The evolution of music streaming services is exposing those Bluetooth limitations even more, with sources available in higher-quality lossless FLAC/ALAC, and manufacturers rushing to upsell products with support for "high-end" audio codecs such as LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, Aptx Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and others, stretching the bitrate to 990kbps or 1.2Mbps.
Further pressure is being generated in China, where the latest Low Latency Low Complexity High Resolution Audio Codec (L2HC) - a proprietary technology originally developed by Huawei - was pushing manufacturers to embrace alternative device implementations, including NearLink, a short-range wireless communication technology developed by the SparkLink Alliance, led by Huawei, and designed as an alternative to Bluetooth.
As I reported from the recent Global Audio Summit in Shanghai, promoted by the China Audio Industry Association, the L2HC codec has now been embraced by a strong coalition of manufacturers and is seen as a key strategic technology for wireless products to evolve beyond the quality constraints of Bluetooth and enabling high-resolution audio.
As Bluetooth is now evolving with LE Audio, offering us low-power solutions that make batteries last longer and actually improve fidelity and consistency of the experience by replacing the original SBC codec with the much more efficient Low Complexity Communication Codec (LC3) algorithm - now the default codec for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio - the industry is faced with increasing pressure to define a technical solution to also accommodate the "high-end" audio requirements or even a new generation of best-in-class audio technologies that includes LC3plus and fully scalable solutions that can adapt to variable streaming data rates and switch seamlessly from lossy to lossless high-resolution 24-bit/384kHz, if so intended.
Clearly, the audio industry understands the value of these different tiers to differentiate new products, not only for headphones and true wireless earbuds, but also for other classes of portable and home streaming products, including soundbars and smart speakers. This has generated a new level of interest over the potential of the announced Bluetooth “specifications in development" and very specifically the promise of Bluetooth High Data Throughput, enabling data rates up to 8Mbps. An update that could allow Bluetooth LE Audio to evolve to support lossless codecs, high-resolution audio, and even multichannel formats.
Essentially, this would mean that Bluetooth would no longer be seen as the bottleneck limiting the quality of our listening experiences.
The Years of Bluetooth
The Bluetooth 4.0 specification was published in 2010 and added Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), the most significant change since the technology was launched in 1998. All enhancements to the Bluetooth specification added since the Bluetooth 4.2 release in 2014 have been made specifically for Bluetooth Low Energy.
On December 7, 2016, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the new Bluetooth core specification. Key updates to Bluetooth 5 include longer range, faster speed, and larger broadcast message capacity, as well as improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. This paved the way for the Bluetooth LE Audio announcement on January 7, 2020, the Next Generation of Bluetooth Audio.
Since then, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has been under tremendous pressure to deliver an evolution of specifications to meet the fast-evolving requirements, with true wireless earbuds becoming the fastest-growing consumer product category of the past four years, and an anticipated growth for wireless audio products in general promising to grow at 25% annual rates. More importantly, Bluetooth SIG members all want to move faster to leverage a series of unique opportunities, including the potential of an AI-infused technology replacement super-cycle.
Expanded Spectrum
Radio frequency spectrum has long been the driving force behind the extraordinary revolution in wireless connectivity. The original decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allocate the unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4GHz band, paving the way for new technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, triggered a complete revolution for the global economy, and enabled widespread adoption of wireless technologies.
That inspired the FCC to expand the use of the 5GHz unlicensed spectrum also for Wi-Fi in 1997, enabling the deployment of higher-speed wireless LANs. In 2014, the FCC increased the amount of 5GHz spectrum available for unlicensed use to accelerate the growth of high-speed Wi-Fi. More recently (2020), the FCC once again decided to open the 6GHz band for unlicensed use, paving the way for the global rollout of Wi-Fi 6E and 7 – by relieving network congestion and expanding high-performance connectivity.
