Bluetooth Smart node devices accounted for less than 10%
of total Bluetooth 4.0 devices shipped in 2012. However, as device
vendors have embraced the technology a wider ecosystem of vendors have
gained confidence in 4.0 and it is emerging as the key wireless
technology in a whole range of devices from heart rate monitors to door
locks. Apple has been a key adopter and driver of Bluetooth 4.0 and
vital in driving the initial growth; with the recent addition of native
4.0 support in Android a whole new slew of device manufacturers will now
embrace 4.0, according to ABI Research.
"The second
stage in the growth cycle for Bluetooth v4.0 is driven by its use in
wireless sensors and other node devices," said Peter Cooney, practice
director at ABI Research. "We have already seen swift adoption of
Bluetooth 4.0 in the sports and fitness market, home automation
applications are on the rise and no doubt the wearables sector,
including smartwatches, will also drive this market forward."
The
total Bluetooth enabled device market is expected to go beyond four
billion devices shipped annually in 2017 and as the market expands it is
increasingly being driven by devices that are 4.0 enabled. It is clear
that the development of ultra-low power Bluetooth has, and will
continue, to keep Bluetooth as a relevant technology in the burgeoning
Internet of Everything market