Bluetooth Low Energy vs. Bluetooth Classic: What's the Difference?

Even as we approach the 30th anniversary of its creation, Bluetooth technology continues to stand out as one of the premier solutions for enabling wireless connectivity, especially in industrial automation, predictive maintenance, cold chain monitoring, and commercial IoT applications. While most people are familiar with “Bluetooth Classic” due to its integration with our daily lives, many might be unaware of a more recent Bluetooth technology called Bluetooth Low Energy, or Bluetooth LE.  

This article dives into the core differences between BLE and Bluetooth Classic, shedding light on their unique capabilities, use cases, and how choosing the right type of Bluetooth can make or break the success of your project. 

Table of Contents: 

1. What is Bluetooth Classic?
2. What is Bluetooth Low Energy?
3. How Does Bluetooth LE Work?
4. Features of Bluetooth LE
5. Differences Between Bluetooth Classic & Bluetooth LE
6. Applications of Bluetooth & Bluetooth LE
7. Future Trends
8. Frequently Asked Questions About BLE

What is Bluetooth Classic? 

When Bluetooth first came to market, there was no Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth Low Energy. It was simply Bluetooth, a protocol that we now refer to as Bluetooth Classic since the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy. Bluetooth Classic facilitates short-range wireless communication between devices. It operates in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band and allows devices like smartphones, computers, headphones, and countless other electronics to exchange data over short distances without the need for wires. This technology enables the creation of personal area networks (PANs) with high levels of security. 

It operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band using frequency hopping across 79 channels and supports continuous data streaming connections . Classic Bluetooth is known for enabling wireless headphones, file transfers, phone tethering, and other relatively high-bandwidth links over ~10–30 m ranges.

Originally developed in the late 1990s, Bluetooth Classic has undergone several updates to improve its data transfer capabilities, security, and energy efficiency. It is particularly renowned for its role in serving as the most popular standard for wireless audio and interoperability among devices from multiple manufacturers. Bluetooth Classic is still in use in many Bluetooth applications to this day. Whether it's connecting a wireless headset to a phone, enabling a hands-free call in a vehicle, or syncing data between medical monitoring devices, Bluetooth Classic is the original Bluetooth implementation that provides a reliable and easy-to-use solution that has revolutionized the way devices interact. Bluetooth is still an extremely popular wireless standard for peripherals in many markets and across many device types, particularly in legacy applications. 

What Is Bluetooth Low Energy? 

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the main feature of the Bluetooth specification v4.0 released in December 2009, is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) specifically for applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons, security, and home entertainment industries. 

Bluetooth LE (formerly referred to as BLE or as Bluetooth Smart) is fundamentally different from Bluetooth Classic in that it reduces power consumption and cost while maintaining a similar communication range. 

BLE was designed specifically for ultra-low power operation to cater to batterypowered devices like sensors and wearables. It shares the same 2.4 GHz band but uses a different, simpler link layer and hopping scheme, with only 40 channels and a focus on quick, short data exchanges. BLE remains sleepy (idle) until it needs to send data, unlike Classic which tends to keep a continuous link active . This fundamental difference enables BLE devices to run for months or years on coin-cell batteries.

It’s important to note that Bluetooth Classic and BLE are not directly interoperable – a Classic-only device cannot communicate with a BLE-only device . To bridge this, most smartphones and many modern modules are dual-mode, supporting both protocols by time-sharing the radio . The Bluetooth specifications since 4.0 encompass both BR/EDR (Classic) and LE. In practice, Classic Bluetooth remains essential for certain legacy use cases (especially audio streaming), while BLE has enabled an explosion of new IoT devices and applications due to its low power profile. 

How Does Bluetooth LE Work? 

Bluetooth LE/BLE achieves its low energy consumption by keeping many components and subsystems of the device in sleep mode until a connection is initiated or until data must be transmitted. This means that devices can operate for months or even years on a small battery, waking up only occasionally to communicate wirelessly with other devices.  