The 6GHz band is satisfying growing demand for higher-bandwidth services, as demonstrated by the fast adoption of Wi-Fi 6E, and regulators around the world are considering opening the entire 1200MHz of spectrum in 6GHz for Wi-Fi, rather than only opening the lower portion (500MHz) of the band, as it was authorized globally. Semiconductor manufacturers are all ready to deliver Wi-Fi 7 baseband and radio processing for all three bands and unlock the full potential of the 6GHz band for increased throughput and reduced latency.
The use of 6GHz is not yet consensual. China prefers to use the spectrum to expand 5G cellular services, and Europe is considering its potential to develop 6G services, and regain the leadership lost with 5G. For now, China is allocating the upper band for mobile use (5G/6G) not for Wi-Fi, and the European Union has only formally allocated the lower 6GHz band (5945MHz to 6425MHz) for Wi-Fi use.
Anyway, after having missed the dual-band opportunities with 5GHz, the Bluetooth SIG decided to move faster this time and in 2022 announced a new specification development project to define the operation of Bluetooth LE in the 6GHz frequency band.
There is a strong motivation to enable that expansion. As the most widely deployed wireless standard in the world - in terms of annual shipping products - Bluetooth is also the most recognized by consumers, in terms of convenience for use with portable and wearable devices. Particularly for audio applications.
The Bluetooth SIG is the international standards development organization responsible for advancing, protecting, and promoting Bluetooth technology. With more than 50,000 member companies, the organization reflects a vast diversity of interests and priorities in multiple industry sectors, with an increasing dynamic being recentered around China.
Since Auracast became the strategic technology to accelerate the adoption of Bluetooth LE Audio, and since the pressure started to mount for new higher-quality and lower latency audio streaming applications, the Bluetooth SIG organization also initiated a significant transformation.
The renewed Bluetooth SIG website now provides a better sense of the organization's mission. And that starts with a statement that might surprise many similar "standards" organizations, and "technology promotion" consortiums, as Bluetooth SIG declares itself to be a global trade association. That's bold but it also makes the whole organization more transparent, when we compare it with the Wi-Fi Alliance, as an example.
The Wi-Fi Alliance represents a worldwide network of companies driving global Wi-Fi adoption and evolution, where there is a clear focus on development, requirements, and test programs to ensure interoperability and security. The "trade" aspect is never mentioned.
In contrast, Bluetooth SIG has been refreshing its mission statements, as "a community" of "companies and people" collaborating to promote Bluetooth technology as the global standard for connection: "We collaborate to increase the awareness, understanding, and adoption of Bluetooth technology." Apart from being an international standards development organization and product certification body, the SIG acts as a global trade association.
This is reflected in the recent level of Bluetooth SIG’s activities since Neville Meijers was promoted as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), in May 2024. Meijers brings a new executive perspective from companies such as Qualcomm Technologies, JMA Wireless, and having led complex operations in China for Naspers, a multibillion-dollar Internet and entertainment group. Neville Meijers has also served as a board member in multiple standards organizations such as the Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability Consortium (DIFI), OnGo Alliance, and the MulteFire Alliance.
I was not surprised to see the recent announcement of the establishment of Bluetooth SIG Technology Co., Ltd., a formal entity established to better serve its rapidly growing membership in China. Headquartered in Beijing with branch offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen, the new China entity already helped promote the return of the Bluetooth Asia exhibition and conference, paused for five years since COVID-19, now scheduled to take place May 22–23 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center in Shenzhen, China.
China plays a critical role in the global Bluetooth ecosystem, as evidenced by the more than 6,500 Bluetooth SIG member companies that are based there, making China the second-largest concentration of members globally. Plus, nearly 50% of all Bluetooth chips shipped each year are developed by member companies based in China.
One of the more recent decisions that signals how the Bluetooth SIG is accelerating its technology updates was the surprising announcement of Bluetooth 6.0 in September 2024. This was strategically intended to promote Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a new secure, fine-ranging feature to enhance location abilities for Bluetooth-connected devices, and a technology that significantly expanded the appeal for Bluetooth adoption. By enabling true distance awareness in billions of everyday devices, Bluetooth Channel Sounding offered the whole industry a way to leverage the unexpected success that Apple had with its AirTags, while at the same time creating a standardized approach to counteract the fast expansion of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.
