Evolution of Bluetooth Through the Years

Before we get into the specifics of the more current Bluetooth versions, here’s a little Bluetooth history:.....

Mobile CTO Nils Rydbeck initiated the development of Bluetooth technology in 1989. Years later, in 1994, engineer and researcher Jaap Haartsen eventually standardized the first Bluetooth version.

The name “Bluetooth” originated from King Harald “Blåtand” Gormsson, a Danish ruler, because of a single rotting tooth in his mouth that was bluish-gray. According to the founders of Bluetooth SIG, the name was supposed to be temporary until the team could think of something “cooler.”

(fact was very interesting....🤠 but it's true)

Bluetooth allows devices to communicate wirelessly. And while this primary function has remained the same, the technology has witnessed many enhancements. Bluetooth 5.0 alone has three new versions that were launched between 2019 and 2021!

For this reason, keeping track of what each Bluetooth version brings can be challenging, especially when looking to upgrade your device.

Compatibility

As mentioned earlier, Bluetooth 5 is backward-compatible with lower Bluetooth versions, meaning you can easily use Bluetooth 4.2 headphones with a 5.0 phone. The downside is that you can only fully utilize the Bluetooth features of the device with the lower version.

Similarly, you can only use Bluetooth 5 features if both devices run that version.

" An example of these features is Dual Audio. It allows you to connect two pairs of headphones to a single phone or play music from one phone on two different speakers. Unfortunately, Dual Audio is limited to Bluetooth 5 devices. As such, you can’t use this feature when paired with a Bluetooth 4.2 device. "