Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with Bluetooth 5: Should you care?

Samsung just unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, and while they both come jam-packed full of features, one that most people won't think about, if at all, is the new Bluetooth 5 standard.

In case you missed it, Bluetooth 5 was not only unveiled more than 9 months ago, but it is also going to come with the Sony Xperia XZ Premium in June of this year. Samsung will beat its Japanese competition to the punch, though, as the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be available on April 21. But should anyone care about the new Bluetooth standard in mobile tech?

There are four main points that Bluetooth SIG, the governing body behind the technology, emphasizes on when talking about the fifth generation of the Bluetooth standard. The first, and easiest to comprehend, is the twofold increase in speed. So, obviously, your files will take two times less time to transfer between devices.

Another improvement in the new standard is the range. Bluetooth 5 should have four times the range of the 4.2 version. This is great news for IoT enthusiasts, as this would allow devices further apart to communicate more effectively. A new Bluetooth 5 modem could very well have enough range to cover your entire house.

With the better speed and range, Bluetooth SIG promised an eight-time increase in message capacity. This would allow the technology to send and receive even more data with less strain on the system. With this improvement, Bluetooth SIG is aiming to push the distribution of Bluetooth “beacons” - devices designed to transmit data to users through their various connected gadgets, in order to provide information on nearby locations, and improve indoor-navigation accuracy.

The last upgrade in the new standard comes with something Bluetooth SIG named “wireless coexistence”. This is a fancy catchphrase that basically means that Bluetooth 5 will play nice with other wireless services, such as your home Wi-Fi network, for example, and the two will not interfere with each other.

So, it all sounds good on paper. But will you actually benefit from this technology the moment you get your Samsung Galaxy S8+? Well, not really. In order for your phone to make use of the new improvements, it needs to have another Bluetooth 5 device on the other end. So, if you're using a Bluetooth 4.2 headset with your unboxed Galaxy, you will still have to play by the old rules.

However, a lot of gadget manufacturers are expected to make the transition to the new standard sooner rather than later. Therefore, the new standard on the Galaxy S8 is more of a future-proofing move on Samsung's part than a feature that we can actively use right now.