Bluetooth vs wireless mouse: what differences do they have and which one is better?

You may have once wondered what these two technologies are and which is best of them; comparing is a very common thought. However, is there really one that is better? Today we will see a direct comparison between Bluetooth vs Wireless to reveal the final answer and some recommendations.

Index of contents

Bluetooth vs Wireless

First of all, we have to make a clarification: we know that Bluetooth technology is also wireless. Do not worry.

When we talk about wireless technology, we refer to that method of linking between devices using a single or special antenna. These types of links are made 1 to 1 (often) and need specific drivers and hardware .

For example, HyperX Cloud Flight connects to the PC using an antenna since these wireless headphones are attached to it. If we disconnect the USB antenna, we will lose the signal and we will not have any other way to connect without having to resort to cables.

Well, as the market is today, it is a question that you have surely asked yourself. Even more so when we consider that many of the main brands are investing in the research and development of wireless devices. For example, large companies like Razer, SteelSeries or Logitech already have a fleet of wireless devices and there are even some devices that can use both technologies.

Although they are not two opposite technologies, they do have nuclear differences, so we are going to do a little research on them. We will start with Bluetooth , since it is surely the one that we all have more closely in our minds.

Bluetooth technology

Bluetooth is an industrial specification for different types of wireless networks under the WPAN standard (Personal Area Wireless Networks, in Spanish). It works over short distances (<10m for optimal transfer speed) and works at frequencies around 2.4GHz.

The three points that this technology tries to solve are:

1. Facilitate communications between portable computers Allow technology to be as wireless as possible Allow small wireless networks to simplify data synchronization between devices.

This technology is under the tutelage of Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Inc., a non-profit association founded back in 1998. With more than 30, 000 affiliated companies, this group develops and directs the path that Bluetooth will take in the world of computing and the technology. It is curious to know that to use this technology you must belong to the association, which is why it is so numerous.

Throughout its more than 20 years of history, Bluetooth has gone through numerous updates and, today, its most renewed version is 5.1 . However, the standard is still Bluetooth 4.0 , but how could it be otherwise, this technology is backward compatible.

Among the things that Bluetooth 5.1 offers us is:

• Large radius of use Good data transfer speed Increased bandwidth Low power connection Location systems between devices

As you can see, it is a fairly complete technology and it helps us to gradually develop the world without cables that we can see in fiction stories. However, despite being a standard, it is not the only way to connect two devices wirelessly.

Next we will see a little the other side of the coin and what advantages and disadvantages it has.

Wireless Technology

As we have already told you, when we talk about wireless technology we are referring to the one that devices use to connect.

This technology does not have any standard, so each company uses its own solution. Therefore, we do not have a specific date to determine it as its birth, but we could date it to the 90s and 2000s.

During these early days of technology, wireless devices began to be commercialized for the public. Among them, some of the devices used this technology to establish a connection, although they were very rudimentary and much more primitive versions .

Like Bluetooth , wireless technology uses 2.4GHz radio frequencies to connect to devices. However, it is used in a different way and is used for certain specific devices. Depending on the device, it uses the standard that we know today as Wi-Fi 4 or Wi-Fi 5 and in some cases the IEEE 802.11g.

This connection is fast, fairly secure, and is known for offering a transfer with few errors and interference. In addition, it can offer us a radius of use of around 10m, a quite acceptable number.

Bluetooth vs Wireless: differences between technologies

The differences between these two methods of connecting devices are not too many, but they are quite relevant.

Next we will see the two most important characteristics of them.

Connection between devices

When we talk about connection between devices, it is evident which one is better. In absolute terms, Bluetooth is capable of connecting to many more devices (although not always at the same time) .

Because the Bluetooth standard is shared by many electronic devices, we can connect to countless things. Things as obvious as connecting two smartphones or even stranger like connecting the mouse to the mobile or tablet. The strong point of Bluetooth technology is, of course, its great flexibility and compatibility with different platforms.

On the other hand, wireless technology is designed to be compatible only with a certain type of specific device. Sometimes with a specific USB antenna, sometimes with a specific frequency… This limits us a lot and if we lose that antenna it is possible that the device will be totally unusable.

It is true that it is a latent danger and quite bad, but in return it gives us other key advantages that make it a very interesting alternative.

performance

Although the two use radio frequencies at 2.4GHz , approximately, the results are very different.

For its part, Bluetooth wants to offer its users the following points:

• Be backward compatible with previous versions Have a generous radius of action Be multipurpose in terms of actions (data transfer, music playback, calls in real time…) Be simple to use and somewhat customizable

In the case of wireless technology, what we are looking for is usually an immutable connection between two specific devices. We will not be able to connect between extra devices, but we will benefit from the connection being much more focused on being agile and efficient. These advantages are what make it one of the main methods when creating quality wireless devices.

As we have mentioned, with the wireless we hardly have any loss of data, the transfer is very agile and there is little interference. That is why gaming devices do not usually carry Bluetooth , but common wireless technology.

In fact, for you to see the point of development of this technology, for a few years now marketing has been played with stylish phrases: "equal to or faster than cable".

Is there really a Bluetooth vs Wireless ?

We've been talking a little bit about the Bluetooth vs. Wireless battle , but does it make sense to talk about this?

We are used to comparing technologies and peripherals of all kinds, but we do not realize that it is not always justified. In some cases it is Nvidia or AMD, the GTX 1060 or the GTX 1660 or even wired vs. wireless. However, neither the Bluetooth nor the wireless technology that we discussed are opposite ideas.