Apple AirTags use a combination of ultra-wideband (UWB), near-field communication (NFC), and Bluetooth, and helped create a powerful Find My ecosystem that caught all other technology companies by surprise. More importantly, Apple's AirTag implementation showed how many comparable efforts for location in industrial and transportation sectors have been lagging for decades. And this created a clear opportunity for what promises to be one of the most significant technology expansions for Bluetooth, with vast applications in retail and logistics, apart from consumer electronics.
Six months later, on May 6, 2025, the Bluetooth SIG announced Bluetooth Core 6.1, which signals the official decision to introduce a bi-annual release schedule. The specification update schedule enables "more frequent and consistent delivery of completed features, fostering faster innovation and continuous improvements across the Bluetooth ecosystem. Developers and manufacturers now have quicker access to the latest Bluetooth advancements, powering wireless innovation and enhancing overall market responsiveness," the SIG states.
The organization also announced the intention to encourage consistent public communication of supported Bluetooth functionalities, helping to increase customer confidence that products are up to date with the latest Bluetooth technology. But at the same time, it also advises Bluetooth SIG members to avoid referencing the Bluetooth version for each product (e.g., Bluetooth 6.1) and focus on communicating the specific Bluetooth capabilities supported in product packaging, documentation, and marketing materials. This was attempted before, and it's not likely to be respected by brands who love to use technology to encourage product replacement cycles.
So, what should we expect from Bluetooth in the next six months and year? How can manufacturers and product developers plan for the features that they need to consider in their next generation of products?
The answer to those questions is something that the Bluetooth SIG is making a legitimate effort to address. Last year, during the Embedded World 2024 trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, there was a presentation by Damon Barnes, director of technical marketing for the Bluetooth SIG, discussing the Bluetooth technology roadmap and key upcoming features. The presentation revealed details on the High Data Throughput, Ultra Low Latency HID, and Higher Bands projects. And most importantly, the presentation revealed that those updates are scheduled to be introduced in 2025, with a phased release in 2026.
On High Data Throughput (HDT) - the highly anticipated core technology that will finally release us from existing audio streaming constraints - Damon Barnes confirmed that it is definitely coming in 2026. It will involve adding new PHYs, increased data rates, and a whole host of Bluetooth LE audio enhancements. In 2027, Bluetooth LE operation should also be enabled in higher frequency bands (5GHz and 6GHz).
Increasing the maximum data rate of Bluetooth technology to 8Mbps, HDT will enable not only high-resolution and lossless audio over Bluetooth, but also room to address spatial audio and wireless surround sound applications with multichannel support. Of course, with faster data rates, Bluetooth HDT also enables faster synchronization, and potentially lower power consumption and better wireless coexistence with Wi-Fi.
Ultra-low latency human interface devices (HIDs) are obviously important for the Bluetooth SIG as well, since wireless keyboards and mice controllers, as well as all wireless gaming accessories, are a massive market for the technology. And Bluetooth HIDs with added support for 1kHz rates are going to bring latency down to about the one millisecond range. This means the same level of experience we currently get from wired accessories. And of course, that’s strategic for augmented and mixed reality applications.
Damon Barnes also explains that when it comes to LE Audio, there's a whole host of enhancement projects underway. Those include specific updates for multichannel support, a way to standardize the reporting of sound exposure from Bluetooth-based headphones, and several Auracast enhancements, such as deployment of multiple transmitters to add capacity and extend coverage. Manufacturers that are Bluetooth SIG members now have a really good reason to get involved.
No doubt, manufacturers will feel more confident working with an organization that ensures a fair playing field for innovation, and one that quickly reflects and meets fast-evolving market opportunities and ambitions. Including the very often misunderstood audio industry’s motivations. aX
This article was originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, (#515), May 15, 2025.
