IssueTracker

Correction: I meant mysid/toro, not yakju, in the subject line.  But this affects yakju, as well.

I want this.

I wan't this too! And I want't all Android 4.1+ devices to have it, not only the Nexus.

See: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=32767 

Doesn't seem to be in Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)...
http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-4.1.html#Connectivity 

I would love to see BT4 support. Seems to be the only other option to ANT+ when it comes to fitness sensors.

Why is this considered an enhancement? The fact that Android doesn't support the latest standards and is behind iOS will run developers to iOS. Unfortunately my company cannot wait for Google to include this "enhancement" in their OS and with great sadness we are moving to iOS.
BLE is not a nice to have, it's the next big thing in short range networking.

@tomer...

I don't think it fair to say "Android doesn't support the latest standards."  The fact that both ICS and Jelly Bean fully support BT4.0, which includes BLE, is well-documented.  Other ICS devices like the One X and the Galaxy SIII support BLE.  It is just the Nexus that is crippled in this regard, with a compatible stack but no driver support.  

@jdavidmo...

So what you say is that it's up to the phone manufacturer to supply a driver? And this is why the S3 and Motorola RAZR has this support?
How come it's so har to supply a driver for this? There aren't that many different BT chipsets around...

Well, I said driver, but I don't know if that's the case.  I don't know who is responsible for it in this instance. It could be Google, Samsung, or Broadcom for all I know; my point is that the chip and ICS/JB support BT 4.0, so the Nexus should have it.  It is not that Android doesn't support BT4 or BLE; it is just this phone for some reason.

According to iFixIt, the Nexus contains a "Samsung SWB-B42 BT 4.0 Dual Band Wlan FM Tx/Rx. Chipworks says the module is actually manufactured by Murata, and houses a Broadcom BCM4330 die inside."  
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-Teardown/7182/2#s30574

If it is the BCM4330, it supports BLE: http://www.murata-ws.com/wi-fi.htm

Sorry, but I disagree with the statement that Android supports BLE. There's no API for GATT, no way to receive advertisement data, no way to control the device's role, basically no support for any of the new features introduced with BLE. That's why Motorola and Broadcom came up with their own (very limited) BLE stacks for Android. There may be some support down under at the BlueZ level but if there's no framework support and no API it cannot reasonably be considered as supported.

[Comment deleted]

i'd love to see my gnex with Low Energy profile in BT 4.0.

please add this!

* Can't develop BLE apps.
* Existing Android phones (particular make/model) that supports BLE have different API(s).
* From app developer perspective, the landscape is fragmented.

Requesting to support BLE officially in AOSP (both GATT client and GATT server).
 

as a google flagship phone, we deserve bluetooth 4.0

I would love to use it with many of the BT 4.0 smartwatches coming out.

This is really an essential feature. If android is not responding to this feature request our company will shift our app development to iOS. Can we at least get an estimate on when it will be available?

iOS provides a very flexible framework to work on BLE. We hacked the code for testing the extent of support and were happy that it only needs android app framework support. Bluez support is all there. But without knowing any time limit on when to expect official support we have only iOS to work on right now.

Bluetooth Smart / Low Energy has become a mandatory feature (Smartphone will be the PAN center for all those devices which are coming very soon). Luckely the HW is prepared. Android needs to enable this feature (fast to prevent fragmentation). I can't wait! (so i already start). @Google/BT-BLE suppliers, please come with some indications and make us happy!

Us developers WANT to design BLE products for the Nexus. The hardware is there Google, please get your software together!

Ditto...there are two 3rd party APIs that are needed currently:
https://developer.motorola.com/docs/bluetooth-low-energy-api/
http://code.google.com/p/broadcom-ble/

And to make it worse, 3rd parties sometimes don't include the required shared library like the bestselling Samsung Galaxy S3!
http://innovator.samsungmobile.com/bbs/discussion/view.do?boardId=1132&boardName=AndroidBoard&messageId=157757&messageNumber=&messageCategoryId=4&startId=zzzzz~&startPage=1&curPage=1&rowsPerPage=30&searchType=TITLE&searchText=&searchDays=0&searchTitleFlag=false&searchContentsFlag=false&searchRegisterNicknameFlag=false&lastPageFlag=&categoryId=800&parentCategoryId=4&platformId=1&selectOrder=REGISTER_DATE&selectOrderDirection=DESC&searchParameters=/bbs/discussion/thread.list.do?listLines=30|searchType=title|curPage=1|selectOrder=REGISTER_DATE|selectOrderDirection=DESC|messageCategoryId=4|&nacode=&listLines=30&searchTextForm=&searchTypeForm=TITLE
 

Google, let's make this happen!  My cookoo watch is practically in the mail.  I bought it on faith.  Don't let me down!

