Bluetooth, earlier, meant being able to transfer songs from one phone to another, but now it has penetrated beyond music sharing. Rather than just sharing, it has changed how we consume audio content. Bluetooth has penetrated and gone beyond, take wireless headphones, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, and car audio systems for instance.
Almost every year, Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announces updated Bluetooth specifications. These updates and announcements affect the wireless connectivity feature that binds our smartphones with various smart accessories such as earbuds, smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers, and more.
Notably, SIG has now published the specifications for Bluetooth 6.0, a successor to Bluetooth 5.4, and from the looks of it. It is perceived to be a game changer, since in this latest version, the group has finally the answer to some of the longstanding concerns of users.
It is claimed that the newer version shall deliver enhanced features.
Let’s us take a deep dive into new changes that have been implemented in the Bluetooth 6.0 update:
Bluetooth 6.0: New Features for Enhanced Device Tracking, Home Automation, and Efficiency
A new capability called as channel sounding has been introduced in the Bluetooth 6.0. In this a compatible smartphone or an accessory can now deliver an enhanced low-powered network of wireless devices. With no compromise of security, Bluetooth 6.0-equipped devices can now accurately determine the presence, distance, and direction of another Bluetooth 6.0-powered device.
This could pave a way to the creation of new age tracking devices like AirTag, which would in turn enable the phone or accessories makers to easily identify and track a linked device. This could also lead to the improved home automation solutions in auto garage or say door unlock within a particular ranger, enabling auto access to restricted areas to authorised personnel, and more.
Decision-based advertising ensures that it can automatically decide to scan the secondary device based on the content received on the primary Bluetooth device, which helps with efficiency and can reduce power consumption. Similarly, Bluetooth 6.0 can also monitor and filter out duplicate data, again to improve efficiency. These features will help device developers to improve the user interface and user experience.
The newer Bluetooth version shall also be able to transfer larger data in smaller link-layered packets via the Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISOAL) enhancement, which would be great help for the audio products that need low latency.
Another feature includes Frame Space Update on Bluetooth 6.0, which improves the throughput between different devices, which will be helpful while upgrading the firmware of earbuds, fitness trackers, and more which solely work on Bluetooth networking.
Snapdragon 8 Elite to Drive Bluetooth 6.0 Support in Future Smartphones and Accessories
As per the official listing, Snapdragon 8 Elite is one of the first smartphone chips that would support Bluetooth 6.0. Notably, the recent releases like OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13 would still be on the current Bluetooth 5.4.
However, newer phones with the same chip are likely to support Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity. It is believed that the iPhone, which is having Bluetooth 5.3 in its iPhone 16 series, might come with Bluetooth 6.0 in the iPhone 17 model. When it comes to other devices like earbuds, fitness trackers, and tracking devices, it is believed that the first wave of Bluetooth 6.0-powered accessories should arrive by early 2025.
