Bluetooth is a wireless connection technology that unites products all over the world. Whether your realise or not, it’s become massively important in how devices communicate with each other on a daily basis.
You’ve likely used the technology, whether it’s to connect earbuds to your phone or to play applications like Spotify from a device to a pair of speakers, or even connect wireless to your in-car entertainment system.
We’ll explain what Bluetooth actually is, how it works, and whether you can trust the connection.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that shares data over short distances, allowing devices to communicate with each other.
For example, you can connect your AirPods to your iPhone, or your gaming headset to a laptop, and in doing so it eliminates the need for a wired connection while maintaining a stable and secure link.
When was Bluetooth invented?
Bluetooth’s roots can be traced back to 1989, where Ericsson’s Mobile Terminal Division was working on short-range radio connections. After polishing the technology, the name ‘Bluetooth’ was suggested by Intel engineer Jim Kardach in 1997, paying reference to 10th-century Danish king Harold ‘Bluetooth’ Gormsson, who was known for both his role as king and his dead tooth, which was said to be blueish in colour.
The name was intended to be a placeholder but was never changed.
How does Bluetooth work?
Bluetooth devices use radio waves to share data over short distances. The standard uses a 2.4GHz frequency to connect and can work up to 33-feet, enough to connect a printer to a laptop in another room without depending on wires.
Bluetooth has been developed to rely on less power than Wi-Fi and it’s relatively less expensive to implement than Wi-Fi as well. Not only does it use less power, it is also less likely to interfere with other wireless devices on the same 2.4GHz radio frequency.
There are different specifications of Bluetooth which we will touch on later, with the newer ones consuming less and less energy, extending the range of devices, resulting in a technology that has become more efficient and better over time.
Why do I need to pair Bluetooth devices?
Now that we know what Bluetooth is and how it functions, why do we need to pair our devices together before they can be used? Pairing devices, such as earbuds and phones, acts as a form of registration for devices.
Think of pairing devices as similar to someone giving you their email; both your email address exists before you exchange them but you can’t send an email until your device has the correct information.
However, in order to ‘pair’ you do need to be close to the other device, otherwise you may find yourself connecting to a completely different device altogether.
Once the two devices are paired together, both devices retain the necessary information for them to reconnect, which is why you only need to pair your devices once.
For example, if you take a pair of earbuds from out its case, it’ll pair with the last device it connected to because it stores a list of devices it has connected – almost like a history or a list of contacts.
Are there different types of Bluetooth?
Bluetooth was originally developed by Ericsson Mobile in 1989, but the first standardised version came from Jaap Haartsen, an engineer and researcher at Ericsson Mobile in 1994.
Since 1994, more Bluetooth standards have been introduced that have enhanced the technology’s capability and made it better for consumers. You can check out the timeline of Bluetooth below:
- Bluetooth 1.0 (1999)
- Bluetooth 2.0-2.1 (2005)
- Bluetooth 3 (2009)
- Bluetooth 4.0-4.2 (2010)
- Bluetooth 5.0 and onwards (2016)
Bluetooth 5 is the latest version, which you can read more about in our Bluetooth 5 explainer. But this is what it can do:
- Bluetooth 5 devices can utilise data transfer speeds of up to 2Mbps, double that of 4.2
- Devices can communicate up to distances of 800 feet
- Better detection of Wi-Fi and LTE connections
- Improved battery life
- A more stable connection over longer distances
Can I connect to multiple Bluetooth devices at once?
Bluetooth isn’t restricted to connecting to just one device. With each iteration of the Bluetooth standards, it’s added more features. Bluetooth 5 heralded the ability of connecting to more than one device simultaneously. This is referred to as Bluetooth multipoint.
At this moment, you can connect to two devices at once, and your accessory will switch between the two depending on which one is active. You could, for instance, have your headphones connected to a computer or smartphone, and if you receive a call, the headphones will prioritise the call and make it the active device.
There are some devices capable of connecting to more than two devices. Technics’ headphones such as the AZ100 are capable of connecting to three devices, although a few settings need to be changed in order to enable this function.
Does Bluetooth work in Airplane mode?
While enabling Airplane mode on your mobile device is intended to cut off all radio frequencies/wireless communications in case they intefere with that of the plane, Bluetooth does work on an airplane if you manually enable it.
We’d recommend that you have your device connected to your mobile device before you switch Airplane mode, otherwise you’ll have to re-enable Bluetooth once Flight mode is on. Some airlines recommend that you don’t enable Bluetooth during take-off and landing, and we’d say that you should adhere to this policy.
Are Bluetooth connections secure?
If you’re concerned about how secure your Bluetooth connection is, it’s important to note that Bluetooth is encrypted, which should prevent eavesdropping from other local devices.
The fact most devices require you to pair your devices also makes Bluetooth secure, since it means nearby devices cannot automatically tune in to your phone or laptop without your permission. If you do not recognise a device, you shouldn’t enable a connection just like you shouldn’t answer a call if the number looks suspicious.
However, using Bluetooth is not an entirely risk-free process, with hackers coming up with malicious attacks that do use Bluetooth networking, the majority of consumers are not opening themselves to massive security risks. As long as you’re not using a Bluetooth connection to transmit sensitive data, you should be fine.
