Bluetooth to See Major Gains From Growth in Smart Home Devices, Says ABI

The smart home market will make up over 13 percent of 815 million Bluetooth device shipments by 2024, up from 250 million units last year, said ABI Research. Growth in smart lighting, voice-enabled front-end products, door locks, smart appliances and sensors will be one of Bluetooth’s largest market opportunities over the next five years, said the researcher in a Wednesday email. Bluetooth’s low power consumption, audio capabilities, widespread presence in mobile devices, and mesh networking support position it well for a range of device types, said analyst Andrew Zignani. Bluetooth will benefit from smart home growth along with Wi-Fi, 802.15.4 and Z-Wave, said Zignani, noting different device types have their own throughput, power, range and topology requirements. Smart lighting device shipments will exceed 300 million units by 2024, with 60 percent based on 802.15.4 technology, 30 percent on Bluetooth, and 8 percent Wi-Fi, he said. Wi-Fi will be “nearly ubiquitous in smart appliances alongside Bluetooth, while 802.15.4 and Z-Wave will gain traction in low power sensor devices,” said the analyst. Beyond smart home, IoT opportunities for Bluetooth include beacons, trackers, smartwatches and fitness trackers, healthcare devices, and commercial building automation and lighting, Zignani said.