Bluetooth 5.0
Understanding Bluetooth 5.0
The three PHY options allow applications to optimize for their needs: 2M PHY halves on-air time (lower power per byte, higher throughput), 1M PHY maintains backward compatibility, and Coded PHY extends range for sensors deployed in large facilities. Extended advertising offloads data to secondary channels, reducing primary channel congestion.
Advertising sets let a device advertise with multiple identities or configurations simultaneously: one set for beaconing, another for connectable advertising, each with independent parameters. Slot availability masks improve coexistence with other 2.4 GHz technologies.
Range: 4× (Coded S=8, −103 dBm sens)
Adv payload: 255 bytes vs 31 bytes
TX power: +20 dBm max vs +10 dBm
CSA: #2 (better uniformity)
Bluetooth Version Comparison
| Feature | 4.2 | 5.0 |
|---|---|---|
| PHY options | 1M only | 1M, 2M, Coded |
| Max throughput | ~800 kbps | ~1.4 Mbps |
| Adv payload | 31 bytes | 255 bytes |
| Range (LOS) | ~100 m | ~400 m (Coded) |
| Advertising sets | 1 | Multiple |
Frequently Asked Questions
Key improvements?
2M PHY (2× speed), Coded PHY (4× range), 255 B advertising, advertising sets, +20 dBm TX, CSA #2.
Backward compatible?
Yes. Falls back to 1M PHY with 4.x devices. New features only when both sides support 5.0.
BLE 5.0 vs Wi-Fi?
BLE: low power (μA avg), low-medium data. Wi-Fi: high throughput, mA power. Coded PHY range (400 m) now overlaps Wi-Fi HaLow.