Increasingly Bluetooth means “somewhat useless”
Other than as a setup protocol, and for earbuds, I’m finding increasingly little use for Bluetooth gadgets. From range limitations to having to remember to use the app occasionally or it unregisters, pauses, or freezes entirely, WiFi + Smart Home Assistants have completely taken the prize.
TL;DR – old man wants most Bluetooth exclusive devices discontinued, hybrid BT+WiFi standard.
Imagine rage from dropped music and data here…. you’re imagining wrong, this is just something I’ve been thinking about. Don’t take it too personally.
The main issue I have with Bluetooth devices are, by and far, your phone is required to be on and near them. Things like a Bluetooth thermometer I used to make sure my littlest’s bedroom was comfy only worked when I was on that side of the house, and quite often failed because the app got killed in the background. Seriously, I haven’t received a temperature update in months and just realized that.
I’ve got a few old air quality detectors and similarly having forgotten about them due to the air quality being ok the apps have gone into hibernation and I’m currently downloading 3+ months of data.
Even on Bluetooth speakers I’m a bit on the fence about this – I’ve been to several get-togethers where a speaker comes out and music is playing and then there’s that “ding” because person got a text or the search for a charger for the dying phone in the sun. The whole idea of pushing all the sound into one channel heading out to be played, not a great one. I mean there it’s probably not BT’s fault, but it’s not something that’s ideal. Casting music is so much more useful.
On the Wifi-ication of portable speakers I imagine this would require setting up a WiFi hotspot or something at a camp, but yeah. Bluetooth should exit the building for anything other than earbuds, some speakers, and potentially connected food thermometers.
Even if speaker manufacturers don’t want to mosey away from supporting Bluetooth just adding the ability for WiFi and casting would 1) not cost a whole lost, 2) make devices immensely more useful. I’m going to start casting music and wander away with my phone because I’m not tethered to 15 feet from the device? I’d buy that. No WiFi at the pool? Bluetooth it is then!
The next stage of gadgets needs to mosey on off of whatever revision number comes out next and at least incorporate some hybridization – it’s all 2.4ghz and a chip that probably costs under a dollar now.
Thanks for attending my T.E.D. talk
