Glad I had a flipper zero.
So, Most consumer Bluetooth devices use Bluetooth Class 2, which has an intended range of about 33 feet. Class 1 Bluetooth can extend to 328 feet, in ideal conditions. Like an open field.
Here's where things get spicy though...
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE or Bluetooth 5) introduced "Coded PHY" modes that can significantly extend range, up to 1312ft in open spaces like open fields.
Fucking LOVE the flipper
To expand on this, for Bitchat to achieve anything close to its advertised range, it truly relies on a high density of users acting as relays in an open environment. Without that, you're essentially just doing a direct phone-to-phone Bluetooth connection, which will be subject to all the typical range limitations because of: Walls, Furniture, 2.4 GHz Congestion, Phone Antenna Quality and Placement, Phone Transmit Power, Phone Receiver Sensitivity.
The whole point of Bluetooth Mesh is that messages "hop" from one device to another. To achieve a 300-400 meter range, you would need a dense network of active Bitchat users, with each user reliably within 30-50 feet (or less, depending on the environment) of another, like at a meet up or conference. Its kinda like skipping a rock with a note on it across phones so Alice can msg Bob from 350 meters away.
BLE can identify/recognise device at upto1.5 miles.
Its how the covid trace/tracking syncing to database happened.
