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Huawei launches Nearlink, a better than bluetooth competitor. The us won't benefit from it for now (newatlas.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

40 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Compared to bluetooth :

60% lower power consumption

Six times higher data transmission speed

1/30th the latency

7 dB improvement anti-interference for a more stable connection

Twice the coverage distance, and

10 times more network connections

Notice it's not talking of compression yet, but raw connection performance.

Due to the US Huawei ban, the tech won't arrive to the US yet. Nor maybe ever until something is done.

https://consumer.huawei.com/za/community/details/Huawei-Nearlink-launched-new-wireless-technology-far-ahead-of-Bluetooth/topicId_276306/

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So this is not too hard to achieve if you chose different frequency. But few things to consider.

60% lower power consumption: doable since they don't have backwards compatibility baggage, but still questionable figure;
six time transmission speed: achievable on higher frequency;
1/30th of the latency: same on higher frequency;
7dB improved: if no one is using the frequency yet, this is true;
twice the coverage: complete bullshit if you have six times transmission speed. In wireless communication speed almost always equals lower range because only one device can talk at a time;
10 times more network connections: not with twice the coverage.

But, there's a huge number of issues and questions no one mentioned. Support at this point is literally zero, even if they push some devices with it, compatibility with your other devices is non-existent. Is the frequency approved across the world. There's a reason why 2.4GHz was chosen for base WIFI and Bluetooth. It's available everywhere. Is the standard open and how easily can one implement it. Software support, etc.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well look at wifi vs bluetooth. Wifi and bluetooth both use 2.4ghz. But wifi has a lot more bandwidth on 2.4ghz. Maybe because it uses more channels (a bigger frequency range)?

But there is room to improve bandwidth, even over distance. Tho how would they have done that, no idea. There is need for more time so devices with the tech can arrive on the market, and be tested.

But also more time so more specialised content can be produced to inform us normal people.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

WIFI has channels indeed and each channel has a higher bandwidth. But even then WIFI is close to same range as Bluetooth, at least in theory. WIFI routers are usually on 100mW or 150mW emission power. Bluetooth can get to these, but they almost always focus on power consumption rather than bandwidth and range. Not to mention with WIFI you have an array of antennas to chose from, amplifiers, etc.

Am almost always skeptical when new technology comes out. Look at ANT+ protocol, which was even popular at the time, but engineers switched to Bluetooth anyway. No matter how many issues you have with Bluetooth, its design is really easy to implement and program applications for.

This new protocol would have to bring quite a bit of benefits to both users and engineers to become really popular and dethrone Bluetooth. And even then I doubt it would happen as easily.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 year ago

Well for it to get a chance in the US where the other side of big tech is, it would need to be sold to another company than Huawei, or for the US to relax the ban.

I have no idea why the US banned Huawei so intensely other than blocking competition from China.