Power Consumptionīeing a low-bandwidth communication standard, BLE requires small power consumption due to the possibility of transmitting huge amounts of data in small data chunks.
Even though extension options allow additional hubs, the entire network can become vulnerable which can cause adverse impacts on IoT projects.
In the case of WiFi, it can transfer data at a range of 100 meters and this figure can be extended as well due to additional access points and signal extenders. It means in case of failure, with the help of a mesh network there will be defined another node capable of data transmission which makes the range extended up to 1000 meters. However, mesh networks allow the creation of large-scale networks so that there is the usage of more relay nodes that can be substituted in case one node fails. For example, while Class 1 devices can transfer the Bluetooth radio signals up to a maximum range of 100 meters, the average range of consumer Bluetooth devices is 10 meters. In terms of Bluetooth, different modules determine the transmission range. The transmission distance of wireless communication between sensors/devices is defined by the type of the product, the presence of obstacles, and additional extensions. If you compare Bluetooth Classic and BLE, the last one can transfer data at a rate of approximately 100-250 KBps which is 2-3 times slower. Bluetooth bandwidth is around 1Mbps, that’s why it is capable of transferring small chunks of data in contrast to WiFi which can send data with a range of 1,3 Gbps. SpeedĬompared to BLE, WiFi technology is the winner if it concerns the speed of data transmission. To help you select the best technology for your IoT product, we will point out the critical technical aspects worth considering before choosing a connectivity option for your solution. WiFi has several standards that come with various pros/cons related to data speed and cost and a couple of WiFi standards are specifically developed for IoT.īluetooth vs. On the other hand, WiFi consumes a lot of power and doesn’t have a lot of range. WiFi is a wireless technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standard enabling the communication of the radio signals between wireless routers and access points.Ĭompared to other wireless technologies like cellular, for instance, WiFi transmits data at much higher frequencies – 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Therefore, low power consumption makes it impossible to exchange data over a wide communication range (up to 33 feet). However, Bluetooth does not support high data transfer speed. The technology is geared at creating personal area networks (PANs) allowing to connect wireless devices consuming less power in comparison with WiFi technology. What Is Bluetooth?īluetooth is a wireless technology that can transfer data between connected devices within short distances using ultra-high-frequency radio waves (UHF). The selection depends on business requirements, technical criteria, and IoT network type. In this article, we are going to talk about the two most widespread options of connectivity for IoT product development in the consumer sector: WiFi and Bluetooth. Wireless communication technologies have also been developed making the choice for businesses difficult. Cloud computing adoption, enhancement of connectivity capabilities, development of data analytics tools, and the invention of low-cost devices accelerated the adoption of IoT across industries. Having paved its development journey, IoT has conquered the attention of business leaders worldwide, growing significantly in the past decade. The term Internet of Things has been known since 1999 and was coined by consumer sensor expert Kevin Ashton. WiFi for Your IoT Project: What Technology to Choose?