It may be overlooked when it comes to the connectivity of your mobile device in lieu of 4G/LTE, but the latest version of Bluetooth is just important to have on one's phone. To that end, the new version of the wireless technology has just been detailed, as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced Bluetooth 5.

Like any new iteration, SIG says Bluetooth 5 is a game changer, with it now boasting faster speeds, a longer range and wider broadcast capability. In fact, SIG notes the new standard has twice the connectivity speeds, four times the operating range and up to eight times the data download capacity.

The group also believes Bluetooth 5 to be a key Internet of Things (IoT) enabler. "Bluetooth is revolutionising how people experience the IoT. Bluetooth 5 continues to drive this revolution by delivering reliable IoT connections and mobilising the adoption of beacons, which in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience," says executive director of Bluetooth SIG, Mark Powell.

The new wireless standard has also been updated to reduce interference with forms forms of communication. As such, SIG believes Bluetooth 5 could integrate with a 5G-driven IoT environment in order to open up more verticals.     

With an estimated 48 billion internet-connected devices active to be installed by 2021, according to ABI Research, Bluetooth 5's adoption comes at a crucial time, notes Bluetooth SIG. While its fully fledged implementation is still some months off, this is one space that needs to be watched.