What Is Bluetooth? The History, How It Works, and What's Next

Companies employ Bluetooth in many proprietary features, like Apple’s AirDrop and Google’s Quick Share. While the U1 chip in Apple devices enables ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to determine the direction of your phone and help you share files with nearby devices, AirDrop uses Bluetooth for the initial discovery process and then switches to Wi-Fi to transmit files. Google merged Nearby Share with Samsung’s Quick Share in 2024, and much like AirDrop, it uses Bluetooth to establish a connection and then Wi-Fi to transfer files. These are just two examples. Google also has a standard called Fast Pair that quickly connects a wireless device with a smartphone, and it uses Bluetooth too. History of Bluetooth Bluetooth is named after King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson—the logo is a combination of his runes for his initials—who had a literal blue tooth (it was dead). He united Denmark and Norway in 958. This short-range radio technology grew from a 1996 meeting between Intel, Ericsson, and N ... Read full article.