Why No Bluetooth Remote Controls?

Why don’t tech companies use Bluetooth for the remote controls that come with their products? It seems to me that technology would have moved past IR remotes that require a direct line of sight for control in this day and age.

Brian Schwartz / via email

There are a few reasons why IR remains a dominant tech for remote controls. The main one is cost— IR is cheap to implement. Another is battery life: an IR transmitter in a remote control only draws power when a button is pressed, whereas Bluetooth is a two-way connection that requires both devices be continually powered on for it to work. While that’s not an issue for a plugged-in device being controlled (a TV, for example), the batteries powering a remote will quickly get drained. Finally, while Bluetooth is primarily used to pair with and operate a single device, IR remotes can simultaneously control multiple devices and thus offer greater flexibility.