Bluetooth SIG
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HTC One drops by Bluetooth SIG with Android 4.3
Android 4.3 keeps popping up left, right and center and it's most recently been spotted running on an HTC One in the Bluetooth SIG. It's no secret that the new version of Jelly Bean will finally support Bluetooth 4.0 out of the box and enable Android phones and tablets to connect with a whole new category of devices like the Kevo lock we played with at CTIA. The handset is named "PN071xx_Android 4.3_G" in the July 5th listing -- which matches the HTC One's model number (with "G" likely denoting the Google Play edition) -- and shows compatibility with Bluetooth 4.0 LE. With this much evidence building up, we're pretty sure the official launch of Android 4.3 is just around the corner. Are you ready for it?
Toshiba Excite 10SE / AT300SE gets caught visiting the FCC, may tout Jelly Bean
If you're Toshiba, what do you do when you're looking to goose interest in the Excite 10 tablet? Roll out a quick follow up, of course. Accordingly, the FCC has just recently cleared a refreshed tablet, the AT300SE, that the Bluetooth SIG suggests will be called the Excite 10SE in North America. As shown, it's a European-spec WiFi model that gives away little by itself. It's when we combine this with the Bluetooth listing and speed tests that a clearer picture of the upgrade emerges -- there's been an AT300SE in GLBenchmark's performance charts that we've seen running Jelly Bean (unavailable to current Excites) on top of what looks to be the familiar 1,280 x 800 display and 1.3GHz Tegra 3. While there may be other surprises lurking in areas the tests can't reach, the documents point to a quick nip-and-tuck from Toshiba to keep tablet sales afloat rather than a full overhaul.
Bluetooth SIG releases certifications for fitness devices aimed at runners and cyclists
Fitness gadgets are great, but you never quite know what you're going to get when it comes to calorie counts, or a reading of how many miles you've run. That could change, though, thanks to a set of standards the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is adopting with regard to fitness devices. These two certifications, which apply to running and cycling gadgets, respectively, affect the way data (e.g., cadence, speed, distance) is transmitted to paired devices like smartphones, sports watches and cycling computers. As far as SIG is concerned, too, more standardization means OEMs will have an easier time bringing new products to market -- not that there's any current shortage of options to choose from.
Samsung Galaxy S III for T-Mobile hits FCC, brings future-proofed HSPA+ for good measure
There's been hints of it coming as early as February, but we now have a smoking gun at the FCC: the Galaxy S III is coming to T-Mobile. A Samsung SGH-T999 has popped up at the agency sporting newly added 1,700MHz AWS support that's the telltale sign of a T-Mobile device, along with the T999 name itself (the T989 is the network's Galaxy S II). It also totes 850MHz and 1,900MHz WCDMA bands being used for HSPA+ data rather than just voice, a clue that the phone is ready for refarmed GSM spectrum. Just in case there was any remaining doubt, we've further spotted a related T999V entry at the Bluetooth SIG with a rather familiar-looking image as well as a Samsung-hosted T999 user agent profile on the web that matches what we know about the Android 4.0 hardware. We have yet to get a look at whether or not the T-Mobile version is any different on the outside, but with the FCC's help, there's not much left to know before the expected summer US launch.
Bluetooth SIG embraces GNSS Profile 1.0 for GPS data sharing
Hot on the heels of a new Broadcom system that taps into the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in order to reduce first-lock times, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has quietly adopted GNSS Profile 1.0 for GPS data sharing. According to Phone Scoop, the profile can be used by all devices boasting Bluetooth 2.0 and up, and it'll allow GPS-enabled products to share positioning data with another nearby product over BT. Specifically, "the GNSS profile specification defines the Serial Port Profile (SPP) based transport mechanism and associated service discovery record parameters needed to establish a service level connection between two devices," which should make GPS data sharing as easy as contact sharing of yesteryear. Practical applications? With a plethora of location-based social networking apps already on the market, we're certainly playing the wait-and-see game on this one.
New iPad has power-sipping Bluetooth 4.0
There are already 2,048 x 1,536 reasons to covet the latest iPad, but here's one more: it's the first tablet to incorporate the latest Bluetooth 4.0 "Smart" standard. Like the iPhone 4S, Apple's new slate is ready to pair with other Smart devices that drain far less power than previous modules. Want to complement your purchase with a wireless keyboard whose batteries will last for years? Or to plaster your body with tiny low-power sensors so you can, erm, monitor yourself on your iPad? Oh yes, Bluetooth 4.0 can make that happen.
Bluetooth SIG forms new working group focused on fitness gadgets
We've been seeing Bluetooth make more and more inroads into fitness gadgets as of late, and it looks like the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is intent on seeing that trend continue. It announced the formation of a new Sports and Fitness Working Group today, which will be tasked with increasing the interoperability between wearable gadgets and other sensors and so-called "hub" devices like smartphones, TVs and gym equipment. That's a fairly natural fit for Bluetooth now, but it's taken until Bluetooth 4.0 for the standard to really emerge as a viable alternative to lower-power options like ANT+ (now commonly used in heart rate monitors and the like).