[Comment deleted]

Seconded! My Polar H7 is waiting for it!

[Comment deleted]

we really need this feature to develop many interesting apps,and service.

Same with me.. The cookoo watch should be coming within the next month.. I really wanted to be able to use my gnex with it...

i've an alpha coming too which needs this!

Let's make this happen! We need BLE support on Android. We can use for numerous cases and its low battery impact is really a good thing to have.

Would use it instantly too for our products.

Bluetooth 4 support in Jelly Bean would be nice.

We already have the hardware. Want to use it with Android.

Come on Android/Samsung, we need all BLE. I'm currently working on a project where I have to connect with the Texas Ins. cc2540. Come on...stop smoking!!!!

Come on Sammy/Google. Please!! It seems you just want to make products good enough. We the people are shooting for great. Why have the hardware there, but not make use of it?

Has Google acknowledged this post yet?  Just let us know whether we will need a new phone or not.  

You do not need a new phone...some high end phones already come with Bluetooth 4 which includes BLE. We need official SDK support.

No acknowledgement yet from Google. This issue despite ~200 stars does not yet have an owner.

It matters not whether individual manufacturers include a proprietary BLE API with their android skin - this is just fragmentation and puts developers off producing Apps as they have to write code for every new API that comes along.

A standardized API within the stock Android SDK is the only way make developing an App to use BLE a realistic undertaking for all but the biggest developers or those subsidised by a manufacturer.

One other thing. Please stop the "I too am interested in this issue" posts. If you want to support this, star it. That is all you need to do to raise the profile of the issue. Adding a comment simply emails ~200 people who already know about it.

Found this: https://github.com/android-btle/framework It might be useful. I'm considering buying a Galaxy Nexus and a matching BLE watch in a near future. I hope it'll work in the low-energy mode.

Hard to believe this. I just got a Galaxy NOTE II partly because it claims BT 4.0 compatibility. Now I have to find out I cant use the BT device because there is NO APP ON ANDROID because there's NO API to WRITE the APP in this "bleeding edge" Android version (4.1.1).
Calling this an "Enhancement" is quite a shame too, after all it's the OS having to catch up with fully specified and standardized hardware.
6 months for a key connectivity feature API missing...
Way to disappoint, Google.

Google is ignoring thousands of developers and the big promise of a bright Android ecosystem future.
Even Apple, the most closed and totalitarianism company ever has the damn Bluetooth 4 BLE working partially. I have application on (the terrible) iOS using it. And Android is neglecting this huge potencial, market and already available tool and hardware.

There are no like to comments, but let's start putting pressure.

Google MUST ADD support to Bluetooth 4 BLE. Develpers can't accept that hardware already exists without support to it.
I'm in a long time campaign to counter word of mouth everything in iOS and it's damned MFi spec. I've been converting people to Android only to harm and hurt, in my (utterly limited) capacity, Apple. Now there comes Android with the same kind of problems?

We also need WIFI direct and WIFI AdHoc connections supported across devices.

Tags: Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth Low Power, Wibree successor, Bluetooth 4

Did google announce if Android 4.2 will support BT 4 BLE? I believe they announced BT 4 in 4.2, but I never saw anything regarding the low power profile.

I have high hopes that next Monday we will all be pleasantly surprised to see full support of BT 4 in android 4.2!

Pretty sure it doesn't. Certainly there is no mention of it in the Nexus
4's specs (
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb&feature=microsite
).

It also just says "Bluetooth" though.

Exactly. Saying "Bluetooth" is not enough. Developers need professional, committing attitude from Google Android team.

So doesn't Google clearly need to address this and be professional towards the expansion of the Android ecosystem? This reminds me of Nokia phones: Full of capabilities that almost "no developer" could use because Nokia "liked" to "respect" their partners like operators. See what happened to Nokia?

Should I stop ranting here? This is a dev list... but where else to request this feature hardly?

Other sites (such as Engadget and The Verge) report BT 4.0 on their spec listings for the Nexus 4.

The lack of any affirmative statement on Google Play for bt 4.0 is offset by the lack of an affirmative statement on Google PLay for bt 3.0 :)

As I said, I'm hopeful that it'll be there in Android 4.2. I haven't found it confirmed yet, though, not even among those who have a nexus 4. Maybe I'll go ask them!