The first iteration of BLE was particularly well-suited for applications that need to exchange small amounts of data periodically or at irregular intervals, such as fitness trackers that periodically sync with a smartphone or smart thermostats that send temperature updates to a central system. The following graphic shows the distinction that was made at the time between Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart Ready, and Bluetooth Smart, and while the branding and naming of these device categories has changed, the core concept remains mostly the same with one exception: Bluetooth LE was eventually adapted further to support audio as well (more on that in a minute). 

From a technical standpoint, BLE operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band. It uses a spread spectrum, frequency hopping, full duplex signal at a rate of 1600 hops/sec. This hopping is designed to reduce interference and allow multiple devices to communicate simultaneously without significant cross-talk. BLE supports 40 channels, each with a bandwidth of 2 MHz, where three of these are advertising channels and 37 are data channels. This structure enhances the robustness and efficiency of BLE communications. 

BLE's protocol stack is a significant evolution from its predecessors, consisting of the Generic Access Profile (GAP), Generic Attribute Profile (GATT), Security Manager, and Link Layer. GAP controls connections and advertising in BLE. It defines how two devices communicate in terms of discoverability and connectability. GATT, on the other hand, is used to send and receive short pieces of data known as "attributes" over an established BLE connection and is built on top of the Attribute Protocol (ATT). This setup simplifies data exchange and device interaction. 

Security is a major benefit of BLE, featuring robust AES-128 encryption and advanced authentication methods. This ensures that data transmitted between devices is protected against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, BLE includes the feature of LE Secure Connections, which introduces a stronger pairing method using the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman algorithm for key generation. This enhancement further solidifies BLE's capabilities in protecting sensitive data transfers, crucial for applications in sectors like healthcare and financial services. 

As mentioned previously, Bluetooth LE continued and continues to evolve to meet new applications and use cases. One of the most significant is the introduction of Bluetooth LE Audio. With LE Audio, Bluetooth is able to serve amazingly high-fidelity audio while still reducing power consumption. Later improvements also added support for audio broadcast and sharing as well. This is discussed later in the Audio Capabilities section.  

In essence, BLE extends the application of Bluetooth to cases where conserving energy and prolonging battery life are paramount, making it an ideal choice for a wide array of new, power-sensitive solutions across various industries. At Ezurio, we leverage BLE technology to deliver innovative, energy-efficient solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients in the medical, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors. 

Features of Bluetooth LE 

In addition to its ultra-low power consumption, Bluetooth LE has several unique features that set it apart from other available wireless technologies, including: 

• Interoperability: Like classic Bluetooth devices, BLE devices follow standards set by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), and BLE devices from different manufacturers interoperate. 
• Robustness: BLE uses fast frequency hopping to secure a robust transmission even in the presence of other wireless technologies. 
• Ease of Use: BLE has been developed so that it is straightforward for designers to implement it in a variety of different applications. Ezurio makes this even easier with the smartBASIC embedded programming language. 
• Latency: The total time to send small chunks of data is generally fewer than 6 ms, and as low as 3 ms (compared to 100 ms with classic Bluetooth). 
• Range: Thanks to an increased modulation index, BLE technology offers greater range (up to 200 feet and beyond, in ideal environments) than classic Bluetooth offers. 

For developers working with BLE, tools such as the Bluetooth Developer Studio and various BLE simulators facilitate the development and testing of applications. These tools offer a streamlined way to prototype, test, and refine BLE-based services, ensuring robust and efficient end-user experiences. Additionally, extensive community support and libraries, like those provided in development environments like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, lower the barrier to entry for utilizing BLE in custom projects. 

Bluetooth Classic vs. Bluetooth Low Energy: Key Differences 

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Bluetooth Classic represent two distinct modes of operation under the Bluetooth umbrella. Bluetooth Classic was developed primarily for continuous wireless voice and data transmission, making it ideal for applications such as wireless headsets, car hands-free systems, and stereo audio streaming. It operates on a high data rate, typically up to 3 Mbps, using a robust error correction feature to ensure a steady stream of data without interruption. 

