When buying wireless headphones we see Bluetooth thrown around a lot. The version of Bluetooth could be 4.0 or 5.0 depending on the generation of the headphone you’re buying.
Bluetooth 5.0 compared to Bluetooth 4.0 might not seem like a significant difference, but there are things you should be aware of. These two versions of Bluetooth have their own unique features and differences.
This means the Bluetooth could work on one device but not the other. You might feel that Bluetooth 4.0 is older, so it isn’t as good. That’s not the case, Bluetooth 4.0 is a great version to have and works well with a variety of devices.
Bluetooth 5.0 might be the newest version and works great with newer devices but it might have hiccups with devices made before 2017. We decided to take a minute and compare the two Bluetooth. We are going to break these down for you so it’s a little easier for you to decide.
Speed
When it comes to connecting your devices to Bluetooth, speed might be a big factor for you. Bluetooth 5.0 is faster than Bluetooth 4.0.
The former has 2Mbps, which is twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth 4.0 has 1Mbps which is slower. Since Bluetooth 5.0 has a 5Mbps bandwidth it makes the speed a lot easier to have, while Bluetooth 4.0 has around 2.1 Mbps.
Power Requirement
The battery life for our devices is essential to us. We want a Bluetooth that won’t suck the life out of our devices and make us continually hooked to a power cord.
Bluetooth 5.0 is formulated to use less power with your device compared to Bluetooth 4.0. What this means for you is you don’t have to power down your Bluetooth to get a little extra juice with your wireless headphones.
This also means you can do a lot more with your device without the fear of them running out of power because of your Bluetooth. It has been shown that Bluetooth 4.0 does require more power.
Bluetooth Beacon
With Bluetooth, beacons weren’t too important, but today with Bluetooth 5.0 they are. Now they are more popular because of the speed and range increase that you get.
Bluetooth 4.0 doesn’t require are many beacons because of its slower speed and range. Bluetooth 4.0 also has a low message capacity of 31bytes, which is why you won’t see beacons are much. With Bluetooth 5.0 becomes are more in demand and popular.
Range
Outdoor and indoor range when it comes to Bluetooth is crucial. Bluetooth 4.0 supports a 50 meter outdoor range and a 10 meter indoor range, which is low.
When looking at Bluetooth 5.0 it supports 200 meters in Line of Sight path outdoors and 40 meters indoors. This is a little more desirable for people who want to listen to music outside but their device is indoors.
It also comes in handy for people with in house offices that might need to walk around the house while on a business call. For a lot of different reasons, Bluetooth 5.0 is just the better option when it comes to range.
Message Capacity
One thing you might not think about when it comes to Bluetooth is the data payload. With Bluetooth 4.0 there is a smaller message capacity of around 31bytes, giving you around 17 to 20 bytes for data payload.
Looking at Bluetooth 5.0, there is a larger capacity of 255byres and gives you more bytes for data payload. This is a lot of technical stuff that might not matter to you, but it is always good to be aware of what you’re getting with both of the Bluetooth.
Compatibility
Compatibility is dire when it comes to your wireless headphones. Now we aren’t saying one Bluetooth version is better here than the other.
It actually depends on the age of your device you’re trying to connect with Bluetooth/ Bluetooth 4.0 works better with devices that are a version 4 series or lower. It will not work with devices that are Bluetooth 5.
Looking at Bluetooth 5.0 it has some benefits because it is back compatible. This means that it is compatible with versions 1-4.2. While it can connect to devices with these versions, it will not use the features that are specially designed for Bluetooth 5.0.
When it comes to devices and compatibility with Bluetooth, you want to make sure the device can handle all the features of the Bluetooth you want. It’s pointless to buy a device that doesn’t have Bluetooth 5.0 if you want the features that come with that.
Support For LoT Devices
LoT devices have certain requirements that need to be met in order for Bluetooth to work. Bluetooth 5.0 meets all the requirements it has to and had a good range.
Bluetooth 5.0 also has an increase of speed that you don’t see with Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth 4.0 has a low speed and shorter working range and that means that LoT devices won’t work as well. Bluetooth 5.0 utilizes all its features properly and is the best option when it comes to devices like these.
Overview
As you can see, there are slight advantages and differences when it comes to Bluetooth 5.0 verses Bluetooth 4.0. While Bluetooth 5.0 is newer and has killer features, there are some devices that aren’t compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and cannot work its features properly.
Obviously, Bluetooth 4.0 is starting to be phased out and doesn’t have as many features or benefits as Bluetooth 5.0, but it still works get with compatible devices. What are your thoughts when it comes to the two versions of Bluetooth?
Lucas is a freelance media designer for image and sound also works for various production companies as a motion designer. He is regularly testing new wireless headphones on in the rehearsal room and there are now more than 70 wireless headphones on the shelves.
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