Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), also known as Bluetooth Smart, is a wireless personal area network protocol designed for ultra-low power consumption, enabling battery-operated devices to maintain functionality for extended periods, often months to years.[1][2] Introduced as part of the Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0 in June 2010 by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), BLE diverges from classic Bluetooth by prioritizing energy efficiency over high data throughput, utilizing a simplified protocol stack and advertising-based discovery mechanism.[3][4] Developed from Nokia's earlier Wibree technology announced in 2006, BLE was integrated into the Bluetooth standard to address the growing demand for low-power connectivity in embedded systems and sensors.[5] Key features include operation in the 2.4 GHz ISM band with 40 leap-sized channels to mitigate interference, support for both connection-oriented and connectionless data transfer, and adaptive power control to further reduce consumption.[2][6] BLE has become foundational for the Internet of Things (IoT), powering applications in fitness trackers, smart home devices, medical sensors, and proximity beacons, with its low latency and scalability enabling widespread adoption in consumer and industrial contexts.[7][8] Subsequent evolutions, such as enhanced data length and coded PHY in later specifications, have improved range and reliability while preserving core low-energy principles.[9]