BLE was initially tailored for low power consumption and intermittent data transmissions, which are critical for applications where conserving battery life is essential. Introduced in the Bluetooth 4.0 specification, BLE was designed to facilitate communication for devices that only need to exchange small amounts of data periodically, such as fitness trackers and smart home sensors. BLE achieves its energy efficiency by allowing devices to remain in sleep mode most of the time and wake up only when communication is necessary.  

However, BLE now serves all of the functions that Bluetooth Classic was designed for, and in most cases with a distinct advantage in terms of performance and latency. Even Bluetooth LE audio manages to achieve very high-quality audio at much lower data rates via the LC3 audio codec that caps out near 500 kbps.  

In terms of topology,  Classic uses a piconet structure – a master device can connect with up to 7 active slave devices in a point-to-point star-like configuration . The most common scenario is one-to-one (e.g. phone to headset, or laptop to mouse). Classic does not support one device broadcasting to many or many-to-many networking under the standard profiles (it’s essentially always a collection of point-to-point links). BLE is far more flexible. BLE introduced the notion of advertising and broadcasting: a BLE device can send out advertising packets that any number of scanners can receive (one-tomany communication) without forming a dedicated connection. In connected mode, BLE uses a central-peripheral (star) topology, which is analogous to master-slave but with the roles renamed. A BLE central (e.g. a smartphone or gateway) can typically connect to many peripherals simultaneously (often >20, limited primarily by memory and scheduling, not a hard “7” limit).

BLE thus supports: - Point-to-point (like Classic’s 1:1). - Broadcast (1:many) – e.g. a BLE beacon broadcasting location or a single sensor broadcasting to multiple listeners . - Star (central-peripheral) with one central and many peripherals (many:1). - Mesh (many:many) network with no single master. This scalability makes BLE suitable for IoT deployments with large device counts. For example, an industrial monitoring system could have dozens of BLE sensors all connecting to one gateway (central) periodically – something not feasible with Classic due to the 7-device limit . Or in a lighting system, hundreds of BLE bulbs can form a mesh to coordinate states across an entire building.

Data Transmission 

One fundamental technical difference between BLE and Bluetooth Classic is the way they handle connections and data transmission. Bluetooth Classic uses a baseband protocol with a larger packet size, suited for continuous wireless connections and higher data throughput. On the other hand, BLE uses a simpler protocol that supports smaller packet sizes, which reduces complexity, power consumption, and cost. This makes BLE less suited for audio applications but ideal for many modern IoT devices that transmit small data packets. 

Frequencies 

From a frequency perspective, both BLE and Bluetooth Classic operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band but utilize different methods to combat interference and ensure robust communication. Bluetooth Classic employs a fast frequency-hopping spread spectrum technique, hopping at 1600 hops per second over 79 channels each 1 MHz wide, to minimize the risk of interference. Conversely, BLE uses a similar frequency-hopping approach but only utilizes 40 channels, each 2 MHz wide, including three dedicated advertising channels to initiate connections. 

It’s important to note the throughput vs. power trade-off: Classic’s higher data bandwidth comes at the cost of higher power usage, whereas BLE’s lower throughput is a conscious trade for efficiency . In IoT scenarios, the ~1 Mb/s of BLE is usually sufficient for periodic sensor data, configuration commands, or telemetry, and it keeps energy usage minimal . If an application truly requires sustained high data rates (multiple Mbps), Classic Bluetooth may be needed – although BLE’s 2 Mb/s mode and evolving features are closing the gap for many use cases.

