Notably, Apple’s AirPods don’t use Bluetooth 5.0. Many more types of devices will be able to communicate over Bluetooth Low Energy in the future. With Bluetooth 5.0, all audio devices communicate over Bluetooth Low Energy, which means reduced power usage and longer battery life. RELATED: Wireless Earbuds Used to Suck, But They're Good Nowįor example, wireless headphones couldn’t communicate over Bluetooth Low Energy, so they had to use the more power-hungry Bluetooth classic standard instead. It was originally used for wearables, beacons, Bluetooth trackers, and other low-power devices, but had some serious restrictions. Bluetooth Low Energy is designed to reduce the energy usage of Bluetooth peripherals. Importantly, all the improvements being made to Bluetooth are to Bluetooth Low Energy specification, which was introduced back with Bluetooth 4.0, and not to the classic Bluetooth radio that uses more power. Bluetooth Low Energy for Wireless Headphones (and More) And, when you buy new Bluetooth 5.0-enabled peripherals, they’ll work better thanks to your Bluetooth 5.0 phone. Bluetooth is backwards compatible, however, so you can continue using your existing Bluetooth 4.2 and older devices with a Bluetooth 5.0 phone. In other words, you won’t see any immediate benefit from upgrading to a phone with Bluetooth 5.0 if all your Bluetooth accessories were designed for an older version of Bluetooth. RELATED: How to Pair a Bluetooth Device to Your Computer, Tablet, or PhoneĪ new version of the Bluetooth standard means various improvements, but only when used with compatible peripherals.

Bluetooth is also used for communication between various smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It’s commonly used for wireless headphones and other audio hardware, as well as wireless keyboards, mice, speakers, trackers, and game controllers. Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard.

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