Bluetooth Smart is most used wireless in mobile health and fitness devices

IHS says the shipments of wireless semiconductor devices in health and fitness in year 2014 to reach 61.2 million units, a growth of 11% compared to 55.0 million in 2013. Bluetooth Smart (also known as Bluetooth LE) is the wireless standard most used in health and fitness. CSR has a strong presence and focus on this market. The other vendors of Bluetooth Smart chips include Broadcom, TI, Dialog Semiconductor, Nordic Semiconductor and Lapis Semiconductor. CSR unveiled a new kit called CSRmesh to help developers to get hands on with the recently launched CSRmesh Bluetooth Smart protocol. Nordic Semiconductor ASA offers its new Bluetooth low energy protocol stack S130 SoftDevice that help in designing smart watches with peripheral wireless sensors that don't always need a smartphone present to operate. The new Bluetooth Smart Starter Kit launched in May 2014 by Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) simplifies adding wireless connectivity to wearble device. The Smart Starter Kit works regardless of what platform you are building for - Android, iOS, or Windows Phone. More information on all the Bluetooth SIG developer initiatives is available at developer.bluetooth.com. On the silicon IP front RivieraWaves offers Bluetooth Smart 4.1 IPs. RivieraWaves was recently acquired by CEVA. ANT/ANT+, is another low-power technology popularly used in heath and fit...