Sony Ericsson LT28at with 4.55-inch HD display, 13MP camera and LTE gets Bluetooth certification
Reading entries to the Bluetooth SIG for device certification can be a frustrating activity. They're generally void of any telling detail aside from the device's model number, and they rarely give any insight into what we can expect from the upcoming product. The Sony Ericsson LT28at, a handset we haven't seen or heard from before, decided to be a little different and use the opportunity to get a little pre-CES scoop. The LT28a -- not to be confused with the LT26i (Nozomi), a rumored handset with a 4.3-inch HD screen and 12MP camera -- claims to offer LTE, a 720p HD Reality display, 13MP rear camera with an LED flash and a front-facing cam capable of taking 720p HD video, and is said to take the Xperia lineup into "superphone territory." Sounds nice, but we have a feeling the land will be populated by hostile forces of all kinds at CES, so we hope they're prepared.
Bluetooth SIG, NFC Forum come together, right now, over pairing
Personally, we wish the NFC Forum and Bluetooth SIG behaved like the elder robots of Chapek 9, controlling the world from an underground bunker. Instead, the two industry bodies ensure interoperability and standards of their respective technologies. Now they've gotten 'round the table and hammered out the dryly titled "Bluetooth secure simple pairing using NFC," a guide for developers to ensure hassle-free hook-ups 'twixt smartphone and device. The paper includes breakdowns on ensuring the kit will team up pedometers, headsets, car dashboards and push content from your phone to your TV -- something we've been told we watch too much of, given our Futurama fantasies.
ZTE Smart Tab V55 tablet shows its face at the Bluetooth SIG
After flaunting its rear side at the FCC, ZTE's unannounced Smart Tab V55 has now given us a full frontal courtesy of the Bluetooth SIG. Aside from the flash of Honeycomb, the official listing tells us nothing beyond what we already know: there's a CDMA modem inside, along with WiFi and Bluetooth. Oh well, at least it's good to see that the slate is still alive and jumping through all the right hoops for a possible release early next year. Is there any hope that it'll pack Tegra 3, like that curious T98?
Acer's Iconia Tab A200 Honeycomb tablet emerges at Bluetooth SIG
Who's amped about another Honeycomb tablet? Go on, we'll wait for the hands to rise. All jesting aside, Acer's presumably forthcoming Iconia Tab A200 has just surfaced over at the Bluetooth SIG, where a filing has proved that a) Acer's new Honeycomb tablet will look pretty much like every other Honeycomb tablet we've seen, and b) it'll have Bluetooth and WiFi. Sadly, the rest of the details are still under wraps, but you can bet we'll be bringing 'em to you as soon as we hear more.
Bluetooth SIG unveils Smart Marks, explains v4.0 compatibility with unnecessary complexity
Bluetooth has been through bevy of official versions to date, and now its eponymous Special Interest Group is announcing Smart Marks to differentiate device types in v4.0. Products will now fall under three brands including Bluetooth Smart Ready, Bluetooth Smart and the original itself. According to Bluetooth SIG, the new visuals are intended to help gauge device compatibility and also denote what form of radios they have. Essentially, Smart Ready refers to any electronics that feature Bluetooth v4.0 with a dual radio, like the iPhone 4S, while the Smart tag covers "devices like heart-rate monitors or pedometers that run on button-cell batteries and were built to collect a specific piece of information." In terms of compatibility, Smart Ready devices can interface with themselves and both of the others, while standard Bluetooth lacks compatibility with Smart, which can only hookup with Smart Ready-enabled gadgets. If you ask us, it's all a bit confusing at the moment, but at least there's a chart for memorizing it all. Hit the source link below for all the details.
ZTE N860 heading to Sprint, granted FCC and BlueTooth SIG approval
It's not often that a phone swings through the FCC with its carrier branding already in place, but here is the ZTE N860 with a nice big Sprint logo emblazoned across its regulatory label. Interestingly, it doesn't appear that the N860 (which we hope picks up a catchier name on its way to market) packs a WiMAX radio. Instead this Android smartphone only has test entries for its EVDO connection, but we wouldn't rule out a 4G hiding in some of the unreleased documents. In addition to its trip through the FCC, the handset also hit up the BlueTooth SIG and we can tell it sports A2DP capabilities - but, beyond that (even what particular version of Google's mobile OS it's running) this thing is still a mystery.
Is Motorola joining the Facebook phone bandwagon with its EX225?
A funny thing just happened over at the Bluetooth SIG's website: the group may have just outed Motorola's first Facebook phone. As Unwired View rightfully points out, the EX225 is likely a feature phone that's based on BREW, as Android's navigation buttons are nowhere to be found. The handset offers two variants, one that supports dual-SIMs and another that accommodates only one. Further, a nearly identical version, the EX226, is displayed in a separate listing that lacks the notorious "F" button. Both models share a common 2.4-inch TFT-LCD display, a 3 megapixel camera and five row QWERTY keyboard -- along with a sizable protrusion at the bottom rear of the device. That's all we have for the moment, but it seems that the Status shouldn't be too concerned about this Moto.
