What is Bluetooth 5?

Via Bluetooth, you can connect to other Bluetooth devices, such as speakers or smartphones. Once you're connected, you can play music or send photos. In short: Bluetooth is a way of making a wireless connection with other Bluetooth devices and transferring files between them. But what is the advantage of Bluetooth 5?

Bluetooth 5 is twice as fast as its predecessor, Bluetooth 4.2. This way, a Bluetooth device can connect to other Bluetooth devices 5 times faster. If you send a photo via Bluetooth 5, it will arrive twice as fast compared to the older Bluetooth version. Are you playing music via a Bluetooth speaker? You'll primarily notice that you'll barely have a delay.

With the older Bluetooth versions, you have a range of about 10 meters. If you play music from your phone via a Bluetooth speaker, you'll notice your music will start to stutter if you walk to another room. If you walk even further, the connection will be lost. With Bluetooth 5, you'll have a far larger range: about 40 meters. Is your phone indoors and is your speaker far away in the garden? That's not a problem with Bluetooth 5.

If Bluetooth 4.2 is a 2-lane highway with a speed limit of 65km/h, Bluetooth 5 is a 4-lane highway with a speed limit of 130km/h. Bluetooth 5 is faster and has a higher capacity. The main advantage is that you'll be able to play music via 2 Bluetooth speakers instead of 1, which was the limit for older Bluetooth versions. This way, you can play your music in multiple rooms.