End of Bluetooth? Bluetooth rival unveiled by Nokia

A short-range, wireless technology that is more energy-efficient than Bluetooth has been unveiled by Nokia.
 
Wibree is a new radio frequency technology that can work alongside Bluetooth but using just a fraction of the power. "Wibree is up to 10 times more energy efficient than Bluetooth," said Bob Iannucci, Nokia Research Center's head.

Nokia has been developing Wibree for the last five years and will now put the technology through a standardisation process so that the wireless system can be offered to third-party firms.

Wibree radio chips - which operate over a distance of 30 feet - are also smaller than Bluetooth chips and will suit devices which up to now do not typically have wireless technology built-in.

Watches, health monitors and sport sensors are three of the uses touted by Nokia. The technology is also likely to be used in mobile phones to help prolong battery power.

The new wireless system can transfer data at speeds of up to 1Mbps, about a third of the speed of current Bluetooth technology.

Nokia said it expected the first commercial version of the standard to be available during the second quarter of 2007.

The firm said it expected dual Bluetooth-Wibree devices such as mobile phones to hit the market within two years.

Bluetooth technology was invented by Ericsson in the 1990s and was given away to the market as an open standard.