Range & Power Consumption 

In terms of range and power, Bluetooth Classic generally offers a longer communication range (up to 330ft) due to its higher power consumption, which can be suitable for applications like audio streaming that may need more extensive coverage. In comparison, BLE, while generally designed for shorter-range applications, has seen enhancements with Bluetooth 5.0 and later versions, which significantly extend the possible range and increase the message capacity, making it more versatile for industrial applications. BLE offers more flexibility in this regard as well: throughput can be sacrificed for an extended range, allowing developers to tailor their Bluetooth link’s characteristics to their application’s needs.  

Classic Bluetooth (BR/EDR): A Classic Bluetooth device typically keeps its radio active to maintain connections, resulting in non-negligible idle power draw. There is no concept of staying in sleep while connected – the link layer is “always on” when connected . This leads to quicker battery drain, especially in continuous use cases like audio streaming. For example, wireless headphones using Classic BT may only get a few hours of playtime per charge. Classic Bluetooth was not designed for coin-cell operation; it assumes the device can be recharged or has a larger battery. In portable gadgets, Classic Bluetooth usage often demands frequent recharging or a higher capacity battery relative to BLE.

Bluetooth Low Energy: BLE was designed from the ground up for duty-cycled operation. A BLE device remains in an ultra-low-power idle state most of the time and wakes up only to send short bursts of data or to listen for a connection event . The BLE link layer uses advertising intervals and connection intervals that can be tuned for the application’s needs – e.g. a sensor might only transmit once a second or once a minute. As a result, BLE devices can achieve multi-month to multi-year battery life on small batteries . Multiple sources highlight that BLE devices can sometimes run 3–5 years on a coin cell for low-duty-cycle applications . This is why BLE is ideal for distributed IoT sensors, beacons, and wearables that can’t be charged frequently.

It’s worth noting that Classic Bluetooth is still relatively low power compared to Wi-Fi or cellular, and fine for use cases where you stream data for a short time (like transferring a file) or can recharge the device daily. But for IoT devices that must run unattended for long periods, BLE is usually the only practical choice. For example, industrial BLE sensors can report data periodically for months on a single battery, enabling battery-powered wire-free deployments that would be impractical with Classic Bluetooth.

Now on to range: It’s noteworthy that some older comparisons stated Classic has a “farther range” than BLE (for instance, one source claimed Classic is for longer range >10 m whereas BLE is for <10 m) . This was true in early BLE 4.0 days when BLE transmit power was usually limited and no long-range mode existed. Today, that has flipped – BLE 5’s long-range features allow greater range than Classic in many cases . In practice, range is more about device class and power output: a BLE device can be made long-range by using coded PHY and high power, whereas Classic Bluetooth maxes out around 100 m without special antennas. The typical indoor range for both is still on the order of tens of meters (perhaps a house or small building coverage). Multiple sources agree on ~50 m as a practical upper bound indoors for BLE in its normal mode, slightly above Classic’s ~30 m, owing partly to BLE’s flexibility and less interference-prone communication bursts

Also, signal penetration through obstacles might be slightly better for BLE’s coded mode. One comparison suggested BLE’s signals have higher penetration capability than Classic . Technically both use 2.4 GHz, so the RF propagation is similar, but BLE’s ability to maintain links at lower data rates (with FEC) can mean it is more tolerant of obstructions or low SNR. For industrial environments with metal walls or machinery, BLE long-range mode can provide more reliable coverage.

Audio Capabilities 

As mentioned, audio streaming capabilities used to be exclusive to Bluetooth Classic, which supports Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for streaming high-quality audio. BLE was not initially designed to handle such tasks but has adapted over time with updates like Bluetooth 5.2, which introduced LE Audio. LE Audio allows BLE to transmit sound, including music and voice, efficiently. The LC3 codec in particular achieves quality that is practically indistinguishable from Bluetooth Classic audio with dramatically lower bit rates.  

The choice between BLE and Bluetooth Classic in a new design ultimately boils down to what other devices need to be connectable to your new product. Adoption of Bluetooth Classic is falling dramatically as Bluetooth Low Energy now serves all of the functionality that was previously unique to Bluetooth Classic. Since BLE-exclusive devices cannot communicate with Bluetooth Classic-exclusive devices, it’s important to consider both ends of your link to determine what protocol best suits your application.  

