A new version of the wireless technology will soon allow consumers to beam photos from cameras and use their cell phone to make purchases, reports Business 2.0 Magazine.

There are a billion Bluetooth-enabled devices in the world — cell phones, headsets, cameras, keyboards, printers. Another 13 million of them are being sold every week.

But that’s chump change compared with the growth that analysts expect to see once a new version of the short-range wireless technology makes its way into products later this year.

There are a billion Bluetooth-enabled devices in the world — cell phones, headsets, cameras, keyboards, printers. Another 13 million of them are being sold every week.

All of which means that mass-market Bluetooth use is expected to expand far beyond the cyborg-style phone headset.

Users will be able to easily beam photos from cameras to printers or digital picture frames. Wireless keyboards, mice, and videogame controllers will get a boost too. Bluetooth 2.1 will be integrated with near field communication, or NFC, a standard for mobile payments, so consumers will have more opportunities to pay with their phones.

But that’s chump change compared with the growth that analysts expect to see once a new version of the short-range wireless technology makes its way into products later this year. Sales of Bluetooth headsets alone, now at $8 billion, are expected to hit $14 billion within three years — aided by an increasing number of bans on driving while talking on handsets.

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