New Bluetooth Profiles Enhance Mobiles

Enhanced profiles will offer greater functionality for in-car use as well as streaming music.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group yesterday announced enhanced profiles for in-car phone handling and mobile phones with streaming music. The new Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) and enhanced Hands-Free Profile (HFP 1.5) are expected to be found on new products hitting the market later this year.

With the PBAP, said the Bluetooth SIG, the information from the mobile’s phone book will be made available in the hands-free car kit, making it accessible to the user. The user can download and browse the phone book from any mobile phone or PDA. The HFP 1.5 is updated to include common features from the mobile phone such as enhanced call control, phone status indicators, response and hold, and information about the subscriber number. In addition, audio quality is reportedly enhanced.

“Manufacturers and users alike recognize that Bluetooth technology is the perfect solution for hands-free systems,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, in a statement.