At Ezurio, we provide LE-only, Classic-only, and Dual-Mode (LE + Classic) bluetooth modules that can solve all of these application needs. Our engineering solutions harness these technologies according to client needs, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency, whether in consumer electronics, industrial automation, or healthcare devices. 

Comparing Applications of Bluetooth Classic & Bluetooth LE 

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Bluetooth Classic previously served completely distinct application spheres due to their differing technical specifications and design goals. BLE, with its focus on low power consumption and intermittent data transmission, was ideally suited for applications where devices need to operate over long periods on limited battery power.  

However, as of today, whether it’s audio streaming, low-latency data, intermittent sensor data, or any other Bluetooth need, Bluetooth LE is the choice for OEMs looking to design Bluetooth connectivity into a new device. If your device must be able to connect to a large number of unknown other devices that exist in the market today, it’s well advised to integrate a dual-mode (Classic + LE) module into your device. Otherwise, BLE is the way of the future.  

Applications for Bluetooth: 

• Wireless Audio Devices: Headphones, speakers, and car audio systems use Bluetooth for streaming high-quality audio without interruptions. 
• Hands-Free Calling Systems: Many vehicle systems use Bluetooth to allow drivers to make and receive calls without touching their mobile devices, ensuring seamless audio quality and connectivity. 
• Computer Peripherals: Keyboards, mice, and game controllers often use Bluetooth for its robustness and ability to handle continuous data transmission reliably. 
• File Transfers: Devices like smartphones and computers use Bluetooth to transfer files quickly due to its high data rate capabilities. 
• Medical Devices: Certain medical diagnostics and monitoring equipment require the continuous data transmission offered by Bluetooth, making it suitable for real-time patient monitoring systems. 
• Industrial Control Systems: In environments where control data must be sent reliably and continuously, such as remote controls for machinery or automated production lines, Bluetooth is preferred. 
• Wearable Health Monitors: Devices such as fitness bands and heart rate monitors utilize BLE for its low energy consumption, ensuring that they can run for extended periods without frequent recharging. 
• Smart Home Devices: BLE is used in smart locks, lighting systems, and thermostats, where small bits of data are transmitted intermittently to control home environments efficiently. 
• Beacons for Retail and Navigation: In retail, BLE beacons can transmit marketing messages to nearby smartphones. For navigation, beacons help in indoor location tracking and wayfinding solutions. 
• IoT Sensors: Sensors in agricultural, environmental monitoring, or manufacturing settings use BLE to periodically send data readings to a central database with minimal energy use. 
• Smart Watches: These devices leverage BLE for syncing notifications and activity data to a smartphone while conservatively using battery resources. 
• Battery-Operated Toys and Gadgets: BLE is ideal for small electronic toys and gadgets that need to communicate with controllers or apps without draining battery life quickly. 

In the design of IoT ecosystems, BLE plays a critical role due to its low power consumption and extended range capabilities. The introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 brought significant enhancements to BLE, including increased range (up to four times compared to Bluetooth 4.2) and speed (twice the data throughput), as well as an increased broadcast message capacity. These improvements make BLE even more attractive for industrial IoT applications that require large networks of connected devices over extended areas. 

BLE and Bluetooth Classic's features add reliability in industrial environments: 

