Location permission is required because with Bluetooth access alone an app can essentially locate a device already by checking nearby device addresses against a database of known locations. Similar to how scanning WiFi BSSIDs can also determine location.
It's a tricky problem. As a more technical user, I'd love it if they were separate permissions and the Bluetooth permission included an extra "your location can be determined from bluetooth alone" warning. But for the average user that's just going to confuse them.
On Android apps that don't use Bluetooth to derive location, and assert that they don't, will not prompt the user for a location permission. But this app is requesting `ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION` in its manifest. It could be doing that because they're acknowledging they are using Bluetooth to derive location, but I don't think they are. I suspect what's actually going on is that they're requesting that permission just so they can show your location inside an embedded map view. In which case the permission is not related to its Bluetooth usage.
I do note that BLUETOOTH_SCAN could be used for versions 12+. The link you provided is good, I'll also reference that as it also has details on strong assertion (android:usesPermissionFlags - neverForLocation).
> I suspect what's actually going on is that they're requesting that permission just so they can show your location inside an embedded map view.
Does the embedded map do some processing in the cloud first? Because the lat/lng is sent over the same API request that includes the battery voltages as well as the BLE address of your handset. I really think none of this is essential to a simple app that reads a battery voltage on your screen.
It's a tricky problem. As a more technical user, I'd love it if they were separate permissions and the Bluetooth permission included an extra "your location can be determined from bluetooth alone" warning. But for the average user that's just going to confuse them.