Currently, many people can no longer imagine their lives without Bluetooth. This wireless standard allows you to use headphones without cables, connect your smartphone to smart speakers, use controllers to play games away from the console, and much more.

But this technology also exists in a parallel format, which is energy-saving and allows you to win the popularity of the entire wearable industry. AND Bluetooth Low Energymost famous initials L.E., a pattern you may already be using without knowing it. Read on to find out a little more about this format, which electronics segments it is most used in, and how it differs from regular Bluetooth.

What is Bluetooth LE?

ABOUT Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) it is a parallel standard to traditional Bluetooth that works in a very similar way, allowing two devices to pair and exchange information.

LE is the format “low energy”, as the name suggests, as it highlights the lowest consumption in devices. Thus, electronics can be used for hours, days, or even months without the need to recharge or replace the battery, and such wireless connections are one of the factors that usually consume the most energy.

This reduced consumption is possible because the device sends less data to the devices it’s paired with This do it for a longer period of time. During periods when there is no connection between devices, Bluetooth LE is turned off and saves even more power.

Thus, LE allows you to build a network of cost-effective and integrated devices with low consumption and information exchange with each other. The format is also secure: it has a standard AES-128 encryption that hides information from unauthorized access.

This pattern was born in Finnish nokia under the name vibribut was later adopted by the same consortium that works with traditional Bluetooth, Special Interest Group (SIG). In 2010, this variant was officially announced after the release Bluetooth 4.0, branching this relationship into two standards. This was a period when “classic” technology was already quite popular, but high battery consumption prevented it from being used by a few simpler devices.

How is it different from regular Bluetooth?

The main difference between “classic” Bluetooth and LE is battery consumption: LE uses up to 100 times less energy to complete tasks. It does not have a permanent connection and sends data less often and less intensively, which provides savings.

This pattern even features faster pairing without requiring security mechanisms such as a PIN or confirmation on both sides. In addition, Bluetooth LE works in Frequency band 2.4 GHzwhich has the same range as the traditional one, but with fewer channels available for connection.

On the other hand, classic Bluetooth has a higher data transfer rate: they up to 3 Mbps available, while LE can reach a maximum of 2 Mbps and only in certain cases. The traditional standard also wins the argument about the longest signal range – LE. difficult to communicate after 30 meters away from any associated electronics, compared to about 100 meters of the old model.

In general, therefore LE is more flexible in application and adaptation, which allows you to create an ecosystem of sensors and electronics that “talk” to each other. Traditional Bluetooth, on the other hand, has a more rigid structure and targets fewer paired devices. The idea is that the classic format is increasingly being used only in operations that require the transfer of more datasuch as file download, real-time monitoring and high-quality game or video streaming.

Where can I find Bluetooth LE devices?

Bluetooth LE is mainly used in small devices such as smart watch (smart watch) and fitness bracelets (smartphones). Not only do these products have smaller batteries, they also don’t always require intensive data transfers. Computers and cell phones, for example, support shared Bluetooth.

It is also used in industrial equipment and various consumer electronics. Internet of Things (IoT)such as sensors, controllers, and simple operating mechanisms such as lamps controlled by cell phones or by voice commands. Autonomous vehicles with a complex resource platform typically use a standard to unify the communication of these features.

LE can still be used in tracking devices such as smart tags (like Apple AirTags) and store security without the need for GPS or other more advanced standards. This, by the way, is another advantage of the format: its use helps to reduce the congestion of WiFi networks or 4G / 5G mobile data.

Pairing is virtually no problem: electronics that support Bluetooth 4.0 or later, such as tablets and smartphones, also compatible with LE devices. The user, therefore, almost does not feel the difference when using a device that has one or another of these formats.

What about Bluetooth LE Audio?

In addition to LE, another technology announced in 2022 promises to further expand the use of this connection. AND Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (LE Audio)an extension to traditional Bluetooth LE that extends the capabilities of that format to perform a specific function.

In this case, LE Audio aims improve the quality of audio transmitted from one device to another. This allows you to transmit high-quality sound, previously available only to the Bluetooth standard, with lower power consumption, which is a key feature of the LE format. This mechanism is especially useful for wireless headphones and portable audio devicessuch as smart speakers.

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Do you already use any Bluetooth LE device in your daily life? Do you feel any difference between this and the original pattern? Write to us in the comments!

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Source: Android Control.