Bluetooth 5.3 vs. 5.4: What is the difference?

Much like how the USB standard has evolved over its lifespan, Bluetooth has also undergone significant changes through different versions. For example, moving from Bluetooth 4.2 to Bluetooth 5.0 doubled device speeds, quadrupled active range, and increased enhanced data rate (EDR) from 3 Mbps to 50 Mbps. Bluetooth 6.0 is already used in devices like the Google Pixel 11, but most users still own phones with older versions of the technology. Since improvements differ between generations, what exactly is the difference between Bluetooth 5.3 and 5.4, and do you really need Bluetooth 5.4 on your device?

The Bluetooth 5.4 update focuses on improvements for commercial and professional uses. It introduces four new features that make Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) devices more secure and enable more efficient communication between a central hub and thousands of receiving devices. For the average consumer with a phone, laptop, or tablet, there is no real difference between Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth 5.4. Both standards transfer data at rates of up to 2 Mbps for LE devices like wireless headphones and up to 50 Mbps with EDR. Both iterations of the standard also have the same maximum range of 800 feet.

Bluetooth 5.4 is still a huge improvement over Bluetooth 5.0. However, this is mainly due to earlier updates like version 5.3. The next major update for your smartphone or laptop is Bluetooth 6.0, which reduces latency, makes device pairing easier, and adds precise universal tracking for devices without the need for ultra-wideband (UWB) chips.

Bluetooth 5.4 introduced four new features that all improve various aspects of home systems and large-scale retail. The first of these features is Periodic Advertising with Responses (PAwR), which affects how data is transferred between a host device and many Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) receivers, such as when updating hundreds or thousands of e-tags simultaneously. Before PAwR, communication was one-way; a host could send changes, but receivers couldn’t send data back to check if things had been updated. PAwR allows for efficient bidirectional input, where each receiver can send back a response informing the host that it has successfully received the data.

Other features include Encrypted Advertising Data (EAD) and a new GATT security level feature, both of which target security. EAD encrypts advertising data sent to LE devices so that it cannot be intercepted, while the LE GATT security level feature allows devices to indicate the required security level before establishing a Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) connection (the Bluetooth protocol that LE devices typically use). Finally, there is an Ad Encoding Select feature that allows the host to configure one of two long-range encoding options for use with Extended Advertising, a feature that allows LE devices to transmit large amounts of data over longer distances without requiring a point-to-point connection.

Although there is no real difference between Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth 5.4 for most users, it is useful to know which version your device is using, especially if you purchased a new device recently, as it is possible that it has the much better Bluetooth 6.0.

You can check which version of Bluetooth your Windows computer or laptop is running by right-clicking the button To start menu and opening device Manager. Here, click on the arrow next to Bluetooth to open a drop-down list of various Bluetooth devices. The name of your primary adapter differs by manufacturer, but look for words like “adapter” or the brand name, such as “Intel” or “Realtek.” Also ignore any devices with “Enumerator” in the name. Right-click the appropriate device, select Propertiesand then Advance. Here you will find an LMP (Link Manager Protocol) number under Bluetooth Radio Information. LMP 12 means you are using Bluetooth 5.3, LMP 13 is Bluetooth 5.4 and LMP 14 is Bluetooth 6.0.

To check the Bluetooth version on your MacBook, click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen, then choose About this Mac and select More information. Scroll down and click System report. In the left sidebar, click Material to expand a drop-down list and select Bluetooth. This will display the Bluetooth version. For other phones and tablets running Android, iOS, or iPadOS, there is no way to check the Bluetooth version natively. For these, refer to the manufacturer’s specifications online.