"There's a strong possibility that Samsung will incorporate Bluetooth 5 into the Galaxy S8," said Ken Hyers, director of wireless device strategies atStrategy Analytics."With the cancellation of the Note7, the Galaxy S8 is now [Samsung's] premier device to showcase the latest and best smartphone technology," he told TechNewsWorld.Samsung had to institute a global recall of millions of Galaxy Note7s after multiple instances in which the device spontaneously burst into flames. Some replacement devices also caught fire."Samsung has a PR problem," observed Michael Jude, a program manager atStratecast/Frost & Sullivan. "Note7 is a disaster, and they need something with which to seize the technological high ground."Putting cutting-edge technologies in the S8"will help a lot," he told TechNewsWorld."Remember, practically nothing is Bluetooth 5-compliant," Jude noted. "As long as the S8 can talk to existing Bluetooth devices, it's golden. People will be drawn to the latest, greatest technology."Bluetooth 5.0 doesn't replace 4.0, 4.1 or 4.2. It extends the functionality of these previous versions of the Bluetooth Core Specification.Further, Bluetooth 5.0 lets manufacturers leverage interoperability and performanceimprovements incorporated in the core specs since 4.2 was released."From Bluetooth headsets and speakers tohome control, personal robots and drones,Bluetooth is a default technology for connecting devices, with the smartphone as the hub of consumers' device universe,"Strategy Analytics' Hyers remarked."We are rapidly moving into a more complex connected device world," he pointed out.Samsung has focused heavily on the Internet of Things, offering smart TVs and smart appliances that can be tied to its smartphones.Bluetooth 5 "is a huge advance over previous versions of Bluetooth from a connectivity speed and capacity standpoint," Hyers pointed out, noting thatit's a natural fit for Samsung's next flagship device.The S8 will "be both a mass market flagship and a showcase for Samsung's technological leadership" since the company has canceled its Note series of phablets, he said.Therefore, Samsung "will be careful to only put technology and features in it that it's certain will not create issues," Hyers contended. As a relatively low-risk feature,Bluetooth 5 likely will appear in the S8 in Q1 2017.
Bluetooth 5.0 Specs
Bluetooth 5.0 offers 2Mbps of bandwidth, twice that of Bluetooth 4.2, with low energy.The bandwidth can be decreased to achieve up to 4x the broadcast range of Bluetooth 4.2 with the same power requirement. That means home automation and security devices can coverentire homes, buildings or locations.Developers can adjust the broadcast range, speed and security for different environments.Bluetooth 5.0 delivers reliable Internet of Things connections, and it will increase therelevance of beacons and other location awareness technologies, which will enablea seamless IoT experience.It also has ad extensions that enable moreefficient use of broadcasting channels on the 2.4 GHz band.Slot availability masks can detect and prevent interference on neighboring bands.Keeping the Note7's Specter at BayMany consumers returned their Note7 phablets to purchase an older Galaxy S7, Hyers said. "Given that history, "I expect that the Galaxy S8 will be the most carefully tested and verified smartphone ever released."Also, consumers in the know will see Bluetooth 5 as a future-proof technology, he suggested, while early adopters will see it as a useful item.
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