Is there any smartphone with supporting of Bluetooth 5 Long Range feature?

[Schuebbe]

Hi!

Please, help me! Maybe someone knows the answer. Is there any smartphone with supporting of Bluetooth 5 Long Range feature?

Best Regards,
Pavel

[AmbystomaLabs]

The only phones I am aware of with bluetooth 5.0 are iPhone 8(plus) and X,  Samsung Galaxy S8(+) and S9(+)., Google Pixel 2(xl).

The only caveat is that most consumers and phone spec writers fail to understand the difference between the high speed and coded phy features of bluetooth 5.0.  So, there may or may not be support for coded phy.

If you find yourself an iOS or Android developer they should be able to thumb through the technical docs to find out for sure.

Please post any findings you get.

Here is a response from Nordic on the subject: devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../108659

[Schuebbe]

Thank you!
Well, I think it depends on Qualcomm first of all. I'll try to find info.

[AmbystomaLabs]

I thumbed around on the developer sites.  Android 8.0 Oreo has added API's for coded phy.  Though, no statement about which Bluetooth 5.0 phones actually have everything in the OS to do coded phy. Android installs are heavily driven by a manufacturers whims.

The API's referenced are:

• isLe2MPhySupported() – returns true if Bluetooth 5 2Mbit/s connections are supported.
• isLeCodedPhySupported() – returns true if Bluetooth 5 long distance (i.e. coded) connections are supported.
• isLeExtendedAdvertisingSupported() – returns true if Bluetooth 5 Extended Advertising is supported.

On iOS there were only a few entries in the developer forum on the subject.  All said no support for coded phy yet.

Here is the most recent comment:

" jmb2k6 Dec 7, 2017 9:35 PM (in response to ajonapple)

iPhone X and iPhone 8 support the 2M Phy but they do not have support for the 1M coded PHY (500k and 125k effective data rates). In order to use the 2M Phy, the peripheral device must request a PHY update. I have tested this with the NRF52832 from Nordic Semiconductor and it works."

[Schuebbe]

Really useful info! Thanks!

[awneil]

AmbystomaLabs said:

most consumers and phone spec writers fail to understand the difference between the high speed and coded phy features of bluetooth 5.0

You can't blame the consumers & phone spec writers for that - it's the BT SIG who made these things optional and, thus allow people to indiscriminately say  "BT 5".

Even Nordic do it: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/39532/is-it-only-nrf52840-s140-which-support-bt5-long-range-coded-phy

Anyhow, Sony Xperia XA2 and XZ1 support BT 5:

https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xa2-8986.php

https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz1_compact-8610.php

though not stated if that includes the Coded PHY

[AmbystomaLabs]

I agree completely, SIG should have made all features of BLE 5 mandatory for a device to be labeled BLE 5.0 otherwise you just have confusion as we have now.

And yes, as you stated, even Nordic does it too with the 52832 vs. 52840. On the 52832 they seem to have no hardware support for doing the arduous deconvolution for receive processes for coded phy. I have asked that they put in crude software support in the SD for TX coded phy for 52832. This should be easy since coding the frame is pretty easy math.  I didn't hear back on the suggestion though.

As developers we really have no idea which devices when, if ever,  will have coded phy support and it's tough to adopt it as a platform if only random consumers will have access to it.