The power of Bluetooth 4.0: It'll change your life | Mobile - CNET News: According to Foley, the big improvements added to Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0 were significant. While the general range of the wireless protocol remains the same (up to 300 feet), version 3.0 enabled a much faster theoretical data throughput of 26Mbps compared with the 2Mbps of version 2.1. That's swift enough says Foley, to handle data intensive tasks like video streaming.
The real benefit of Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficiency. Designed primarily for devices which collect information frequently, either as much as five times a second or just once every hour, the standard is optimized for long battery life. In fact users may see longevity increase by five to ten times depending on individual usage. Mr. Foley went so far to say that a traditional wireless mouse and keyboard using the new protocol could conceivably last for five to seven years before needing a fresh battery -- likely outlasting the life of the product.