Core Differences and Technical Characteristics Comparison between Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth 6.0

1. Positioning and ranging capabilities
Bluetooth 6.0:
Added Channel Sounding function, achieving bidirectional ranging through Phase Based Ranging (PBR) and Round Trip Time (RTT), supporting centimeter level accuracy and long-range positioning (theoretically up to 150 meters). This technology combines multiple antenna paths (up to four) to significantly reduce multipath interference, and supports the combination with angle of arrival (AoA)/angle of departure (AoD) technology to improve the accuracy of indoor positioning and asset tracking.
Security: Built in encryption connection, distributed random bit generator (DRBG) and other mechanisms to prevent man in the middle attacks and signal deception.
Bluetooth 5.4:

Relying on received signal strength (RSSI) for rough ranging has low accuracy and is susceptible to environmental interference. It is mainly used for short-range positioning (such as within 10 meters).

2. Data transmission and efficiency
Bluetooth 6.0:
Frame interval update: allows dynamic adjustment of packet transmission interval to optimize throughput (such as batch data transmission or firmware upgrade).
ISOAL enhancement: reduces the delay of framed PDUs and improves the smoothness of audio/video transmission.
Decision based advertising filtering: By filtering primary/secondary channel data, scanning time is reduced and power consumption is lowered by 26.
Bluetooth 5.4:
LE Audio and LC3 encoding and decoding: supports low bit rate and high-quality audio transmission, optimizes multi device connections and low-power scenarios.
Regular advertising optimization: improving the network connection stability of IoT devices

3. Power consumption and compatibility
Bluetooth 6.0:
Added advertising monitoring function to track in real-time whether the device is within range, reducing the energy consumption of ineffective scanning.
New hardware support is required and cannot be achieved through software upgrades. The first batch of devices is expected to be launched after 2025.
Bluetooth 5.4:
Further optimize power management, with lower power consumption than 5.3, suitable for consumer devices such as headphones and wristbands.
Strong downward compatibility, existing devices can partially support new features through firmware updates.

4. Application scenarios
Bluetooth 6.0:
High precision positioning: such as smart keys (secure unlocking), asset tracking (pets/luggage), industrial automation.
Complex environmental data transmission: such as medical equipment and industrial sensors.
Bluetooth 5.4:
Audio scene: Supports lossless audio transmission (such as LE Audio) and low latency gaming mode (below 45ms).
Daily connectivity: headphones, smart homes, fitness equipment, etc.

5. Summary and selection suggestions
Bluetooth 6.0 is suitable for scenarios that require precise positioning, secure authentication, or high throughput, but it needs to wait for the popularization of new hardware.
Bluetooth 5.4 is currently more practical, especially in the fields of audio devices and low-power IoT, with multiple mature products available.