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You are here: Home / ARTICLES / What is Bluetooth?

April 23, 2017 By BestCarAudio.com Leave a Comment

What is Bluetooth?

BluetoothIf you have been around the mobile electronics industry for any amount of time, you will know that certain terms are often used incorrectly. One term that has been over-abused lately is Bluetooth. Product manufacturers, retailers and consumers have developed an expectation of what Bluetooth is, and what it does. Sadly, those expectations can lead to confusion and undesirable results. This article explains what Bluetooth is, and how it is used.

What is Bluetooth?

BluetoothBack in the dark ages, we had to connect electronic devices with wires. We also created wheels from boulders using animal bones as tools. RS-232 was a popular type of communication protocol for devices like modems, printers, scanners and cameras. Two wires would carry data between these devices and your computer. In 1994, Ericsson – a telecommunications and network equipment manufacturer in Stockholm, Sweden – introduced a wireless alternative to RS-232 called Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is a low-power, high-speed wireless communication protocol. Bluetooth operates using short-wave UHF radio waves in the frequency band of 2.4 to 2.485 GHz. Within this range of frequencies are 79 dedicated Bluetooth channels. Bluetooth uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum to reduce errors and allow multiple devices to operate within the same frequency spectrum.

Bluetooth is used for short-range data communication between devices like computer and keyboards, video game controllers and consoles, and cellular phones and wireless devices. There are applications for medical applications such as monitoring heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels. That said, many industrial applications exist between sensors in production systems and control computers.

Bluetooth Profiles

The misconception many people in the mobile electronics industry have is that Bluetooth exists to let cellular phones make calls and stream music to our radios. Bluetooth is far more involved and flexible than that.

Any talk of Bluetooth functionality is a perfect segue to introduce us to profiles. A Bluetooth profile is a set of instructions and commands that operate over a Bluetooth connection. Profiles simplify the communication between devices. In our industry, we are used to four common profiles:

PBAP – Phonebook Access Profile

HFP – Hands-free Profile

A2DP – Advanced Audio Distribution Profile

AVRCP – Audio Video Remote Control Profile

These profiles are used in varying combinations to allow you to connect your phone to your car radio so you can make phone calls and stream music. A few companies that have wanted to provide an Internet connection to their radio have used DUN to accomplish this task.

PBAP Profile

The Phone Book Access Profile allows your source unit to receive phonebook entry information, as well as manage it. Phonebook entries are transmitted and managed by the radio in vCard 2.1 or vCard .0 formats. Missed, received and dialed numbers are listed as well.

HFP Profile

The Hands-free Profile carries monaural audio between the phone and a secondary device. The profile also supports commands to answer or reject incoming calls; place a call; use memory data to place a call, terminate a call or manage phone volume level; and send phone status information, including battery, roaming status and signal strength . These functions are included in version 1.5 of the Hands-free Profile. Future versions, such as 1.7, will include support for wideband speech and the use of external audio compression and decompression codecs.

A2DP Profile

The Advanced Audio Distribution Profile operates within another profile called the Generic Audio/Video Distribution Profile (GAVDP). A2DP is responsible for allowing us to stream audio from a device such as a smartphone to a radio or powered speaker. The basic profile allows for stereo audio to be transmitted at a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz at up to 328 kb/s. The use of a third-part codec such as aptX from Qualcomm or LDAC from Sony may further improve on bandwidth.

AVRCP Profile

Functioning alongside the GAVDP profile is the Audio Video Remote Control Profile. AVRCP is responsible for the display of song title, artist and album information, and control over playback device functions. If you can imagine a button on a DVD remote control, the AVRCP is likely to support it. Most car audio source units include functions like play, pause, fast-forward and rewind. The most recent versions of AVRCP include support for folder navigation and searching.

What Bluetooth Doesn’t Do

Although the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) works to manage the different Bluetooth communication and profile standards, there are variations in functionality between profile versions and, more importantly, between smartphone vendors. This latter fact can be a significant issue for buyers of car audio source units. The expectation that it “should work,” while not unreasonable, is not always possible. To expect a seven- or eight-year-old radio to work flawlessly with a brand-new iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8 isn’t reasonable. The hardware in the older units cannot be upgraded.

How to Buy Bluetooth

BluetoothIf you are shopping for a new source unit, take any smartphone you want to use with it to the retailer. Ask to pair your phone with the demo unit on display. Check that your entire list of phone contacts transfers as expected. Make sure you can use voice control functions if they apply to your phone. See that you can make calls easily. Finally, check that your phone reconnects reliably to the source unit by cycling power on the source a few times.

If you purchase a new radio and have it installed, only to find out it is not compatible with your smartphone, there is often nothing that can be done quickly. Some manufacturers do release updates for Bluetooth functionality, but these updates are not going to turn a Bluetooth 3.0 system into a 4.0, or add AVRCP 1.4 to a system that shipped with AVRCP 1.2. Do your research before you buy!

