So, how do we get Samsung/Google to enable Bluetooth 4.0?

[Revolutionary]

As many of you know, the hardware in our beloved (or at least mine is; YMMV -- let's not get into it) GNex is fully compliant with the Bluetooth 4.0 spec. Which is cool, because it seems like every day a nifty device is coming out that relies on BT4 (see: Pebble, Casio's Smart G-Shock, the cookoo, tod, that cool HTC StereoClip, etc, etc).

Unfortunately, we also know that somebody -- Samsung, Broadcom, or Google, it's not clear who -- just can't be bothered to supply a driver to make the GNex actually capable of using BT4.0.

Which. Blows.

So, who does a fella have to blow (couldn't resist) to get the PTB to listen and get some BT4 support on this phone?? I want a smartwatch, dammit. Suggestions? code.android submissions? Change.org? National TV spot? I'm all ears.

(And let's please save OT "are smartwatches worth it?" stuff for another thread, please. There are other uses. This is about support for the emerging spec, not particular uses. Thanks!)

 

[Small_law]

You have a point. If I remember correctly, the GNex and iPhone 4S have exactly the same Bluetooth chipset. The iPhone 4S does support Bluetooth 4.0. Not a lot of stuff takes advantage of it yet, so there are not many immediate advantages to having it on your phone, except perhaps power saving. In the next year, however, we are going to see a lot more stuff support Bluetooth 4.0.

For Bluetooth 4.0 to be supported in Android,I think Google would have to update the Bluetooth stack in AOSP (unless an OEM included it in a skinned version of Android). Regardless, I'm pretty confident Bluetooth 4.0 will be supported in the next version of Android, Jellybean. The next Nexus phone (or phones) will definitely have it and we might see it on the GNex with the next version update.

 

[Revolutionary]

Well, my understanding is that ICS already supports 4.0 in the BT stack. The problem is that there isnt a driver for the chipset in the builds. I'll dig up the threads on the iFixIt tear downs that discussed this. It was a couple weeks ago that I really looked into it.

 

[Small_law]

Well, my understanding is that ICS already supports 4.0 in the BT stack. The problem is that there isnt driver a driver for the chipset in the builds. I'll dig up the threads on the iFixIt tear downs that discussed this. It was a couple weeks ago that I really looked into it.

I've wondered about this since I saw the GNex specs and that it had the same BT chip set as the iPhone 4S. Is it just a driver for the BT chipset then? It begs the eternal question: why don't they add it?

 

[Revolutionary]

Darn it, I can't find the thread (I thought it was on xda...) where people were opining that it was either Broadcom or Samsung who just needed to update the driver. Anybody know what I'm talking about??

 

[scoobdude]

I thought I saw where some one updated it for their rom. Look up avrcp 1.3 for the gnex.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

 

[Revolutionary]

I thought I saw where some one updated it for their rom. Look up avrcp 1.3 for the gnex.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

Is AVRCP 1.3 the same as "BT4.0"? Does that give you access to the low-power profile? That's the one you need for the smartwatches, etc. (I obviously don't know enough about BT).

EDIT: It looks like AVCRP 1.3 is in the AOKP 32. But it doesn't have the low-energy profile.

 

[MogensH]

If only we could get some kind of feedback from Google or Samsung.

I recently bought a "Bluetooth smart ready" Samsung Galaxy S III - and it does not work.

I have tried out broadcom-ble - Open Bluetooth Low Energy SDK for Android - Google Project Hosting in Android 4.0.4 but it cant find the shared library (see android - Broadcom BLE SDK - Stack Overflow)

For Android to have any chance to become developers preferred development platform they really have to sort stuff like this out ...

 

[pauldroidr2d2]

If only we could get some kind of feedback from Google or Samsung.

I recently bought a "Bluetooth smart ready" Samsung Galaxy S III - and it does not work.

I have tried out broadcom-ble - Open Bluetooth Low Energy SDK for Android - Google Project Hosting in Android 4.0.4 but it cant find the shared library (see android - Broadcom BLE SDK - Stack Overflow)

For Android to have any chance to become developers preferred development platform they really have to sort stuff like this out ...

I think this type of thing falls on the phone manufacturer. Google, can't force the development or use of features. No more so than Microsoft can require PC makers to use specific chips.

 

[Revolutionary]

I created a feature request issue for this at code.google.com. Please star it!

Issue 33371 - android - Support for Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Profile on Galaxy Nexus (yakju) - Android - An Open Handset Alliance Project - Google Project Hosting

 

[Revolutionary]

bump -- star this issue, folks!

 

[Mr.Gadget]

bump -- star this issue, folks!

Added my star!

 

[zkSharks]

Added my star!

As did I.

I think that Bluetooth 4.0 has been somewhat overlooked (or at least overshadowed) in recent Android devices in favor of NFC, simply due to the novelty and more vocal interest/demand by smartphone (smartdevice?) enthusiasts.

 

[islandak]

Starred! (Sorry if this is a double post)

 

[Revolutionary]

ttt

 

[ovestoerholt]

Starred by me also...

 

[georgeanderson]

Any changes in JB?

 

[Revolutionary]

Any changes in JB?

Good question. Haven't seen anything. Probably worth asking in the GSM forum (on my way).

 

[ootuoyetahi]

I know there is a 4.0.4 ROM on the XDA forums that supports this. I just bought a Ford that uses the Bluetooth Message Access Profile, and would love to have this working.

Has anyone tried the XDA ROM? Im kinda dreading having to start hacking my phone but ill do it if I have to.

 

[IcerC]

Have a link to XDA? It's hard to search for this with ICS being 4.0 aswell.

Starred!