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Bluetooth seems to have reached a maturation period with growth rates that, while strong, do not match the growth of the recent past, reports In-Stat. The Bluetooth chip market should benefit as new standards, such as low-energy and high-speed Bluetooth, are expected to be introduced into devices beginning in late 2009, and in volumes beginning in 2010, the high-tech market research firm says.

“These new silicon products will spur additional growth in Bluetooth-enabled product shipments, and high-speed Bluetooth ASPs (average selling prices) will help to keep revenues strong as other Bluetooth ASPs continue to decline,” says Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst. “Current market growth for Bluetooth devices is primarily attributed to sales growth in mobile phones, which is the top market for Bluetooth silicon shipments.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

- Growth of Bluetooth-enabled device shipments will increase by 26% in 2008.
Silicon manufacturers are continuing to roll out integrated radio chips with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and FM.

- Sales of mono headsets, another high-volume application for Bluetooth, will continue to grow, particularly as regulations surrounding mobile phone usage while driving continue to be made standard in many states.

The research,“Bluetooth 2008: New Standards Signify an Increasingly Complex Market”(#IN0804097MI), covers the worldwide market for Bluetooth and Bluetooth silicon. It provides unit shipment and revenue forecasts for Bluetooth-enabled products by category and Bluetooth semiconductors through 2012. It also includes domestic and international results from In-Stat’s 2008 Residential Technology Survey regarding Bluetooth recognition among consumers. Analysis of Bluetooth standards and trends is provided.