Apple certifies macOS for bluetooth 5

Apple is going through the qualification process for Bluetooth 5 with macOS, according to a notification on the page of the Bluetooth SIG. The certification indicates that the operating system, and therefore Mac systems, will receive support for the Bluetooth version.

Apple’s application was published last week and concerns bluetooth 5 certification for macOS. The notification comes from Launch Studio of the Bluetooth SIG, which allows companies to register products for the Bluetooth qualification process.

The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the iPhone X already have support for Bluetooth 5. In addition, Intel already has network cards that support the Bluetooth generation, such as the Wireless-AC 9260. Mac systems with Bluetooth 5 support are not yet available. For example, the most recent Mac, the iMac Pro, supports bluetooth 4.2. An upcoming update of the MacBook Pro line may receive support for bluetooth 5, but it is not known when Apple will announce new Macbooks. The current line dates from mid-2017.

Bluetooth 5 LE offers some advantages over bluetooth 4 LE. The range in the open air has been increased from 50 to 100 meters to a maximum of 400 meters. Indoors, the range would be 45 meters. In addition, the maximum bandwidth has been doubled from 1Mbit/s to 2Mbit/s.