Bluetooth 4.2 makes tracking more difficult and makes data transfer 2.5 times faster

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has determined the specifications of bluetooth 4.2 and put it online. In the new version, devices keep switching MAC addresses, making it a lot more difficult to track users via Bluetooth tracking.

Thanks to the change of MAC address, equipment cannot continue to recognize a smartphone, because they now pay attention to the MAC address. In addition, beacons can only wake up devices at, for example, stores for messages, for example if users have the app for that store on their device; the software keeps a whitelist for this in bluetooth 4.2. Because beacons wake smartphones less often, this function should reduce the battery use of Bluetooth on smartphones.

In addition, the new bluetooth version is 2.5 times faster in data transfer than bluetooth 4.1. In addition, fewer errors should occur during data transfer. In addition, in the new version, bluetooth supports a direct connection via ipv6, which should be especially useful for small devices that form the ‘internet of things’. Of course, the internet connection requires a network connection via a router or set-top box with Bluetooth, but these internet-of-things devices no longer need to have WiFi on board.

A feature that is still missing in bluetooth 4.2 is the possibility to build a mesh network with various bluetooth devices. The members of the Bluetooth SIG are working on it, a top executive tells EETimes. “It’s a clear priority.”