4 key differences between Classic Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Energy devices
You have hearing these buzzwords “Bluetooth Classic”, “Bluetooth Smart”, “Bluetooth Smart Energy”, “Bluetooth LE”, “Bluetooth 4.0” & “Bluetooth Low Energy” for a long time.After understanding the
href=”https://www.plugintoiot.com/bluetoothclassic-vs-bluetoothlowenergy/”>differences between classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy,its time to see what is fundamentally different between Classic bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Energy.

1Bluetooth 4.0 vs Classic Bluetooth : Lets start at the very beginning
At first, there was just Classic Bluetooth. Then, the Bluetooth 4.0 specification came along, heralding the world of BLE aka Bluetooth LE aka Bluetooth Low Energy. Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart devices correspond to devices built around the Bluetooth 4.0 specification.

2What’s different between Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready Devices
In a classic master-slave analogy, Bluetooth Smart Ready devices act as the “master” device that typically receives and adds meaning to the data it receives. Bluetooth Smart devices are typically devices that collect some useful sensor data (in a IOT scenario) and transmit it back to the “master” Bluetooth Smart Ready Device
For example, if you have a smart watch, it is likely to be a Bluetooth Smart Ready device that acts as the master device. The fitness band is likely to be one of the Bluetooth Smart devices that transmit important sensor data to the Bluetooth Smart ready smartwatch
3Bluetooth Smart Vs Bluetooth Smart Ready : Communication with Bluetooth Classic devices
Apart from being the “master” in the relationship, Bluetooth Smart Ready devices also have the ability to communicate with “Classic” Bluetooth devices, unlike Bluetooth Smart devices. Classic Bluetooth still have their advantages in headphones and other continuously streaming products. By communicating with both “newer” Bluetooth Smart devices and “Classic” Bluetooth devices, Bluetooth Smart Ready act as the ultimate master!
4Bluetooth Smart devices can operate in a master-slave relationship as well
Just to confuse you further (or clarify things further), Bluetooth Smart devices can themselves operate in a master-slave mode. But there is only one master to rule them all, and that’s the Bluetooth Smart Ready device. In today’s world, the Bluetooth Smart Ready device is like to be a smartphone, a laptop computer or perhaps in a complicated industrial IOT scenario, even a server.
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