Bluetooth...and... Linux

[Guest Zen]

I am currently looking for a new fone and have followed the updates with a SPV and other such fones.. I have to say i was very dissapointed not to see Bluetooth avaliable on the fone... maybe cause its a Sony Errison invention and Mircosoft dont want to have other people products on them...

The other thing i was thinkin about (cause really i am an Anti-Windows guy) i would how long it will take before someone very cleaver codes Linux Debian so0o it can be used on the/a fone.. hmmmz

I still think the best fone on the market at the moment is the 6310i (less the colour screen and digi camera..)..but i dun wanna be samey as everyone else so0o maybe an SPV would be a good piece of kit but since no store has a Live demo i cant tell... :D

[Guest th0mz]

The latest MS keyboard/mouse combi. uses blue tooth, so that cannot be the issue. I think they missed out on a number of things, simply becuz it's a first-timer!

[Guest daveng]

Lack of bluetooth is proably a cost issue. The main target was to be able to have an affordable "smart" phone.

[Guest alexknight]

bluetooth wasn't added cos when Microsloth were writing the code for Smartphone 2002 no one could decide if bluetooth was a phone or GSM function so rather than guess and end up with a totally useless phone they left it out and will probably add it on at a later date

either that or someone will sort out a way of getting it to work through the camera port with a piece of software providing the suport MS left out.

Just so you know!!!

Alex

[Guest garf_d]

bluetooth wasn't added cos when Microsloth were writing the code for Smartphone 2002 no one could decide if bluetooth was a phone or GSM function

Very nearly. In order for a GSM phone to remain within its approval from the regulatory bodies the radio transmission system can not be tampered with in any way - all changes to it must be performed by a service centre who have the necessary tools to test the radio system is still within the GSM spec after the mods. Unfortunately 'tampering' includes updating the software that drives the radio system, this is why mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia do not post their firmware on their websites.

Obviously having a Smartphone where you could not reflash the software is rediculous - I mean would you trust MS to get it right first time or require you to visit a service centre for the latest service pack to be applied? Exactly, so the GSM functions on the Smartphone are self contained in one processor with the rest of the phone driven by a seperate processor which lets you change the phone OS as much as you want without invalidating the GSM regulatory approval.

What does this have to do with bluetooth you ask? Well my understanding of the problem (feel free to correct me anyone who knows better) is that with the bluetooth subsystem attached to the main (non-GSM) processor it takes too long for the phone to capture a voice signal from a bluetooth headset, decode it then pass it on to the GSM processor for transmission - and likewise in the other direction. The GSM spec specifies a maximum time it takes to capture a sound and transmit it - and bluetooth run in this way would exceed it, so the phone would cease to meet the GSM standard.

All other bluetooth phones on the market use one single processor subsystem to get round the delay issue, and therefore cannot have their core OS reflashed without dealer assistance. Bluetooth based iPAQs have exactly the same problem with their GSM jacket - headsets cannot be used because there is no way of passing the data across fast enough.

How bluetooth manufacturers get round this issue remains to be seen. Will they have to include warnings about the potential delay in voice transmission? Or will they just choose to ignore it based on the fact that the bluetooth add on in isolation does not need to meet GSM approval? Or will they be optimised for a specific use - for example a self contained bluetooth headset add on that connects to the headset audio jack to bypass the delay of using Smartphone processor?

I'm sure all will become clear in a few months time - I suspect the next generation Smartphones will use faster processors and so will not have to face this problem.

Gareth