One version I heard was that google deliberately went the other way when apple started looking into BLE and put their money and effort into NFC instead, thinking it would be a competing technology. Too bad they failed in   foreseeing all these cool gadgets that will not be able to work with NFC technology..

Sorry, just another unproductive comment, but perhaps a possible back story? For what its worth, I guess we are more likely to get both NFC and BLE eventually than the iOS guys =)

Don't hold your breath.  I've been following this closely and there's no indication that 4.2 will have anything BLE related.  I seriously doubt that we'll see anything until the 5.0 timeframe at the earliest.  

I don't think it's a coincidence that the two manufacturers that have shown some movement on this front (Broadcom & Moto) have all but stopped development/progress.  I strongly suspect that they know something we don't about Google's intentions.  

Samsung is also playing dumb -  http://developer.samsung.com/forum/board/thread/view.do?boardName=GeneralB&messageId=157757

I would *love* to be wrong.  I have several projects that are stalled waiting for BLE GATT support in Android!

It irks me that you can see things like the Samsung S3 featured on http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-Smart-Devices.aspx . Samsung even links on it's page to this article, which promotes the idea that it's 'ready' for Bluetooth 4.0.
"SMART READY" is seeming to me to be just like the first wave "HD READY" televisions that came out in the 90's that. Misleading and frustrating.

On the other hand, Bluez does seem to be developing with updates regularly having "LE" in the title.http://git.kernel.org/?p=bluetooth/bluez.git;a=shortlog ,http://www.bluez.org/profiles/ , but I suppose that doesn't mean they're making anything specifically for google or samsung

Finding anything concrete, other than misleading advertisement or ^companies playing stupid, appears to be next to impossible.

Google and Samsung were noticeably absent from this blog by the Bluetooth SIG CMO:
http://blog.bluetooth.com/bluetooth-smart-ready-product-announcements-piling-up/

I can hear my iOS buddies laughing.

Completely agree with comments 49, 48 and all. And "API specific" solutions won't help. To support new BLE devices for the millions of new Android devices, we need support for Bluetooth 4 BLE from Android Core.

Google Android team: you need to clarify the message and work on it, present the roadmap and be fair with us developers. Help the world in not having another shameful iOS.

Completely agree with comments 49, 48 and all. And "API specific" solutions won't help. To support new BLE devices for the millions of new Android devices, we need support for Bluetooth 4 BLE from Android Core.

Google Android team: you need to clarify the message and work on it, present the roadmap and be fair with us developers. Help the world in not having another shameful iOS.

According to the recently updated Android 4.2 changelog (http://developer.android.com/about/versions/jelly-bean.html), the Bluetooth stack was rewritten: "Android 4.2 introduces a new Bluetooth stack optimized for use with Android devices. The new Bluetooth stack developed in collaboration between Google and Broadcom replaces the stack based on BlueZ and provides improved compatibility and reliability."

Sadly, this doesn't seem promising.  It should have explicitly mentioned bluetooth 4.0, low energy, or smartdevice.  Additionally I see no changes to the android.bluetooth API

According to the email I got from the folks making the cookoo watch, they are not able to release an Android app for the watch as they had hoped due to "Android support of BT 4.0," but they are "working closely with Google and other interested parties to resolve this as quickly as possible."

Sad state of affairs indeed, but this at least gives me some small measure of hope. I hope they don't develop a solution that is specific to the cookoo watch, though.

"BLE will be the next major feature we are going to add."

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/android-platform/CYtxCmtZ-WI/aIzBq7KbKVUJ

No word on schedule, but it seems to be the most concrete acnowledgement I've seen thus far from someone at google/android or related hardware companies.

Sadly, it seems from the discussion in the link in 55 that it means sometime after 4.2, since the source was answering questions about 4.2. Seems to support what 53 was alluding to.

looks as if the new broadcom bluetooth implementation in 4.2 isn't a big hit.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/android-4-2-on-nexus-7-has-broken-bluetooth-users-complain-50009768/
 

Peter Hauser, who is making the upcoming cookoo watch that relies on BLE, yesterday sent a very informative letter to Android backers of the cookoo project.  Very interesting read on spotty BLE support in Android 4.0+ devices and how their phone-specific workarounds were obliterated by Google's switch from BlueZ stack to Broadcom stack -- which still lacks BLE.  Take a look, and I'd encourage interested devs to take him up on his call for help -- any likely solutions would probably bear fruit for apps beyond just the cookoo app.

http://cookoowatch.com/images/Letter%20to%20Android%20users%20of%20the%20COOKOO%20watch%2020121121.pdf

With so many newer devices having the hardware why is the software so behind?