The compatibility can be seen easily in various devices of different brands that offer us the two technologies. For example, the Logitech G603 gaming mouse gives us both possibilities, which makes it a quite off-road device.

Knowing this, you may think that everything you have read makes little sense. Not in vain, knowing more about the things we use and how they work is always something to be grateful for.

Now you know that if you are looking for a mouse that works for you in almost any environment, Bluetooth is a good decision. You can connect it to the computer, the tablet or even the mobile, if it is compatible.

On the other hand, if you want to have a faithful and agile connection, common wireless technology is a much better solution. It will give you the benefits of lacking cables along with the precision and quality of any quality peripheral. However, since there is no standard, it is subject to each company using different protocols and methods and we do not know if what they sell us is marketing or real improvement.

Of course, remember that these two technologies are usually powered by a battery or batteries, so be careful with the weight of your mice. If it is too high it could cause wrist pain or worse.

Mouse Recommendations

Below we will make a recommendation for each type of mouse that we think is of good quality. Obviously, there are four combinations, but we are not going to make you one of a mouse that does not have either technology.

Bluetooth mouse

For Bluetooth mouse we have to highlight the Logitech M720 TRIATHLON .

It was no surprise that Logitech appeared somewhere in the article. After all, it's a company that has spent quite a bit of time developing wireless technology since its inception. In this case, the mouse that we recommend uses Bluetooth technology to connect to up to 3 devices at the same time.

The grace of this is that we can exchange on which device we use the mouse with just one click and we can copy content between sources. That is, we can connect the mouse to two computers, copy text from the first, change and copy the text on the second computer.

As you can see, it is a very versatile device that can help you work more efficiently. Other things to note is that the wheel can be disengaged to roll much faster and that the mouse runs on one AA battery. According to Logitech it lasts up to 24 months on a single battery.

We do not recommend playing with this or other Bluetooth- based devices, as the loss of precision and performance is noticeable. But for everything else it's a 10 mouse.

Logitech M720 Triathlon Wireless Mouse, Multi-Device, 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth Unifying Receiver, 1000 DPI, 8 Buttons, 24 Month Battery, Laptop / PC / Mac / iPad OS, Black € 49.99

Wireless mouse

In the section of mouse with wireless technology we have the Razer Mamba Wireless.

Updates on Razer mice are not uncommon, as the brand gets used to, over the years, release improved versions of their devices. The Razer Mamba is a fairly balanced mouse, but with the brand's new optical sensors, going wireless was a natural thing.

It weighs around 105 g and has the characteristic of lasting around 50 hours of use. As it could not be otherwise, Razer assures us a response speed of 1 ms, which makes it perfect for gaming.

It is a mouse specially designed for right-handers and the best grip we can recommend is the palm-grip. Its dimensions are somewhat generous, so it is designed for large hands. We can rest our hand on the mouse and easily grab the device thanks to its large side grips.

However, we have to emphasize that we will not have RGB lighting. It is not a big loss, but it can be decisive for some users. Right now we can get it for around € 60 on Amazon , a fairly acceptable price.

Razer Mamba Wireless - 16, 000 dpi Optical Sensor Mouse, 7 Programmable Buttons, Mechanical Switches, Battery Life of up to 50 Hours Ergonomics with Enhanced Side Grips for Gaming for Hours in Comfort 83, 99 EUR

Mixed mouse

For mixed mouse we have taken a device that uses both technologies. We have already mentioned it above in the article and it is the Logitech G603 .

The Logitech G603 is a gaming mouse designed to serve both video games and other things. It is a device armed with functionalities and that works with AAA batteries . In addition, it is capable of running on just one battery and will last several weeks of use, even if it is daily and exhaustive.

It is shaped like its predecessor, the Logitech G403 , making it a recommended mouse for claw-grip and fingertip-grip.

We have the characteristic of connecting it through a common wireless connection or through Bluetooth and both work as we have been discussing. In addition, with a simple switch on the base we will control whether the mouse works by one technology or another and with another we can change the polling rate.

It is a quite complete and very off-road mouse. Plus, it's not particularly expensive, making it an excellent decision to pack in your backpack for work and occasionally video game play.

Logitech G603 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse, Bluetooth or 2.4GHz with USB Receiver, Hero Sensor, 12000 dpi, 6 Programmable Buttons, Integrated Memory, PC / Mac - Black EUR 48.44

Final words on Bluetooth vs Wireless

The conclusion that we can offer you about Bluetooth vs Wireless has been fairly well stated throughout the various points.

Both technologies are not contrary, so technically there is no one better than another. Each one will search for one of the technologies or both depending on the characteristics they want for their daily tasks.

For everything that requires precision and agility, wireless technology is much better. There are several articles and videos that investigate why one is more agile than the other and the results. For example, we share this video from Linus Tech Tips:

These wireless mice can be used for gaming or even graphic design, although for the latter we recommend better drawing tablets.

On the other hand, if you want more adaptable devices to the different problems that you may encounter, Bluetooth is the best choice.

In addition, due to the use and specifications that we give to these devices, they normally consume less energy. So with the same amount of mAh or batteries, the life expectancies of these devices are usually higher.

Be that as it may, now the ball is on your roof and the decision rests with you. Do you prefer one technology over another? Why? Share your ideas below!

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