Technical Q&A QA1278

Bluetooth Radio Power Class for Apple Systems

Q: What are the preferred Bluetooth radio power specifications for Apple Macintosh systems?

A: Apple follows the Bluetooth Transmitter Characteristics laid out in the Bluetooth Specification Version 1.1 for power class 2. Bluetooth Class 2 device provides a maximum transmitter output power of 4dBm. This yields about 10 meters of range.

Apple promotes the use of Bluetooth power class 2 radios, rather than a more powerful class 1 radio, to support Bluetooth development as a "cable replacement' solution for peripherals.

The figure below graphically demonstrates how Apple has positioned "Wired" and "Wireless" (i.e. Bluetooth) development for current products.

Figure 1. Wired vs. Wireless.

[Aug 06, 2003]