The Bluetooth Price Point

In addition, Bluetooth needs to be delivered at a very low price point. The choice of FM
helps reduce costs. There is no need for linearity in the PA, and you can use a simple
FM modulator and FM discriminator. The use of CMOS helps to keep costs low, as
does a single chip RF/baseband execution, but both these factors decrease receive
sensitivity.
The Bluetooth add-on cost has to be equivalent to the cost of adding infrared to a
handset—about $1.50. However, the infrared port is sometimes used by manufacturers
to calibrate a handset as it moves along a production line. It has more than paid for
itself before the phone has been built. You could not use Bluetooth to do this (it’s a bad
idea to use an RF device to calibrate an RF device).