Bluetooth 4.2 promises faster data transfer, improved privacy settings and IPv6 protocol support

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has officially adopted version 4.2 of the Bluetooth core specification this week. This latest version of Bluetooth promises better privacy controls, increased data transfer speed and a soon-to-be ratified profile which will enable IPv6 connectivity.

The new specification improves privacy feature by letting the consumers decide whom to allow to connect with their bluetooth devices. This means that bluetooth beacons cannot push messages to your device, unless you have enabled permissions for the same. This prevents tracking of your device by beacons.

The next most important improvement has been the speed of data transfer between Bluetooth smart devices. You can now transfer data up to 2.5 times faster than with 4.1 and earlier versions. This has been made possible by increasing the capacity of Bluetooth Smart packets. This also prevents transmission errors and reduces battery consumption resulting in more efficient connections.

The Internet Protocol Support Profile (IPSP) will allow Bluetooth Smart devices to access internet directly via IPv6 which has been introduced keeping in mind connected homes that may have a lot of Bluetooth Smart devices which may need a wider area of control. This profile will be ratified by the end of the year.

There isn’t any clarity on whether Bluetooth 4.2 will be compatible with existing devices which support Bluetooth v4.0LE, which is the most commonly used Bluetooth version on most phones. Android Lollipop has started to add on v4.1 support natively. According to ArsTechnica , some but not all Bluetooth 4.2 features will be available as an update for older Bluetooth adapters. Privacy features can be enabled after a firmware update but the increased speed and packet size features will require a hardware update.

“Bluetooth 4.2 is all about continuing to make Bluetooth Smart the best solution to connect all the technology in your life – from personal sensors to your connected home. In addition to the improvements to the specification itself, a new profile known as IPSP enables IPv6 for Bluetooth, opening entirely new doors for device connectivity,” said Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG.