3G and Bluetooth

[ASHBURRN ®]

I am not sure if this is in the right forum -- if not, please move it to the appropriate one, thanks.

Can someone please tell me what exactly are the benefits of 3G compared to Bluetooth .. and is Bluetooth a failing technology? And if so, why will 3G be better than Bluetooth?

 

[Elledan]

From what I gather, 3G is a technology to be used in mobile devices, like cellular phones, yet with possible applications in various other devices.

Bluetooth is meant for short range only, and has a quite low bandwidth. Yet it is a rather cheap technology. 3G is suitable for both short and long range and provides much more bandwidth (UMTS: 2,000 kpbs).

I'm by no means an expert, but I think you might be right in saying that Bluetooth will fail. 3G looks (in theory) better than Bluetooth, yet there's always the price-issue and ease of implementation.

 

[ASHBURRN ®]

Do you have any links to some websites with some more information about 3G and Bluetooth and why one will be better than the other? I tried looking in Google but nothing substantial turned up.

I find Bluetooth rather expensive actually ... a Bluetooth handset for Ericsson mobile phones costs a whopping £200 the last time I checked.

 

[Elledan]

<< Do you have any links to some websites with some more information about 3G and Bluetooth and why one will be better than the other? I tried looking in Google but nothing substantial turned up. >>


I looked at 3G.co.uk for information on 3G. As it turned out that it was merely another name for UMTS, of which I know quite something, and I'm already aware of the most important specifications of Bluetooth, I assumed that based on the information I gave earlier, that UMTS is in many ways superior to Bluetooth.



<< I find Bluetooth rather expensive actually ... a Bluetooth handset for Ericsson mobile phones costs a whopping £200 the last time I checked. >>


From what I've read, the technology itself (the chip) is very easy to manufacture and implement. Perhaps licensing costs are a bit high? Or demand is still quite low?

 

[Mark R]

Bluetooth and 3G are rather different technologies which serve a different purpose.

Bluetooth, is a low-power, low-cost, wireless connection between electronic devices - the analogy is that of a wireless version of USB. A bluetooth device can interface to your PC, or other bluetooth enabled device.

For example with a bluetooth enabled cellular telephone (e.g. Nokia 6310) and a laptop/pocket PC with bluetooth, you could connect to the internet using the cellular network without physically connecting (or even ensuring line of sight) between PC and telephone. The same principle with a bluetooth, telephone headset - make and receive calls, while the telephone remains in your briefcase.

---

3G (or UMTS) is an evolution of the cellular network system. It provides a cellular telephone network with high bandwidth to support techniques such as videoconferencing, instant multimedia messaging, broadband access to public data networks (e.g. the internet). Although interworking with localised systems such as DECT allows a bluetooth type interconnection to devices in the immediate vicinity - the main thrust of UMTS is as a wide area, high mobility, public network.

 

[ASHBURRN ®]

Thank you.

 

[LaBang]

I don't really know a lot about this issue but I do know that apple is starting to fully support bluetooth. When Apple picks up a standard often times it is given a big kick in the butt for the whole industry. Maybe Bluetooth will be a success afterall. I think that it would be a good substitute for some lowbandwidth usb devices.

Things i envision:

PDAs
cellphones
keyboards
mice
coffee makers?
dish washers?

Bluetooh will not and cannot compete with higher bandwidth wireless solutions. It is meant to be cheaper and thus used in products that do not require any better. Seems like a good thing to me!