The Bluetooth Special Interest Group on Tuesday announced Apple's advancement to Promoter Member status, giving the company even more say over the future of the Bluetooth wireless standard.
As a Promoter, Apple will have a permanent seat on the SIG's board of directors, and the ability to vote on corporate-level affairs. There are relatively few other companies at the Promoter level -- the only others are Intel, Ericsson, Microsoft, Toshiba, Lenovo, and Nokia.
Even firms like ARM and Broadcom, which design products with integrated Bluetooth receivers, are classified only as Associate members. Apple became an Associate in 2011.
A prepared statement from the chairman of the SIG board, Toby Nixon, said that Apple has "long been a key participant in the Bluetooth ecosystem," providing "guidance and knowledge" to the Group.
All of Apple's flagship products now offer Bluetooth support, including Macs and iOS devices. The company is in fact becoming even more dependent on the standard, since the Apple Watch pairs with an iPhone via the technology, and iBeacons -- which pop up iPhone notifications, typically advertising, in physical spaces -- are triggered via Bluetooth Low Energy.