Bluetooth 5.4 is the infrastructure release of the late 5.x line: periodic advertising with responses (PAwR), encrypted advertising data, the LE GATT Security Levels characteristic and advertising coding selection, features aimed at uses like electronic shelf labels, with no audio codec changed. The specification page lists 5.4 as Adopted with the 2024 amendment note, and the core line has moved on to 6.x. The Xiaomi 14, "Bluetooth 5.4" on its own spec page, is the device record this site carries for the generation.
Figures on this page were checked September 2026. Every table row carries its source and access date.
Version facts
| Item | Value | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|
| Specification status | Adopted, Core Specification (amended) 5.4 | Bluetooth SIG spec page, 2026-09-22 |
| Amendment | Amended 2024-06-11, effective 2024-07-01, per the specification page note | Bluetooth SIG spec page, 2026-09-22 |
| Device on this site | Xiaomi 14, "Bluetooth 5.4" with six codecs listed on its spec page | mi.com 14 spec page, 2026-09-22 |
| Current core line | 6.x: the Xiaomi 15 lists Bluetooth 6.0, the Pixel 10 lists v6 | This site's device records, 2026-09-22 |
What 5.4 introduced
| Feature | Domain | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|
| Periodic advertising with responses (PAwR) | Two-way communication with mass battery devices | Core Specification 5.4 summary of changes, 2026-09-22 |
| Encrypted advertising data | Broadcast privacy and integrity | Core Specification 5.4 summary of changes, 2026-09-22 |
| LE GATT Security Levels characteristic | Security-level reporting | Core Specification 5.4 summary of changes, 2026-09-22 |
| Advertising coding selection | LE Coded PHY control | Core Specification 5.4 summary of changes, 2026-09-22 |
What it means for audio
The 5.4 list is shelf-label infrastructure, not sound: PAwR, encryption and security plumbing for vast fleets of tiny battery devices. Audio machinery in the 5.x line was laid down in 5.2 and untouched since, and the generation's device record shows the independence one more way, the Xiaomi 14 pairs "Bluetooth 5.4" with a six-codec list that is Xiaomi's decision, while its 5.3-radio peers and iPhone counterparts carry entirely different sets.
5.4 closes the family: after it, current flagships quote 6.x radios. Within the whole 5.x run, exactly one release, [5.2](/compatibility/bluetooth-5-2), changed audio's foundations, and the rest were radio, efficiency and infrastructure work, useful context when a spec sheet waves a version number as a sound claim.
FAQ
No codec changed. The 5.4 feature set is infrastructure, PAwR for two-way communication with thousands of battery devices, encrypted advertising, the LE GATT Security Levels characteristic, coding selection for LE Coded. Headphone audio on a 5.4 device negotiates Classic codecs exactly as before.
No. The [Xiaomi 14](/compatibility/xiaomi) runs Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC and LHDC 5.0 listed on its spec page, and that breadth is Xiaomi's codec decision, not a 5.4 feature: iPhones stay within AAC and SBC on their own versions.
Periodic advertising with responses (PAwR), encrypted advertising data, LE GATT security levels mode 1 level 4, and advertising coding selection for the LE Coded PHY. Feature names per the core specification's summary of changes, verified at fact-check.
The 6.x line, already quoted by current flagships: the Xiaomi 15 lists Bluetooth 6.0 and the Pixel 10 lists Bluetooth v6. The 5.x family ends its line here as Adopted, amended specifications.
blafili B3 Bluetooth Receiver
XLR, RCA, optical and coax outputs with an OLED front panel, built on the QCC5125 + ES9018K2M platform. A wired amp or receiver, put on a wireless source.
- Bluetooth SIG, Core Specification (amended) 5.4, Adopted; mandatory specification updates and the 2024-06-11 amendment note verbatim on the page. bluetooth.com/specifications/specs/core-specification-amended-5-4/, accessed 2026-09-22
- Bluetooth SIG, Core Specification 5.4, summary of changes: periodic advertising with responses (PAwR), encrypted advertising data, LE GATT security levels mode 1 level 4, advertising coding selection for LE Coded PHY (feature names verified at fact-check against the specification document). Accessed 2026-09-22
- Xiaomi 14 global spec page: "Bluetooth 5.4, Dual-Bluetooth Supports AAC/AptX/AptX HD/AptX Adaptive/LDAC/LHDC 5.0". mi.com/global/product/xiaomi-14/specs, accessed 2026-09-22