Another request for BLE support on the Nexus platform, from a developer who wants to build Android-based industrial/laboratory control applications.  

Google: get your act together on this.  Seriously.  NFC is not a competitive technology; they are completely different standards meant for completely different purposes.  

In reply to comment 60: NFC is also very important. All connectivity technologies, including WIFI direct, WIFI AdHoc and Bluetooth 4 are very important. This is where Google can prove to be ahead of other weird control freak manufacturers.

Perfect Bluetooth 4 is a must.

bring it!  ....please!

BLE is required functionality.  It is driving us to iOS.  Get with it google.

[Comment deleted]

What's stopping the dev community like the guys at xda from finding a way to enable it themselves?  Is there a different bluetooth driver that is needed to activate the BLE feature of the chip?  

My admittedly limited understanding is that part of the problem is that the different chip sets in the different handsets cause grief, each one needs its own driver. And apparently there's something about Android that doesn't support the BLE , at least not readily.I'm told that Motorola has found a half-baked workaround that works intermittently. I think it falls on the OEMs to offer drivers for the BT hardware that's currently just sitting in their devices but not being used to its full, or *ugh* even iOS-level potential.

There are two things that bother me the most:
1.- Even though you can find threads everywhere on the Internet about the
lack of BLE on Android, Google fails to give a straight answer on the
matter. What's more, I keep reading phone reviews that menting BLE
support... When there is none.
2.- And then comes industry juggernaut Samsung and markets the SGS3 as Bt
Smart Ready (It says so on the box) and it is as smart ready as the Earth
is flat. No developer support whatsoever from Samsung. False advertising
anyone?
BLE environment seems to be even more fragmented than Android and unless
Google finally makes a move it will stay this way. Disappointing.

I have confirmed a functional ble stack on the HTC DNA on Verizon using the
open ble API from broadcom. Its not a final holistic solution for all of
android... but it is a start for a good development platform.

Given the new ble stack implemented as part of 4.2 in conjunction with
broadcom, there is also a good potential chance that this API could grow
into the final solution as part of key lime pie.

Is there any other phone other than HTC DNA that works with broadcom apis? This phone is not available in Canada.

Here's another vote from the FAE for Bluegiga here in the US. This is a feature that many customers are looking for and it would certainly make the Nexus (and Android in general) WAY more appealing, especially since Android allows permission-based access to call, email, and SMS info via open APIs (iOS locks this down horribly). You still have a chance to get ahead of Apple on this front! Please don't pass it up!

Try samy s3 or notes2
Am 01.12.2012 17:23 schrieb <android@googlecode.com>:

No, Samsung also does not provide a driver for the BLE platform, despite having the hardware and explicitly stating on the box that the GS3 is 'smart bluetooth ready'.  

According to Samsung and BLE:
http://developer.samsung.com/forum/board/thread/view.do?boardName=GeneralB&messageId=157757

http://developer.samsung.com/forum/board/thread/view.do?boardName=GeneralB&messageId=154814

As one can see, Samsung doesn't care.... very disappointing.

The S3 does not support BLE. I have one...It's missing a library for
Broadcom library support but that doesn't work with  the new stack
anyways...

Comment #71 on issue 36949180 by fury...@gmail.com: Support for Bluetooth 4.0
Low Energy Profile on Galaxy Nexus (yakju)
http://code.google.com/p/**android/issues/detail?id=33371<http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=33371>

Try samy s3 or notes2
Am 01.12.2012 17:23 schrieb <android@googlecode.com>:

Is there even a BLE Chip in SGS3? I'm beginning to think that isn't the case :(

try
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.semilink.smartscanner&feature=search_result

it runs on my notes 2 and lists BLE devices ...

Ok, then I will not give up the hope.

Just want to say that Smart Scanner actually works, it can see my BTLE device (variable tech NODE) so is obviously able to tap into my SGS3's BTLE hardware.  Can't do anything with it of course, but at least it sees it.  Certainly cause for hope.

When Google traded the BlueZ stack for the Broadcom stack LE support became impossible without rooting your phone.  At AnDevCon today the BT expert said the only Android phone that supports LE is the Motorola Razor.  LE needs to be standard functionality before BT developers can invest in supporting Android.  The entire room of developers were disappointed, and many walked out in disgust.  You're not only alienating customers, you're losing developers.   Seriously.  This needs attention.  The only realistic answer is to use iOS.

