It might be time to change how you think about Bluetooth.
The current Bluetooth Core Specification is Bluetooth 6.2.
It’s up to manufacturers to integrate the latest Bluetooth features into consumer tech products.
Although Channel Sounding adoption is slow, Auracast adoption is gaining momentum.
I’ve attended two CES shows so far, and undoubtedly, the most informative meeting I’ve had is with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Bluetooth is ubiquitous in our devices, but aside from wirelessly connecting us to our things, the technology feels obscure and cryptic.
I talked with the Bluetooth team about all things Channel Sounding, Bluetooth 6.0, and Auracast, and the largest takeaway might surprise you: we’re thinking about Bluetooth all wrong. Here’s why.Bluetooth 6.2 is here, so where are all the new features?
The Bluetooth SIG recently published Bluetooth 6.2, with key features including Shorter Connection Intervals, which enable ultra-low latency for wireless peripheral devices, and Channel Sounding Resilience for enhanced security in wireless key applications.
However, many devices, especially peripherals, such as headphones, earbuds, smartwatches, and gaming mice and keyboards, don’t perform as well as you’d hoped over a Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth SIG often announces promising features, but they’re not in your devices. Why? Manufacturers.
The Bluetooth team told me that implementing the latest Bluetooth features within a Bluetooth Core Specification is a decision made entirely by manufacturers, even if a device contains the latest Bluetooth version. Therefore, you shouldn’t allow a device’s Bluetooth version to carry too much weight, because there’s a chance the manufacturer will omit the best features.