• Common mechanisms: Both protocols use Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) across the 2.4   GHz channels to avoid interference . This means they periodically hop to new frequencies (1600 hops/sec for Classic, and a BLE connection event hops each interval) and can blacklist channels that are experiencing interference (for instance, a good implementation will avoid Wi-Fi channel frequencies in use). This spreadspectrum approach makes Bluetooth connections robust even in RF-noisy environments. Additionally, both support power control – devices can adjust transmit power dynamically to use just enough to maintain link quality without causing unnecessary interference .
• Forward Error Correction: BLE’s long range mode employs FEC (error correction coding) to improve reliability over longer distances or through RF obstacles . Some Bluetooth Classic packet types also optionally use FEC, but it’s mainly a BLE enhancement with the coded PHY. In harsh industrial settings (lots of metal, interference, multipath), the BLE long-range mode’s FEC can significantly improve packet delivery rates at the expense of speed . This means BLE can be tuned for reliability (by using the coded PHY) if range or environment is challenging.
• Reconnection and robustness: BLE’s quick reconnection can actually aid reliability – if a packet is missed or a connection drops, a BLE device can often reconnect or send the next update in short order, sometimes without the user even noticing a dropout. Classic Bluetooth connections, if lost, might take longer to reestablish. However, Classic’s sustained connections can be very stable once established, due to its mature protocol; it’s been refined over decades for things like continuous audio where dropouts are very undesirable. In practice, both Classic and BLE are quite reliable for their intended use cases when properly configured.
• Mesh self-healing: A unique reliability feature on the BLE side is in mesh networks – BLE mesh is designed to be self-healing. If one node fails or goes out of range, messages can hop through alternate nodes so the network as a whole remains operational . This is a big advantage in industrial IoT deployments: for example, a sensor network in a factory can continue delivering data even if one sensor or relay node is down, because the messages reroute through other BLE mesh nodes. Classic Bluetooth has no analogous standardized mesh capability, so if a master device fails, the whole piconet is down.

BLE’s power efficiency and robust data handling plays a pivotal role in modern wireless solutions. Whether you are developing cutting-edge medical devices, advancing smart home technologies, or enhancing industrial automation, adopting Bluetooth provides a reliable and well-understood technology to enhance the performance and practicality of your wireless projects. Ezurio continues to lead in delivering innovative, tailor-made solutions that not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations in connectivity and efficiency. Whether it’s BLE-only, Bluetooth Classic-only, or dual-mode Bluetooth Classic + BLE modules, Ezurio provides the solutions for every Bluetooth implementation and with the expertise and support that sets us apart in the wireless industry.  

Future Trends 

Bluetooth is ubiquitous in today’s world, with the Bluetooth SIG reporting over 5 billion Bluetooth enabled devices shipped per year across all industries . Within this enormous ecosystem, BLE has been the primary driver of growth in recent years, thanks to IoT and wearable applications. Some key trends and points on adoption:

BLE has a wider device diversity: Since its introduction, BLE has enabled Bluetooth technology to extend into markets like healthcare, fitness, smart home, retail beacons, asset tracking, and more. The number of BLE devices, like the BL54L15 module (based on the NRF54 chipset) has exploded. Classic Bluetooth remains prevalent in audio and infotainment (speakers, car systems) and certain peripherals, but the sheer variety of BLE gadgets now far exceeds the variety of Classic-only gadgets . BLE is essentially the standard for any new battery-powered device that needs wireless connectivity.

Industrial adoption: Industries have warmly adopted BLE for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and location services. For example, factories use BLE sensors to monitor equipment vibration and temperature wirelessly (avoiding running new cabling), and warehouses use BLE beacons on inventory for real-time tracking . Bluetooth Mesh (which operates on BLE) has been deployed in commercial lighting and building automation to great success, something Classic Bluetooth could not have addressed. The ability to integrate with smartphones (for HMI or commissioning) also favors BLE – technicians can use a phone app to configure or read BLE industrial sensors, whereas older Classic-based systems often needed special receivers or laptops.

Smartphones and consumer support: It bears repeating that essentially 100% of new smartphones and tablets support BLE, whereas a decade ago that wasn’t the case . Also, all smartphones still support Classic (because of audio and backwards compatibility). This means consumer expectations are that any accessory “Bluetooth” will just work with their phone – which it will, via the appropriate protocol. In IoT, the phone is often used as a gateway or user interface (for example, a maintenance engineer uses a phone app to connect to a BLE machine sensor). That universal BLE support is a huge enabler for BYOD (bring your own device) style solutions in industrial context.

