The concept behind a Bluetooth headset is pretty simple, but if you do not know anything about it may seem like it works magically. Technology has developed over the years to support how a Bluetooth headset functions and Bluetooth is actually many different technologies working together. I am going to take a look at these so you can better understand how your Bluetooth headset works.

The Basics Of Bluetooth And How It Applies To My Bluetooth Headset

Bluetooth is a protocol designed for low power consumption and use within a short range. It uses radio communication so the devices do not have to be in line of site of each other to communicate, however the range is limited based on the class. A class one device has an effective range of 100 meters. A class two is effective within about 10 meters, and a class three is effective within about a meter. Most class two devices can connect up to a class one transceiver at a longer range because of the high sensitivity of the class one device. For the most part, most Bluetooth cell phone headsets are class two devices. Check your individual Bluetooth headset to confirm this.

Bluetooth is used in a variety of applications, particularly in the wireless phone market. The mobile phone headsets allow for control of and communication with a mobile phone. You can also use Bluetooth to network computers, although for the most part Wi-Fi is used for this. I will get into some basic difference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in a minute. Bluetooth is also used for communication between PC peripherals – keyboard, mouse, and printer. This has expanded the Bluetooth market into home video game systems, in particular the incredibly popular Nintendo Wii. The controller is completely based on Bluetooth wireless technology. Playstation 3 also uses Bluetooth but nowhere near to the extent that it is used in the Wii.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have a lot of similar features but are used in different applications. They are the same in that the both use spread spectrum technology, but past that the similarities end. The biggest different is that Wi-Fi provides much higher throughput and covers a much bigger distance, but the equipment used to do this is far more expensive. Both devices use the same frequency range but have a different modulation technique. A good way to compare the two is two view Bluetooth as a wireless USB, and Wi-Fi as a wireless internet.

Hopefully this has given you some insight into how your Bluetooth headset works.