Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 is the world’s first smartphone to offer Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
It’s faster and more reliable than the Bluetooth 4.2 technology currently found in today’s flagship devices — including iPhone 7 — and it can stream audio to two sets of wireless headphones or speakers simultaneously.
Whether you use Android or you’re a die-hard iPhone fan, you can’t ignore the Galaxy S8. Not only is it astonishingly attractive, but it’s also packing cutting-edge features you don’t get with other phones. Bluetooth 5.0 is just one of them.
Eagle-eyed readers will already know the Galaxy S8 has Bluetooth 5.0 because it was noted in our earlier Galaxy S8 vs. iPhone 7 comparison piece. But do you know what that means?
For starters, it offers four times the range of Bluetooth 4.2, which means your devices will stay connected up to 800 feet (240 meters) apart. It’s also twice as fast, allowing you to transfer data quicker than Bluetooth ever could before.
Stability has also been improved, which means you’ll get a more robust connection. Bluetooth 5.0 has the ability to seamlessly adapt its signal to avoid things like Wi-Fi and LTE, so it won’t interfere with other connections.
One of the most exciting improvements is the boost in bandwidth, which lets the Galaxy S8 stream audio to two sets of wireless headphones or speakers at the same time. That means you can enjoy music with a friend without having to share earbuds.
Bluetooth 5.0 wasn’t launched until last December, which is why you won’t find it in the latest iPhones. But it’s likely Apple will be introducing with this year’s iPhone refresh, which most rumors are calling the iPhone 8.