Thanks for this news from AnDevCon. How far does this need to go before we can finally get this basic functionality?

I've understood, and I can't pin down which places I've read this, that the Razor only has BTLE functionality for the LE HRM profile... I guess I'm saying that even the razr solution isn't by any means complete... Again, this is all second hand, so don't quote me, though I wrote it as a statement, I'm kind of looking for confirmation on the matter.

@Murray: And if you had attended AnDevCon the evening before, you would have heard how all mainline HTC devices launching now and after this quarter will support BLE starting with the HTC One X+ and Droid DNA.

@Chris: So if i start working for BLE based Android Application would you suggest using a Motorola RAZR for testing the capability? i am working for the HRM profile.

Can i try integrating the Broadcom BLE on the Nexus 7 with Android 4.2 since it already has the Broadcom stack and the silicon by them.

@Dario: Is there any tablet that can be used to for my work on the app?

This is not a Nexus issue, but needs to be resolved in Android. Want it for my Galaxy S3 & S3 Note.

All I knew at the time I started this thread was that my Nexus had all the right hardware but no software capability.  I would change the title if I could, but I can't.

410 stars, and no acknowledgment from Google.  Shameful.

Just got my MIO ALPHA HRM watch from Kickstarter.  Been waiting the better part of a year only to find out that my HTC EVO 4G LTE (which I bought specifically for its advertised Bluetooth 4.0) won't work with the ALPHA.  Simply a lie.  Time to get an iPhone 5.

Please enhance the Bluetooth capabilities of Galaxy nexus and Stock Android over all by adding support to 4.0 and AVRCP 1.3 or 1.4.

Please support Bluetooth 4's Smart profile for connecting Heart Rate Monitors like the Wahoo or Polar.

Same issue with the MIO Alpha here, not being detected by my Nexus 4...

To clarify a bit, the Bluetooth 4.0 spec consists of the high speed and low energy subsets so devices that claim BT 4.0 support may not necessarily include BLE.  I'll check with bluetooth.org spec leads on this point as this has been a source of confusion re: which devices support BLE regardless of OEM.  For HTC phones, as previously mentioned BLE support is included only starting with the One X+ (note the '+') and the Droid DNA.  Btw, HRM profile verified with Wahoo and Polar (haven't yet tried MIO).

@ebin (and others) please contact me off list or post on stackoverflow instead. I'm only posting here because of specific devices mentioned. It's unfortunate that the original poster cannot rename the issue to "Support for Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Profile" as this issue should not be about specific devices or chipsets but about a standard Android API.

Re:90

This thread has been completely about BLE and Smart devices. Can you clarify what you mean by HTC devices only supporting from HOX+ as the hardware in the One X, S and I believe V all have a Qualcomm device which supports BLE. Have HTC included BLE support in the BT stack within sense for the HOX+ or are you implying some difference in the hardware?

Please take quick action.

Re:90, I think it's important to clarify that this thread is about Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), aka "Bluetooth Smart", rather than other features of Bluetooth 4.0. However, we should avoid the confusing term "Profile", which has a specific meaning in Bluetooth (see "Headset Profile (HSP)", "Health Device Profile (HDP)", etc). HSP has been part of Bluetooth since 1.0, A2DP came in with EDR in v2.0, and (I think) HDP depends on the GATT features of BLE.

Some are asking for AVRCP updates etc, which should be a separate thread, since they do not depend on Bluetooth v4.0 *or* BLE. They are related to the BlueZ or Broadcom Bluetooth stack revision.

It gets confusing, of course, given that the GNex apparently has the same Broadcom chip that implements BLE in the iPhone (and, supposedly, in the S3), but we need to remember that it takes more than a chip to implement a protocol -- there's firmware as well, and I'm assuming that Samsung did not license the BLE firmware from Broadcom for the GNex, so instead of using a non-BLE Bluetooth chip in the GNex, Samsung/Broadcom just used the same chip as the S3 with a non-BLE firmware "blob". Therefore a software upgrade isn't as simple as it seems, because Broadcom would never agree to it without Samsung paying the extra licensing fee, which isn't going to happen (where's the revenue going to come from? There's no mechanism for users to pay for a software/firmware upgrade).

The issue with the S3 being marketed as "Smart Ready", and then appearing to not work with Smart devices, is also a separate issue. It needs addressing, but not on a thread about BLE on the GNex.

I wonder if this problem though somebody decides it again or not recognize the problem?

