(Bluetooth
Low
Energy) The low-power transmission technology introduced in Bluetooth 4. Bluetooth LE was originally the Wibree technology from Nokia, which was renamed Bluetooth Ultra Low Power (ULP) in 2007 and Bluetooth LE (BLE) in 2009.
Using watch batteries, Bluetooth LE devices can operate for months or years before requiring replacement. Operating in the 2.4GHz frequency band, Bluetooth LE supports peer-to-peer and star topologies. See
ANT.
"Smart" Is Low - "Smart Ready" Is Low and High
Products with the "Smart only" branding are Bluetooth LE. "Smart Ready" devices support both classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE.
Bluetooth LE Audio
Until 2020, the primary audio codec in Bluetooth has been the subband codec (see
SBC). Bluetooth LE Audio introduced the Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3) that promises better quality using less energy. As a result, products such as hearing aids can use smaller batteries.
Bluetooth LE Audio also adds broadcasting, which allows users to share their music with one or more people. See
Bluetooth versions.