Networking capability and network scale Mesh devices have the ability to network and can adapt to the needs of large-scale control. They can reach up to thousands of control scenarios, while the experience of using Wi-Fi with a router connected to more than a dozen devices is poor, and mobile phones and computers cannot access the internet normally.
Control methods BLE mesh can be controlled by a mobile phone's Bluetooth without a router, while Wi-Fi devices must go through a router to control Wi-Fi smart devices.
Power consumption BLE mesh devices have lower power consumption, normally around 6.5mA, and can reach uA-level current during sleep mode.
Module price The price of Bluetooth ICs is much lower than that of Wi-Fi ICs, making the cost of modules lower.

II. Differences between BLE mesh and Zigbee technology

Essential differences: BLE mesh technology is a short-range communication technology derived from the development of smartphones. Based on BLE technology, the control between mobile phones and smart devices can be more convenient. At the same time, with the help of APP and cloud computing technology, it can achieve distance sensing, touchless triggering, and location navigation functions that Zigbee technology cannot achieve. Meanwhile, BLE mesh technology can also achieve the networking control and sensor information collection functions supported by Zigbee. Zigbee technology is a product of the industrial automation era, and electronic and electrical device networks designed and constructed based on Zigbee technology. It was initially used for industrial control and later introduced into the smart home industry.
Communication path methods BLE mesh uses a broadcast method for control, and all nodes in the network will forward the data, ensuring that there are multiple paths for the data to reach the target node. At the same time, the limitations of forwarding times and other network layer restrictions will ensure that network storms do not occur, and messages can be quickly delivered and extinguished. Zigbee uses a routing method. When the routing node in the network fails, the link fails, and it relies on pure broadcast mode to rebuild the routing path and then issue control commands. The maintenance of routing consumes a lot of resources, which is also the reason why the actual number of nodes in the Zigbee network is less than that of BLE mesh.
Network scale In theory, BLE mesh can reach up to 32,768 sub-devices. Currently, it has been tested and applied with more than 500-3,000 sub-devices, while Zigbee is limited by network resources, and currently, only 100-200 devices can be reached in the experimental environment of Silicon Labs chips.
Intelligent linkage BLE mesh is a networking technology developed based on BLE 4.2 technology, which means it can communicate with ordinary BLE devices, such as many smartwatches and bracelets, almost all speakers with Bluetooth chips, and cars with Bluetooth. All these devices are developed under the same technology, which means BLE can connect all these devices and perform some automated linkage and control. To give a more vivid example, when wearing a smart bracelet/watch or simply using a mobile phone's Bluetooth, when the user returns home, the door lock and BLE mesh lights or other BLE devices can automatically detect and execute pre-configured response scenes without the user's subjective awakening or triggering. There are also many richer applications, such as shaking gestures of bracelets/watches, which can control BLE mesh devices at home.
Additional value of BLE mesh network Lighting is a platform, and many applications can be derived from it. When BLE mesh is applied to large-scale lighting networks, many new applications can be derived, such as positioning functions. No additional devices are needed, and a simple small beacon tag can be used for positioning functions, such as personnel positioning and asset positioning. To give a more advanced example, when the BLE mesh lighting and positioning network is applied to supermarkets and other large shopping malls, more information can be collected, such as consumer habits, which products are more attractive, etc. Using BLE mesh technology, all the information technology in the current Internet and mobile Internet can be applied to the Internet of Things, and the amount of information is many times larger than that on the Internet.
Module Price Due to the widespread application of Bluetooth technology in various scenarios and devices, the number of Bluetooth ICs in the entire industry is quite large. For the semiconductor industry, the larger the quantity, the lower the cost. Therefore, the current price of Bluetooth modules is significantly lower than that of Zigbee.