Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology that lets handsets communicate with other devices.  The first Bluetooth handset was launched in 1999.  Since the introduction of the Bluetooth standard, it has steadily evolved, with new versions rolling out on a regular cadence, offering new profiles that enable different ways to communicate between devices.

More than 96% of handsets sold globally in 2021 have Bluetooth embedded in them. By 2025, 99.9% of handsets sold will be Bluetooth capable.  Bluetooth is one of the most ubiquitous technologies found in nearly all handsets and is a trusted standard that many different device makers can develop products that use it to communicate with handsets.

Bluetooth LE Audio, introduced with Bluetooth version 5.2 in 2020, brings the BT LE Audio profile, which will support new broadcast applications that are likely to be popular with a number of phone users.  Bluetooth version 6.0, likely coming in the next two years, will focus on IoT and mesh networking, enabling new types of machine-to-machine communication. These kinds of continuous innovation and evolution will keep Bluetooth relevant for many years to come.

Clients of our Device Technologies service can read more about Bluetooth versions and profiles in the report Bluetooth Phone Sales Forecast by Version and Profile to 2026.