But Bluetooth has some other advantages. Bluetooth radios are also significantly cheaper than comparable ones from Z-Wave and ZigBee, analysts and industry sources say. That difference can mean that Avi-on can offer a wireless light switch for $5 less than a comparable one with a Z-Wave and ZigBee radio, company CEO Eric Miller says.
Backers also say that Bluetooth just works faster in practice than other technologies, because it doesn’t have to go through a hub. Lights dim in real time as you turn a virtual dial on your phone, without any kind of lag.
“We’re able to get wired performance without the wires,” Avi-On Avi-on co-founder Dana Kunz says.
Bluetooth does have its shortcomings. Some of its new capabilities, such as meshing, aren’t yet standardized, so some Bluetooth smart home devices won’t necessarily work with others. And in order to control their Bluetooth-linked devices from outside their homes, users will still need to have some kind of bridge to connect them to their Wi-Fi router and the Internet.
But if its backers are right, Bluetooth could be the key that finally turns your house into a smart home.
Troy Wolverton is a technology columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. Reach him at twolverton@mercurynews.com or follow him on Twitter @troywolv.
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