Market life-cycle: Classic Bluetooth will not disappear overnight – the installed base of headphones, car stereos, POS printers, etc., is massive. But new Bluetooth SIG features and marketing efforts are centered on BLE. The LE Audio initiative is bringing audio streaming into the BLE domain, which could eventually make Classic’s audio profiles obsolete . A clear example of trend: Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd gen) already incorporate BLE Audio support in addition to Classic, and many new hearing aids use BLE Audio for energy-efficient sound . Over the next few years, we expect Bluetooth Classic’s role to gradually shrink as BLE absorbs more capabilities (like audio, higher throughput modes, etc.). The SIG’s roadmap heavily favors BLE: recent core spec releases 5.3, 5.4 and even the upcoming Bluetooth 6.0 focus on improving BLE (security, advertising, channel sounding for positioning) rather than adding anything to Classic .

Bluetooth 6.0 and beyond: According to typical release cadence, Bluetooth 6.0 is expected to build on BLE’s strengths. Preliminary details (the BLE community speculates features like enhanced precision location – indeed Bluetooth 6.0 is expected to introduce “Channel Sounding” to achieve 10 cm accuracy ranging ) show that future improvements will target IoT accuracy, power, and speed. This is squarely aimed at industrial and IoT use (e.g., asset tracking with 10 cm precision using BLE signals). Classic Bluetooth doesn’t figure much into these new features. We can interpret that as Bluetooth = BLE going forward for most intents and purposes, with Classic remaining for legacy support and niche uses.

Interoperability trend: There’s also a trend of unifying experience – for instance, dual-mode chips ensure devices can communicate with both old and new Bluetooth types. This has smoothed the transition such that many users don’t even realize there are two Bluetooth protocols at work. In industrial retrofit scenarios, one might use a dual-mode gateway (speaking Classic to old devices and BLE to new). Over time, as old devices are replaced, everything moves to BLE.

Competition and coexistence: It’s worth noting that Bluetooth (especially BLE) faces competition in IoT from other wireless standards like Zigbee, Thread, and Wi-Fi HaLow. But Bluetooth’s huge ecosystem and native phone support give it an edge for many applications. In industrial IoT, Bluetooth BLE is often chosen over Zigbee because of easier phone integration and no need for separate radios. The trend of Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi vs other protocols is beyond our scope, but in short-range connectivity, Bluetooth BLE is holding strong as a top choice for low-power nodes. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Bluetooth & Bluetooth Low Energy 

Is there a difference between Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth low energy? 

Yes, there is a difference between Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy, though they are related within the broader Bluetooth technology framework. While Bluetooth Low Energy refers to a specific technology under the Bluetooth standard, Bluetooth 5.0, on the other hand, refers to a version of the Bluetooth core specifications. Bluetooth Low Energy was introduced in the Bluetooth 4.0 standard, and several versions since (up to and including the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard) enhanced the capabilities of Bluetooth, including BLE, by providing improvements such as increased range, higher speeds, improved broadcast capacity, and better coexistence. 

What is the difference between Bluetooth EDR and BLE? 

Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) are two distinct technologies within the Bluetooth standard, each designed for different purposes and offering unique advantages. EDR is a feature of Bluetooth Classic that enhances the data transfer rate. The primary aim of EDR is to increase the bandwidth available for Bluetooth communications. Bluetooth LE achieves increases in bandwidth via newer developments in the BLE feature set that in many ways render Bluetooth Classic obsolete for newer designs.  

Is Bluetooth Classic still used? 

Yes, Bluetooth Classic is still widely used today, although new adoptions are at a steep decline. Despite the rise of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for low power applications, Bluetooth Classic remains important for some applications that have not seen the adoption of BLE, in particular for audio. This makes Bluetooth Classic continually relevant for serving Bluetooth applications where the other end of the connection, such as a stereo unit, requires Bluetooth Classic connection.