Learn about Bluetooth 5.1

Technology is always changing. Bluetooth is one of many technologies to improve. With the latest version, it seems that this technology is taking a step in the right direction. Bluetooth 5.1 has appeared and despite the improvements it offers are not too 'monumental', but they are extremely useful.

Bluetooth 5.1 has improvements that make users feel satisfied, but it can take a long time before most devices on the market apply this technology. While waiting for Bluetooth 5.1 to be widely adopted, take some time to imagine all that can be done with some of the new features of this technology.

What is Bluetooth 5.1?

Bluetooth 5.1 is the latest version of Bluetooth technology, allowing you to exchange data between devices a short distance apart. This is the next development step of the technology used to connect headphones, speakers and other devices.

Remember that even if you have a phone equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 technology, it will be useless if all peripheral devices are not compatible with this latest Bluetooth version.

Features find new directions

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Unlike the previous version, Bluetooth 5.1 offers two methods of finding directions: Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) . This means that Bluetooth 5.1 can determine the device's exact location (the direction in which the signal originates). To do this, the receiver or transmitter needs to have a series of antennas.

Until now, Bluetooth can only guess how far the device is based on signal strength. It's great if this is improved because then the audio device will provide their exact location.

Improved memory buffer GATT

When a client device starts the connection process, it will see what the host device can support. The difference of Bluetooth 5.1 is that instead of waiting for the server to tell the client what it needs, the client device can actively 'ask'.

If something changes, the client device needs to perform a new 'discovery' service. If everything stays the same, the new service discovery section will be ignored and allow the connection process to take place faster. Bluetooth 5.1 also allows for faster connection and saves power thanks to GATT cache improvements (Generic Attribute Profile).

Devices will "advertise" themselves ready to connect

It's a waste of time trying to connect to a device that's not ready. Because you don't know when you can connect to that device, you only have to try it continuously. Bluetooth 5.1 has a new feature called Randomized Advertising Channel Indexing .

This new feature allows Bluetooth devices to notify when it is ready to connect. Thanks to this feature, you can save battery power because your device will know exactly when the other device is ready to connect.

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With Bluetooth 5.1, even low-power devices benefit, because the latest Bluetooth version also comes with the Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer feature . This means that the smartphone can get the ready-to-connect notification schedule on the TV in the form of SyncInfo and send it to a low-power consumer device that cannot process this information periodically.

Unlike Bluetooth 5.0, which requires devices to go with a specific packet data, Bluetooth 5.1 allows devices to select channels randomly. This new feature is very useful, when you are in an area where many devices notice that they are ready to connect.

Bluetooth 5.1 may not be a big leap, but it comes with the necessary improvements. Are you satisfied with the new changes? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!