Uh, either we've missed something, or the Verge has their facts incorrect, but the first paragraph of this story out of CES states that the new FitBit Tracker will connect with the SGS3 and Galaxy Note II through BT 4.0.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/7/3840106/fitbit-flex-wireless-fitness-bracelet#_=_

This also uses BLE: http://www.indiegogo.com/sticknfind/

They mention that the SGS3 support is bad so they wrote their own Bluetooth "drivers". Maybe we can bug them to open source that portion. Still, that only addresses two devices.

Hi,
i've wrote samsung as well,
it drives me crazy that there is no news about a full BL 4.0 support or what#s going on.

I love android and my s3, but maybe i got the wrong device, all new BL4.0 are not supported, like any Sport-Gimigs from Polars wearlink-belt, nike+, garmins products, carradios, headsets - when ever i ask a product-support they always tell me "Sorry not supported- if you want to use this ... "You must have or buy an iphone, ipod and so on. Andronid isn't supported yet"

This can't be that everybody get's to hear sorry only for apple-products...  or is there somebody working for apple at google-development or samsung? It's the best advertising apple can ask for.

All of this is probably a result of all the patent wars going on

Can't believe this issue hasn't been addressed yet...

Nothing to do with patent wars. The SGS 3 and Note2 use the same chip as the iphone5. The trouble is that Google has not included drivers and functionality for this (and other chipsets) in Android, allowing the developers to access the required functions through a defined operating system interface (API).
Until Google starts caring to do so, developers only option is to add the driver code for EACH CHIPSET into their APP, bloating the app and restricting functionality to specific devices using that very chipset the drivers are for.
Of course most devs dont want to put in that amount of work for a limited selection of devices.

As I see 4.2 is already released? And as I see, there still no BLE support?
Did someone checked that? Please advise...

I use Nexus 4 with Android 4.2.1 and want to now if Bluetooth 4.0 is supported in this Version. Before buying Bluetooth 4.0 devives I want to be sure they are supported by 4.2.1 before wasting money.

Unbelievable - I would never have thought that I need to recommend Apple / IOS but for sport sensors Bluetooth 4.0 /smart /BLE offers a significant better solution (in particular in terms of stability and energy consumption).

Google - get these driver /fw update out asap.

Can't believe this issue hasn't been addressed yet...

And i can't believe there is no official google-statement for this problem or any big press about it.

It isn't a small problem like if the led can#t display green - it's a full function with is missing.
But i hope when the spring comes and the spring will be coming and some press-people want to run with their SGS3 - this prob will be get public and maybe google will fix it.

Please address this. I want to purchase the fitbit flex which utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 and I cant because my Galaxy Nexus doesn't have the drivers?....Come on..please fix

It is urgently needed.
Please fix this.
It is simply annoying not to have it.
Do you want us to use I phones? ??????

i have issues with bluetooth too

omg, common guys...

More and more BLE devices are coming on the market,
but with Android they can't be used yet. Why?
Are there any technical problems?
Apple already supports BLE.
Do i really need to replace my great Android phone by an iPhone?

This needs to year a year and a half ago, it's crazy Android is behind in this area, is it a licensing issue?

Wow, somebody at google should get fired for this.

Question to all:
Is there any page of any vendor of Android (!) phones/tablets,
(perhaps beside Motorola phones (Razr))
which says more than "Bluetooth 4.0", mention perhaps Smart or Smart Ready?
Is BLE mentioned in any of the webpages, datasheets or advertisements?
I just had a quick look, but it seems the pages i have visited
only mention "Bluetooth 4.0"...

I also want BLE with Android, but was it said, it is coming?

I develop devices for battery powered access control systems.
In my current project I want to control the system with a smartphone or tablet.
Therefore I think BLE now is the best solution.
But if i say "you have to use iOS" to my devolpers, they kill me.
I'm also not a friend of apple and love android.
Please let me know if we can do something to accelerate the BLE support.

There must be a reason  Google is not implementing support for Bluetooth Low Energy. I suspect a legal issue is at play here as well. Android has NFC and iOS has BLE..  But what exactly is going on here is sketchy to say the least

If Google doesn't implement Bluetooth 4.0 I'll have to go get an iPhone. (Boooo!) The fact of the matter is, there's just too many cool new devices that make use of this technology.

(Running a Samsung Galaxy SIII by the way) Which as far as I understand it, has the hardware and simply needs the software support.

Please add support for bluetooth 4.0!

