There's a lot more going on besides this, of course. Privacy is now much more important; Bluetooth 4.2 makes it harder to track a device without your permission, so a store with iBeacons (as an example) can't follow you around unless you've installed an app. The new wireless tech is also up to 2.5 times faster, and it should be both more power-efficient and reliable.

The gotcha with all these updates? You'll have to wait. The Bluetooth 4.2 standard is ready now (internet access is due within a month), but device makers will still have to implement it before you can see any benefit. You probably won't get to use 4.2-capable devices until sometime in 2015 as a result, but there are enough heavy-hitting features that your patience may pay off.