Bluetooth vs Ant+

There tends to be a lot of confusion between BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and ANT+. We aim to provide some clarity on the subject here.  Here are some quick Mythbusters to get started:

ANT+

  • ANT+ is not Bluetooth but does use wireless technology
  • Can connect to multiple devices
    e.g. Connecting/pairing one ANT+ device with another ANT+ tracker allows the tracker to be visible to other nearby devices.
  • The connection tends to be unreliable
  • Limited devices with ANT+
  • Owned and policed by Garmin

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)

  • Devices are invisible when paired
  • Work as a 1 to 1 connection
  • A very wide variety of devices with BLE
  • Specifications freely available on bluetooth.com

 

Some related articles

What is FTMS?

 

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