HELSINKI, Finland – Nokia has unveiled a small device connectivity technology, introducing Wibree as an open industry standard.
Nokia says Wibree uses “only a fraction of the power compared to other such radio technologies,” making it feasible in smaller and less costly devices. The technology is also easily integrated with existing Bluetooth-enabled devices, the company says.
Wibree is the first open technology offering connectivity between mobile devices or personal computers, and small, button cell battery-powered devices such as watches, wireless keyboards, toys, and sports sensors.
To get the technology to market as soon as possible, Nokia is making the specs broadly available to the industry through an open forum, to be defined when the specification is finalized. Wibree will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2007, the company says.
Wibree has “Bluetooth-like performance” with 0 to 10 m and a data rate of 1 Mbps. In small devices such as a watch, it will be a standalone chip, but in larger devices, it will be a dual chip with Bluetooth.
“Wibree technology is an important development that opens up new market opportunities and a whole new range of possibilities for mobile users,” says Dr. Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center. “Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an interoperable solution that can be commercialized and incorporated into products quickly.”
