It looks like they are focusing on enhancing Bluetooth for the Internet of things in the coming year, with the technology gaining a longer range, higher speeds, and mesh networking capability.
Below is a snippet of the announcement and the full article link follows.
“Today the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is previewing highlights
from its 2016 technology roadmap. Planned enhancements for the
technology are focused squarely on increasing its Internet of Things
(IoT) functionality. Key updates include longer range, higher speeds and
mesh networking. The host of Bluetooth advancements coming in 2016 will
further energize fast-growing industries such as smart home, industrial
automation, location-based services and smart infrastructure.”
From an engineering standpoint I don’t see why it would have anything to do with delaying turning on the Bluetooth radio in the V2 hub. There are competing hubs that have Bluetooth now.
From a long term IOT standpoint, both at Apple and Samsung are betting on some of these Bluetooth enhancements for the future. But we’re talking maybe 2018. If they can really triple the range and double the speed it potentially makes Bluetooth very important for IOT.
Bluetooth Mesh we knew was coming, there have been forum discussions on that already. But the range and speed thing maybe even more important.
Samsung has a Bluetooth lightbulb waiting for some improvements before it can really be marketed. Apple’s HomeKit of course uses Bluetooth now.
We’ll have to see what actually happens. It won’t surprise me if the standard doesn’t get fixed until the fall of 2016 and we don’t see devices in the marketplace showing the improvements until summer of 2017. But who knows?