Bluetooth Versions Table
| Version | Year | Classic max rate | Low Energy max rate | Range | Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0–1.2 | 1999–2003 | 0.7–1 Mbit/s | — | 10 m | the original cable-replacement |
| 2.0 + EDR | 2004 | 2.1 Mbit/s | — | 10 m | EDR speed bump; stereo audio arrives |
| 3.0 + HS | 2009 | up to 24 Mbit/s | — | 10 m | high-speed handoff to Wi-Fi |
| 4.0 (LE) | 2009 | 3 Mbit/s | 1 Mbit/s | 60 m | Low Energy born - the sensor protocol |
| 4.2 | 2014 | 3 Mbit/s | 1 Mbit/s | 60 m | LE direct IP; beacon privacy |
| 5.0 | 2016 | 3 Mbit/s | 2 Mbit/s | 240 m | 2x LE speed, 8x broadcast capacity |
| 5.2 | 2020 | 3 Mbit/s | 2 Mbit/s | 240 m | LE Audio and the LC3 codec |
| 5.3 / 5.4 | 2021–2023 | 3 Mbit/s | 2 Mbit/s | 240 m | efficiency and encrypted advertising |
| 6.0 | 2024 | 3 Mbit/s | 3 Mbit/s | 300 m | Channel Sounding - phone-as-radar ranging |
Bluetooth's version numbers hide the single most important fact about the technology: since 4.0 there have really been two Bluetooths. Classic Bluetooth - the audio, car-kit, file-transfer radio - and Bluetooth Low Energy, a different design tuned for sensors, watches and trackers that sip a coin cell for months. They share the name, the 2.4 GHz band and the branding, and every version number since 4.0 upgrades both tracks at once.
The speed story is deliberately boring: Classic has sat at 3 Mbit/s and Low Energy at 2 Mbit/s since the mid-2010s, because the wins moved elsewhere - 5.0 stretched Low Energy range to a claimed 240 meters and doubled its broadcast capacity, 5.2 brought LE Audio with the efficient LC3 codec, and 6.0 (2024) introduced Channel Sounding, which turns a phone and a fob into a fine-grained rangefinder. The chart's range column is open-air marketing math; through real walls, budget a third of it.
How to use
- Read a device's Bluetooth number as a capability floor, not a speed claim: Bluetooth 5.0 on a tracker means it uses Low Energy with long-range coding; Bluetooth 5.2+ on earbuds means they can run LE Audio; a 6.0 phone plus a 6.0 tag enables precision finding via Channel Sounding - the feature only works when both ends have it.
- Match versions to the job when buying: audio gear wants Classic plus (for new buys) LE Audio support at 5.2 or later; sensors, tags and health devices want Low Energy (anything 4.0+ speaks it); beacons and asset tracking lean on 5.0's eight-fold broadcast capacity; and find-my-style ranging needs 6.0 hardware on both ends.
- Diagnose pairing problems by version generation: a 4.0-band phone will not take LE Audio from 5.2 earbuds, a Classic-only car kit predating 4.0 cannot see Low Energy sensors at all, and 2.4 GHz congestion from Wi-Fi and microwaves degrades every generation equally - the version explains capabilities, not interference.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bluetooth Classic and Low Energy?
They are two different radios under one brand. Classic Bluetooth streams continuously - audio to speakers and car kits, hands-free calls, file transfers - and burns power accordingly. Bluetooth Low Energy, introduced with 4.0, sleeps almost all the time, wakes to send a small packet, and survives months on a coin cell, which is what made fitness bands, tags and medical sensors practical. A device can carry either or both (phones carry both); a Classic speaker cannot see an LE sensor, and an LE tracker cannot stream to a Classic-only car stereo.
Is Bluetooth 5.0 faster than Bluetooth 4.2?
On the Low Energy side, yes - 5.0 doubled LE's raw rate from 1 to 2 Mbit/s and multiplied broadcast capacity eight-fold, at double the stated range. On the Classic side, no: the 3 Mbit/s EDR ceiling has not moved since 2009. The headline 5.0 marketing numbers (2x speed, 4x range, 8x broadcast) are all Low Energy features, which is why the chart separates the two columns - comparing version numbers without asking which track they refer to is how the confusion starts.
What is Bluetooth LE Audio and do I need it?
LE Audio (introduced with 5.2) moves audio streaming from Classic radio onto Low Energy, using the new LC3 codec that sounds comparable to the old SBC at lower bitrate and lower power. What you actually get: longer battery life on earbuds, multi-device sharing (one phone to several sets of earbuds), and hearing-aid support that Classic never handled well. You need 5.2-or-later hardware on both the phone and the earbuds; either side missing means the link silently falls back to Classic audio.
How far does Bluetooth actually reach?
The chart's numbers are the official classes in open air: 10 meters for Classic, up to 60 meters for ordinary Low Energy, and up to 240-300 meters for 5.0-and-later LE with the long-range coding. Indoors, every wall, appliance and human body costs you - a practical rule is a third of the stated number room-to-room, less through masonry. Range is also symmetric: a long-range tag means nothing if the phone scanning for it lacks the same long-range radio, which is why 6.0's 300-meter Channel Sounding needs compatible hardware at both ends.