The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the adoption of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology, which is the hallmark feature of the Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0. As a result, the SIG hopes new markets for devices requiring low-cost and low power wireless connectivity will be opened. Among the examples they talk about healthcare, sports and fitness, security and home entertainment.
This enhancement to the Bluetooth Core Specification allows two types of implementation – dual-mode and single-mode. In a dual-mode implementation, Bluetooth low energy functionality is integrated into an existing classic Bluetooth controller, whereas single-mode chips will enable highly integrated and compact devices with a lightweight Link Layer providing “ultra-low power idle mode operation, simple device discovery, and reliable point-to-multipoint data transfer with advanced power-save and secure encrypted connections at the lowest possible cost”…
Exact details when we’ll see first Bluetooth 4.0-powered devices were not unveiled, unfortunately. And you can get additional information from Bluetooth SIG’s website.