If you are looking for a hands-free solution to make phone calls or stream music to your audio system, drop in at your local mobile electronics specialist retailer. Bring your phone, pair the Bluetooth connection and experiment with the options.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

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Filed Under: ARTICLES, Bluetooth, Car Audio, RESOURCE LIBRARY

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Car Audio and so much more! Handcrafted Car Audio is the Valley's premier destination for mobile electronics.  We sell and install everything you … » Read More

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I consider myself a very, very picky consumer, especially when it comes to my vehicle. Out of the many choices in the PHX area, I chose this shop because they carried the brand I needed (number one), but number two his youtube videos online of how professional and organized his shop was is what really sold me. Jon is a pro and knows what he is doing. After meeting him,... » Read More
Agent409
I have been to many stereo shops over the years, this place is different from the rest. Now if you don’t care who works on your car and do your shopping based on price alone this place is not for you. If you care about your car and want it worked on by a true professional who has real talent and passion about what he does. Check this place out! » Read More
Joe H.
Jon has done 2 installs for me in the past. Each time, I have walked away very satisfied. His work exceeded my expectations on both occasions. I recently had a head unit installed, and the kit was designed to eliminate my stock lcd screen which displayed the A/C controlls. Instead of eliminating the lcd screen, he studied the components and figured out a way to keep the screen there. I... » Read More
Josh
This guy is the best car audio installer in the valley. Did a very complex audio/video installation in my BMW 745. Now I have my ipod connected in a jack in my ashtray with video in my navigation unit. If u have audio work that needs to be done this is the guy to have it done. » Read More
sharpiesignature
Top Notch Professional Installation After looking around for a few weeks I came across Handcrafted Car Audio. They installed a Sony in dash gps unit along with their top remote care starter and alarm. The Installation was well done and everything was done quickly and very professional. Jon took the time on a Sat right before Christmas knowing that I was leaving town soon and showed me how to navigate... » Read More
Aaron Bree
These guys rock!! If you want it done right, go here! They take the time to understand your listening desires and customize to exceed expectations!! Well worth your time!!! John knows his stuff…has received several awards as a result! » Read More
Nicko
Jon is the most stand up car audio guy that I’ve ever met. He is very customer oriented with a high level of integrity. He is very knowledgeable about all aspects of car audio and is willing to work with you to reach your goals. His level of craftsmanship is phenomenal and the work he did for me far exceeded my expectations.I HIGHLY recommend Handcrafted Car Audio. » Read More
Scott S.
Jon and his staff are simply the very best… bar none! I have a 2007 S550 Mercedes that I prize very much…as in “I’m a Jewish mother” when it comes to my wonderful automobile. I had Jon install a super set of DVD players for the rear seats and he’s going to be putting in a remote starter, (really necessary for the Arizona 116 degree days). Jon’s prices are very... » Read More
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alan castello
2004 Porsche C4S I knew where I wanted to go with my system, but didn’t completely know how to get there. What I needed was this: a stealth install that upgraded the speakers and amplifiers, retained the oem head unit, possibly added a sub, and minimized any weight increase. After some internet research, I came across Handcrafted Car Audio in Chandler, AZ. I appreciated their stated approach to mobile audio... » Read More
Rodger N. Rogers
Cream of the Crop! As a vendor of Handcrafted Car Audio, Jon has, on more than one occasion, repaired/handled an installation for us directly. He is the premier shop in his area, and always has been 100% professional and honest in all aspects. We have asked him on multiple occasions to repair another shop/installers work and every single issue was completed in a timely manner and resulted in very happy... » Read More
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After having some work done by another installer. I went to see Jon at Handcrafted Car Audio. He did not try to placate me and he was very factual about what he would do. The end result is that I am completely satisfied with the work done. He went the extra mile for me when I thought I had a problem with the system (turned out to be a loose... » Read More
Max O.
Jon and staff upgraded my 2998 Infiniti hard top convertible with a new Pioneer head unit, and replaced the existing Bose Amp and some speakers with Audison products. The sound quality/improvement is outstanding. The job was particularly challenging since Infiniti/Bose did a "special" fabrication for some of their vehicles that model year, and wiring diagrams did not match what was supposed to be in the vehicle during fabrication. These folks... » Read More
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True Professionals TRUE PROFESSIONALS - need I say more? » Read More
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JD
Best car audio place in the valley. You will not find better brands any were else. I am currently working 75 hours a week and don’t have time to go in to audio shops and try to find an amp that is worth buying. I was sending text to Jon on breaks or between customers and he ended up finding me amp that I didn’t think I had the money... » Read More
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Jason
Refreshing change As pretty much everyone before me has said, the unparalleled professionalism of Jon and his shop are above and beyond what can be said in a simple online review. From the moment I first walked into the shop, I knew that this was the only place I would feel completely at ease with leaving my baby (2012 Evo X) in their hands. Jon took the time to listen... » Read More
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Flawless Service, Flawless Drone After doing some online research, I called Jon to discuss the remote starter and security system that I wanted to have installed in my brand new 2013 Nissan Titan Pro 4x. I was looking to keep this vehicle for a decade or more, and I wanted to install a top of the line system. During our phone conversation, I decided to make an appointment with Jon... » Read More
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