Un-be-liev-able that there still is no roadmap/news for when this will be implemented.

Would like to see it implemented.

Unbelivable that this issue has been discussed so long time! What is the reason if Google do not support it.

I would like this to be implemented too.

Please add! We want to add BLE Android Support to LocalSocial. We can already work with iOS - want to do Android asap - thanks!

 please Google add this already.

Another vote to ask Google for implementation of BT 4.0 + LE on Android. I can't believe that if I want to use a pulsometer I have to switch to iPhone.

I am working as an engineer and i´m developing apps for smartphones. our newest device uses bt 4.0 to communicate. although i hate ios we have to go that way because btle implementation for android is missing. please hurry up, or let us know about google´s future plans, because we have to make a decision which way to go. it´s already implemented in nearly all other os for smartphones (windows phone 8, blackberry, ios6), it can´t be too hard to catch up to the competitioneers.

This is insane, Google's flagship nexus devices that have Bluetooth 4.0 chips still do not have this feature implemented.

Please send out drivers for this Google. It's very frustrating having the hardware and not being able to use it to its full capacity. Almost like owning an apple product.

C'mon Google!!!!!!!

Support for BLE is in latest BlueZ stack. So it will be
nice to port it into Android.

Please add Bluetooth 4.0 support for Android, esspecialy for communication with TI's CC2541 device

So that we can play with devices like the MeterPlug:

http://www.indiegogo.com/meterplug/x/1655370?c=home

I'm just founding a new BTLE startup and we are forced to implement a stupid IOS app although I would prefer Android so much! Please google don't let us down!

Ble is the wave of the future :)

Although I also want this functionality, Google will not respond to this feature request as it is device specific.

This is the issue tracker of the Android project and only issues concerning AOSP will be addressed, as far as I know.

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Do you mean that people should visit http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SPH-L700ZKASPR or http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SCH-I515MSAVZW and ask from Samsung there? Will Samsung respond?

The issue has been identified to be related to the Android's generic bluetooth stack, not to do with the chip in the handset specifically. There is no interface to the hardware for software developers. This issue is shared with even the most recent Android phones.

Even if this wasn't universal, here are some issues that are specific to phone components but are acknowledged and have an owner. Some have been been released:
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=43224
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=6914
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=17119

As an AOSP device, Galaxy Nexus users can count on a closer working relationship with the AOSP team. That's one of the major benefits of purchasing a Nexus-series device.

We can only pray that Google will address this in Key Lime Pie which should come out at Google I/O in May. This is likely given the advice BLE is a "top priority". It is extremely disappointing however that Google treats their issue tracker with complete disdain and does not inform us here.

Add BLE support. PLEASE!

I love my Android phone, but the lack of BTLE and a BT4.0 stack (due to Googles ignorance) is really annoying!!!

+1 for adding BT4.0 to Android. This is ridiculous

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I have an S3, and I can connect my Polar H7 Bluetooth smart HRM to my phone with this app:  http://bit.ly/W203bY .  Why can't any other apps work?

I want to create an app for Polar H7 device... i wish you could add support of BTLE to android very soon.... I have HTC One S and can't find any native firmware or API for Qualcomm Bluetooth LE chip which is used on this device.
It would be super cool if you add a support of BTLE to Android by May, 2013...

I al the guy behind the API cookowatch was going to use, the problem is not the luck of drivers, the problem is the lack of exposing it to the developer, I made a working solution you can install on <4.2 based on broadcom api available on Github, but as 4.2 dropped BlueZ I had to drop the project as well.

I'm very upset my self I got in touch with Google team and even they were aware of the issue they couldn't even provide a time frame when 4.2 got released, IMHO switching stack was a very stupid decision, the new stack is way more unstable than BlueZ.

BLE ! BLE ! BLE ! my god how can google sucks on this and be awesome about the rest

Got my vote, I really hope this isn't a legal thing.

Well the lack of this officially puts android behind blackberry and iOS. Some response would be nice to hear...

I agree -- I am developing the next generation of a medical device with companion app and website.  It is a body worn patch that currently communicates with BT 2.1.  Current application is on Android, but will likely migrate to iOS because of lacking BLE support and need to run patch on coin cell.

Would love to know the BLE roadmap for Android -- at least for product planning purposes.

It's ridiculous that Google hasnt support BLE yet, Google please support this

Very disappointing.  TI has SensorTag for $25 with nice built in sensors and I find out that I have to have an IPhone to try it out. I hang my head in shame! I used to make fun of how inept Msoft was with their implementation of Bluetooth. My guess is the guy that screwed up their Bluetooth is now working for Google.

