Compatibility between a Windows Mobile device and other Bluetooth enabled devices is dependent on the Bluetooth profiles that are included on the Windows Mobile device.  Most Windows Mobile devices share core Bluetooth compatibilities, but you can not assume that just because you have a Bluetooth enabled Windows Mobile device you will be able to connect to all other Bluetooth enabled devices.  You can see the Bluetooth profiles that the HTC Fuze, the IPAQ 900, the IPAQ hw6925, and the IPAQ hx2415 have in common and the profiles that are unique to each device in the following table:

	IPAQ hx2415	IPAQ hw6925	IPAQ 900	HTC Fuze
Windows Mobile Operating System	Windows Mobile 2003se	WM5.0	WM6.1	WM6.1
Bluetooth Stack	Widcomm	Widcomm	Microsoft	Microsoft
Generic Access Profile (GAP)	x	x	x
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)	x	x	x
Hands Free Profile (HFP)		x	x	x
Handset Profile (HSP)		x	x	x
Headset Profile	x
Human Interface Device (HID) Profile Host			x	x
Object Push Profile (OPP)	x	x	x	x
Personal Area Networking (PAN) Profile	x	x	x	x
Serial Port Profile (SPP)	x	x	x	x
ActiveSync Over Bluetooth			x
Advance Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)		x	x	x
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) Client		x	x	x
Generic Audio/Video Distribution Profile (GAVDP)			x
Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP)			x	x
File Transfer Profile (FTP)	x	x	x	x
Basic Printing Profile (BPP)	x	x	x	x
Basic Image Push Profile (BIP)			x
SIM Access Profile (SAP)				x
Dial-up Networking (DUN)	x	x		x
Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP)	x	x		x
LAN Access Profile	x	x
Hard Copy Replacement Profile (printing)	x

Bluetooth is enabled on a device through the inclusion of a Bluetooth radio (hardware) and a Bluetooth stack.  A "Bluetooth stack refers to an implementation of the Bluetooth protocol stack" or, in my probably not completely accurate words, a Bluetooth stack are the cluster of drivers that are loaded on a device that support the various Bluetooth profiles. 

The two most common Bluetooth stacks you'll find in a Windows Mobile device is the Widcomm stack (Widcomm was acquired by Broadcom in April 2004) and the Microsoft stack.  You will encounter varying degrees of compatibility with other Bluetooth enabled devices depending on the stack that is installed on the Windows Mobile device since there seem to be fundamental differences in the way Bluetooth services are delivered on a Widcomm stack versus a Microsoft stack.  Many believe the Microsoft stack is somewhat crippled, but I don't have an opinion or preference for either since I have never encountered limitations using either of these stacks on my Windows Mobile devices.

I've written a few articles that profile how to use Bluetooth on a windows mobile 2003 or WM5.0 device and you can find them here:

• Use Bluetooth to sync your Pocket PC
• Use your Mobile Phone to get your Pocket PC online
• Using a Bluetooth Personal Area Network

The Bluetooth settings under WM6.1 are quite a bit different than earlier Windows Mobile operating systems.  Setting up partnerships is much simpler, requiring a minimum of screen taps, but I found the simplified settings a little disorienting.  So far I've set up the following partnerships on the IPAQ 910c:

• Two different Bluetooth headsets - one is a very basic Motorola earpiece and the other is a Sony A2DP headset.
• Bluetooth ActiveSync partnership with my laptop (using a Bluetooth dongle)
• With my IPAQ hw6925 to exchange information between the two devices

Bluetooth under WM6.1

To access Bluetooth Settings, tap Start > Settings > Connection tab > Bluetooth.  Within Bluetooth Settings, you'll find tabbed options.  These options vary, based on the WM6.1 device you have.  For instance:

• IPAQ 910C:  Tabbed items include Devices, Mode, COM Ports, Printer, File transfer, Security, and Image transfer.
• HTC Fuze:  Tabbed items include Devices, Mode, COM Ports, SIM Access, FTP, Timeout, Profiles, Security

The screenshots in this article were made on the IPAQ 910c.

There is no Connection Wizard where you choose the type of device or connection.  Instead the Bluetooth manager searches for Bluetooth devices, automatically determines the type of connection and chooses the appropriate profile (assuming the Windows Mobile device supports it).

Devices

Tapping on a device shows the Partnership Settings that can be used on the device.  For instance, if I tap the DB-BT10CX device (which is my Sony A2DB headset), I see these Partnership Settings:

Mode

This tab is self-explanatory.  When you connect other Bluetooth devices, you'll need to make sure you turn Bluetooth on and make the Windows Mobile device visible to other devices.

COM Ports

So far I have not set anything up on this screen.  These COM Ports were automatically assigned when I created partnerships with these devices.  The Avalon partnership refers to my IPAQ hw6925 and the Motorola HS820 refers to my very basic earpiece.

Printer

WM6.1 includes native Bluetooth printing capabilities which I have not yet explored because I do not have a  Bluetooth enabled printer.  But if you have a Bluetooth enabled printer, you can print from a WM6.1 device to the printer without having to purchase additional third party software.

File transfer

This tab simply allows you to change the default folder where Bluetooth transferred files will be placed on the device.

Security

The Security tab is self explanatory.  Setting an authorization password here prevents anyone from secretly transferring files to your device.  [what do you think of the typo on this page?]

Image transfer

Another self-explanatory tab, but a new setting that is unique to WM6.1.

 

Setting up a Bluetooth partnership

Setting up Bluetooth partnerships on WM6.1 devices is easier than it has been for any of my older devices.  For the purposes of demonstrating how you would create a Bluetooth partnership, I deleted the existing partnership with my Sony A2DP headset and recreated it here.  All you need to do is:

Place the device you wish to connect to into discoverable mode,

Then on the WM6.1 device:

Turn on the Bluetooth radio

Open up the Bluetooth Settings Devices screen tapping Menu > Bluetooth Settings > Devices tab

Tap the Add new device.. option.  The mobile device will search for Bluetooth devices and return the devices it finds in the next screen:

Tap the device to set up the device you wish to connect and tap Next.  Enter a Passcode that will be shared between the devices (if appropriate) and tap Next.

You will receive  confirmation message that the connection was successful and then be prompted if you want to connect with the device.

About Bluetooth headsets

On conventional cell phones, pressing a button on a Bluetooth headset activates voice command software so you can issue commands directly to the device without having to touch the cell phone.    Previous to WM6.1, voice commands could not be issued in this way and so you could not make truly hands free calls through a Bluetooth headset.  Under WM6.1, you can now place handsfree calls through a Bluetooth headset. 

Setting up a Bluetooth ActiveSync Partnership

Setting up a Bluetooth ActiveSync partnership was easy but required a different approach.  See "Using Bluetooth to sync your WM6.1 mobile device" for detailed instructions on how to create a Bluetooth ActiveSync partnership.

 

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