a new potential alternative Wi-Fi Direct allows peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices. If Wi-Fi Direct succeeds it could eliminate the need for Bluetooth 3.0 altogether, according to In-Stat

“Standard Wi-Fi is increasingly common in many Bluetooth target markets,” says Brian O’Rourke, principal analyst, In-Stat. “Until recently, lack of peer-to-peer connectivity was Wi-Fi’s most significant weakness in those markets. Wi-Fi Direct addresses that weakness and, because there is significant application overlap in PCs and mobile phones, it is a very real threat to the long term viability of Bluetooth 3.0.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
* Classic Bluetooth technology will remain dominant in phones indefinitely.

* Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii controllers have Bluetooth.

* Bluetooth 3.0, a new high-speed standard that combines Bluetooth with Wi-Fi, entered into the market in mobile phones in 2010.

* The Bluetooth USB adapter market will remain robust due to Bluetooth’s lack of ubiquity in the mobile PC space and low penetration of desktop PCs

* PMPs, game consoles, and game controllers are the main drivers of Bluetooth growth in CE devices.

* Growth in industrial and medical markets will be driven by Bluetooth Low Energy.