BLE support would be nice.

@DJ53 http://www.sticknfind.com/product/sticknfind

Android 4.2.2 which does fix some bluetooth problems, but still no BLE?? So we have to wait for yet another release?? So by the time it reaches mainstream phones such as the One X or S3 we're well in 2014...

Embarrassing!

Support for this appears to be one of the major factors in the Nike Fuelband App not being released for Android.

Really sad to see this still isn't available.

Please update android in general for all phones so it supports the bluetooth low energy profile!!!

Yup. Got my Android 4.2.2 update on my galaxy nexus yesterday.  STILL can't talk to my Fitbit One.  

WHAT THE HECK'S THE DANG DEAL HERE ANYWAYS????

Google: why are you doing your best to turn me into an Apple customer???

Give it up guys!  Google obviously doesn't care about the current crop of Galaxy Nexus owners.  

This is just another let down from Google.  This is an enhancement that could easily be done by google that would put them in good graces with their loyal fan base.  Nice to see how much they care about their customers / fans.  

Might have to try that Firefox phone after all.  Google is doing everything they can to push their most loyal fans away.

Could you confirm that the Polar H7 Bluetooth 4.0 Heart Rate will not work without BLE? If not when will BLE be available? Please sort this out Google.

We asked, we pleaded, we threatened, we cried. No use.

How about organizing a little revolt: lets all ask every user of all our apps combined in our next updates to star this issue! Maybe having an issue which several million people star would help bring Google to AT LEAST SAYING WTF WAS THE PLAN WITH BLE?!

I don't know if I should cry over, or laugh at Google's silence when it comes to this issue.

I couldn't care less about the new features of JB over ICS (e.g. the spherical photo stitching camera software)! I salute to whoever made the decision to invest manpower into that kind of cr*p instead of BLE support: congratulations Google, it makes us android developers really proud of you!

How could this possibly be a medium enhancement? Get on it Google, you've already lost a deployment across a large company because of this.

This is ridiculous - I just bought the nexus 4 and 7 knowing that they had a BT4 chip and now I find out I can't use them with my Fitbit because there's no driver... WTF? Transferring to iphone now,

I'll add to the noise. I'm frustrated that Google isn't supporting an industry-wide standard that has many existing applications/devices. Google, as so many others have said: We love Android because you don't do the same crap Apple does. Please don't start now, or Android will quickly be a thing of the past as we all jump ship to the next open platform that comes along.

I just purchased a Polar Bluetooth smart HRM and just assumed both my Iphone 5 and Nexus 4 would support it. I was shocked to learn I was wrong. Apple has had the low power bluetooth out for a while. What is the holdup?

Dear Google,

Go fuck off for ignoring this issue.

Sincerely,

stopxwatch

It's a trend! Pls support BLE.

It is well known that the hardware inside the Galaxy Nexus complies with the Bluetooth 4.0 specification.  New devices are being created every day that take advantage of the Low Energy profile in the 4.0 specification.  There is no reason that the Galaxy Nexus should not support this profile.  Please add this functionality.

I assumed the latest release would address this, I'm very shocked. Photo stitching vs. BLE? No contest. Google has been "trimming the fat" in every other area - how about applying it to the flagship product. I am surprised that Google is not embarrassed that iPhones/iPad/S3 all work with fitbit and Nexus devices don't. Form should follow function! So less photo stitching, and more BLE!

I purchased a Nexus 4 and a Fitbit One, and I was hoping that I could sync the Fitbit One on my Nexus 4, I won't leave the Android ecosphere for this but it's a pitty that I now have to start my Ubuntu 12.10 desktop, launch Virtual Box 4.2.6 and start the virtual windows 7 machine, just because I would be able to sync the fitbit one.

This is very poor from Google will now have to ask work for an iPhone 4s or 5 just so I can use a polar H7 heart rate monitor.

Support BLE!!!

Guess I'll stick with my iphone. I was moments from clicking "BUY" on a Nexus 4, but not being able to use my Polar H7 with my phone is a deal break for me.

This is crazy!

Priority-Medium ... i could cry
i think it'd Priority should got to high !!!

BT4.0 for S3 is written big on it,but BLE isn't supported because of a little driver issue? Isn't it time to fix this bug GOOGLE?

I already ready to pay for such a BLE-DRIVERSAPP if necessary.
At least give us a statement google.

Need it for my fitbit on my Motorola atrix hd lte