Bluetooth SIG takes aim at sensor market, adds Apple and Nordic to board of directors
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (aka Bluetooth SIG) has some fairly grand plans for the future of its wireless technology, and it's now recruited some big players to help get it there. The group announced yesterday that it's added both Apple and Nordic Semiconductor to its board of directors -- companies that it says will help it "drive Bluetooth technology's expansion into platform and sensor markets." In particular, the group is setting its sights on wireless health sensors, which it hopes to finally gain a real foothold in thanks the lower power requirements of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, and thanks to the experience of Nordic, which has a long history of working with such devices. Full press release is after the break.
Apple joins Bluetooth SIG board of directors
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has announced that Apple and semiconductor firm Nordic have both joined the board of directors. Apple is an obvious choice; not only is the company now at the lead of the mobile device industry, but it's also been very faithful to the standard, including Bluetooth in all of the eleventy billion iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches out there these days. [Well, other than the first-gen iPod touch anyway. --Ed] Bluetooth says the confirmation to the board will help push a world of Bluetooth connections between mobile devices forward, bringing together "mobile phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, homes, and even cars [to] soon serve as hub devices to capture data from hundreds of millions of small sensors." That's an ambitious vision, to say the least, but that's what Apple is supposed to help out with while serving on the board.
Nokia C5-04 with T-Mobile branding gets Bluetooth certified: is the Nuron 2 still on?
Does that shot up there look just a little bit like T-Mobile's allegedly shelved Nuron 2? Why yes, it does -- so it would seem that the phone has a model code of C5-04, according to the Bluetooth SIG's certification database. That would make a lot of sense since the rumored Nuron replacement was looking like a rebranded C5-03 already, and Nokia would need to bust out a new model code since T-Mobile's version would require support for AWS 3G. Question is, does this mean that the phone is back on T-Mobile's roadmap? It wouldn't be out of the question for a canned device to continue its zombie-esque stroll through the world's certification bodies -- but this could also mean the carrier still wants to get this done; Nokia doesn't have Windows Phone gear ready quite yet, after all.
Motorola's mysterious Olympus MB860 gets certified for Bluetooth, UPnP and dual-band WiFi
What is the Motorola MB860? It's hard to say for sure, but it could be one of the infamous Tegra 2 tablets that Motorola's been allegedly working on. Ameblo recently discovered that the MB860 had been certified for Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and then noticed that the UPnP Forum had attached a curious codename -- Olympus -- to the device. This is where things get fairly fuzzy, but Android and Me recently reported that the Olympus was one of two Motorola tablets in testing -- though it may not be the Stingray, as that supposed 10-inch device has an alphanumeric designation of its own: MZ600. For those of you inspired to go sluthing on your own, we've got a couple final notes. First, the Bluetooth SIG has already changed its MB860 filing to read BT0001, according to Google's cache. Second, though the WiFi interoperability certificate above reads "smartphone," that's not necessarily true -- according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Samsung's Galaxy Tab is a "phone" as well.
LG C900 due to bring Windows Phone 7 to market near September 28th, according to Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth SIG has a long history of promoting its members' "special interests" by leaking valuable tidbits about their handsets before they're announced. The recently unearthed LG C900 is the latest of these, being pegged for a launch date "around" September 28th by the SIG's detail page on the phone. The QWERTY slider, which is referred to in C900N, C900k, and C900B versions, will be available in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Phone Arena conjectures that the launch date lines up with AT&T's marketing materials timing and the slated Q4 launch of Windows Phone 7, so the C900 probably has a decent chance of being the first Windows Phone 7 phones to market if LG's own GW910 or some more secretive set doesn't beat it to the punch. Still, September is a bit earlier than any of the launch windows Microsoft has managed to let slip, and as far as we know Microsoft won't even be accepting apps in the Marketplace before October.
Samsung's Cetus SGH-i917 sashays into FCC database, winks seductively at AT&T
AT&T came right out and confessed that it would be "the premiere carrier" for Windows Phone 7, and while it's obviously far too early to say if that'll be the case, this ain't a bad way to start proving one's point. Samsung's Cetus (SGH-i917) was just recently confirmed to be one of the first commercial Windows Phone 7 devices last week, and now the always-disclosing FCC database has shed even more light on the phone's intentions. Based on the mention of 850 / 1,900MHz frequency support -- and that whole "SGH-i917 (ATT)" marking on the label -- it's pretty safe to assume that this 4-inch, AMOLED-packin' superphone will soon be fighting with the iPhone 4 for shelf space. There's obviously no indication of when Ma Bell plans on releasing this one to the wilds, but it's typically not too far out after hitting this milestone. Giddy yet? %Gallery-98984%
