The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) have announced that the new low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 standard will start to be implemented before the end of the year, with devices likely to be available in time for Christmas.

Th current version seen in many smartphones and wireless headsets is 2.1, however v4.0 is already on the horizon and will bring benefits such as a low power mode which will help decrease battery drain

Low Power demands can now be implemented in a whole range of new devices; the current Bluetooth standard requires AAA battery power or more, where as the up coming v4.0 will easily run off a watch battery.

Version 4.0 also builds upon the increased data capabilities of build 3.0, by allowing equipped devices to connect to Wi-Fi networks at speeds up to 25Mbits per second.

Although we will be seeing a massive improvement in power consumption, v4.0 Bluetooth will still use roughly the same amount as v3.0 when data is streamed continuously.

Check back for updates on when Bluetooth version 4 is likely to be making an appearance and what handsets will be sporting this refreshed version.