
Dialog 50¢ SoC Targets Disposable Bluetooth Market - JoachimS
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1335263
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alistproducer2
Considering there's a finite punt of resources on this planet, disposable
things really rub me the wrong way. I love the price point but the
irresponsibility of marketing things like this as disposable irks me.

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chime
If it’s mostly made out of silicon and metals, it is not much different from
natural rocks, just at a lower level of entropy. If the energy source is
renewable and the supply chain sustainable, it is not that bad. Like clay tea
cups in Asia, disposable isn’t always bad.

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eqvinox
I really hope these use randomized EUI-48 addresses... that number space is
not infinite.

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mjevans
Or we could just use cheep, reliable, very secure in comparison hardlines
between the earbuds and the mobile and not worry about carrying around and
keeping many computing packages powered via battery and somehow synchronized.

Edit: None of the other mentioned things //should// be disposable, which is
why my mind went directly to cheep crap you buy on vacation because you forgot
or broke the real thing.

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kumarvvr
This is incredible. Even considering costs of certifications, hardware for
antenna, etc, we could have BLE chipsets for as low as 2 - 3$.

To be noted that though the title suggests disposable, these could be used in
hardware designs that allow for distributed control and sensing, removing need
for wires.

For example, I could have them in a building automation system with, each
light having an independent bluetooth hardware.

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rasz
$2-3 was an end product price point 4 years ago for BLE powered HID device.

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throwGuardian
The 50 cent cost is typically never the deal breaker, it's BLE
certification/regulatory compliance testing for FCC and friends of the end
product which is prohibitive for small/medium businesses.

If you ever plan on using a BLE in a cell phone accessory, regulatory costs
may break the $1M mark by 2020. That's cost to certify the accessory for use
in various territories

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jdsully
That sounds crazy. What sort of certifications get anywhere near that? FCC
testing is only in the tens of thousands range.

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throwGuardian
Cell Phone accessory with BLE, for certification across geos (US/FCC, EU,
APAC,etc). Think Mophie case with BLE

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jdsully
That’s still under $100,000 and you can use the same test results for some.
Canada and a few other places may also require absorbed radiation tests which
are a nuisance.

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epa
Bluetooth desperately needs advancing. The range is just too poor.

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com2kid
A good BT antenna can get to 50+ meters in open air. (Source: Saw it happen
during testing.)

Best case scenario and all that. :)

For something that is designed for a personal area network, the range
suffices.

The problem comes in with poorly designed products, cheap antenna designs, or
just space limitations. BT Earbuds don't exactly have a lot of space in them.

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lormayna
Where I can buy these chips?

