The Blette Stick is a Bluetooth 5.0 LE USB-C dongle designed to be attached to an Android smartphone in order to provide off-grid messaging and GPS coordinates sharing capabilities with a range of up to 1.1km in case WiFi and cellular networks are down.
CNX Software readers may also be familiar with Meshtastic devices relying on WiFi to connect to the smartphone with Bluetooth and to other nodes using LoRaWAN to enable off-grid messaging while trekking or during emergencies. The Blettle Stick does something similar to the Meshtastic project but with Bluetooth LE long-range communication instead of Bluetooth+LoRaWAN. While the range will be shorter and limited to around 1km (line-of-sight), the plug-and-play design will make it easier to use for typical users who are not technically savvy.
Blettle Stick specifications:
- SoC – Nordic Semi nRF52 Bluetooth 5.0 LE microcontroller (exact part number not specified, possibly nRF52840)
- Wireless – Bluetooth 5.0 LE with Long Range support
- Host interface – USB Type-C male port
- Dimensions – 60 x 19 x 10.5 mm
- Weight – 11 grams
To use the stick, you’ll first need to install the Blette Android app, then insert the USB-C dongle, and press OK when the “Allow Blette to Access the nRF52 USB Product” pop-up shows up in Android. You can now share your location and chat.
The screenshots above are in Japanese because the Blette app and the Blette Stick have been developed by a Tokyo-based IT company called “OFF Line Japan Co., Ltd”. In theory, it’s possible to use the Blette app without the nRF52 stick, but the range is further limited to around 100 meters. I tried to install it on an OPPO phone to take screenshots in English, but could not, as Google Play tells me “This app is not available for any of your devices”. OFF Line Japan tested it with SAMSUNG S10, S10+, S20, S21, and S22 smartphones with both WiFi and Cellular data turned off.
While I like the concept, pricing is not competitive with the Blette Stick going for $100 on Amazon. Unless I read that wrong, it’s not for a pair of sticks, but a single stick. For reference, the official Nordic Semi nRF52840 USB dongle launched for $10 without enclosure in 2018 and still sells for the same price now. I understand the price for the enclosure and software development board, but 10 times the price is excessive.
They may have priced in line with similar Meshtastic consumer devices like the S5 MiniTrekker selling for $99. Meshtastic-compatible development boards are even cheaper with the ESP32-S3-based LILYGO T-Deck with keyboard and display currently going for $45.42 on AliExpress or $57 on Amazon. Other Meshtastic-compatible boards and devices can be found on the project’s website.
Additional information about the Blette Stick can be found on the product page.
Thanks to TLS for the tip.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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