Bluetooth 6.0 is going to be a game changer for portable audio, here's why

Bluetooth 6.0 is slowly rolling out to new devices. It will be included in the upcoming Apple iPhone 17 and Google Pixel 10 smartphones, which are on track for 2025. It will be a notable upgrade to the existing Bluetooth 5.x technology, which is over nine years old. Bluetooth 6.0 will take a little while to become mainstream, but its widespread adoption is approaching.

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The most significant upgrade that it will bring will be in the latency department, which will be a game-changer for audio and other devices primarily used by gamers. The new Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISO-AL) breaks data into smaller packet sizes that can be sent simultaneously to multiple channels. This means a faster and more reliable connection that dramatically reduces audio latency.

One reason wireless gaming headsets and audio solutions opt for 2.4 GHz is due to existing Bluetooth latency; however, as Bluetooth 6.0 cuts latency by more than half to somewhere in the 'under 20ms' range, versatile Bluetooth audio for gaming will become a thing.

Audio with Less Latency and More Reliability

This is the same latency you get with several 2.4 GHz wireless audio solutions, which means Bluetooth 6.0 will be a game-changer for wireless Bluetooth audio. When using the current Bluetooth 5.x technology for gaming, latency can be poor, to the point where you can even notice a delay between on-screen action and sound effects coming through. That will be eliminated with Bluetooth 6.0. Another benefit of the Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISO-AL) is that there will be less interference and more reliable transmission, thanks to the smaller amounts of data sent.

Bluetooth 6.0 Supports High-Definition 96 kHz, 32-bit Audio

As convenient as Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, and speakers are, they come at the cost of audio fidelity and quality. This is an acceptable trade-off for most, but for audiophiles who love rich and detailed sound, Bluetooth is detrimental to a high-fidelity and high-quality recording. This is set to change with Bluetooth 6.0, which introduces the new LC3Plus audio codec that supports hi-def 96 kHz and 32-bit audio with a low 7ms latency. Even though several audio makers are already supporting the new LC3Plus codec, it does need to be licensed, which might limit its availability.

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New Technology Helps You Track Bluetooth Earbuds and Devices

Apple and Samsung users currently enjoy being able to find earbuds with their phones; however, this technology requires a specific chip, hardware, and software. Bluetooth 6.0 is introducing 'Channel Sounding,' an innovative feature that lets Bluetooth devices find and locate each other with precision and accuracy within 10 centimetres. Bluetooth 6.0 earbuds and devices will be easily tracked without specialized hardware. Also, 'Channel Sounding' is more secure and will allow Bluetooth 6.0 to be used for smart locks and other proximity-based tasks.

Pairing and Switching Devices is Going to Be Easier

Pairing a new Bluetooth device goes two ways: simple and quick or slow, laggy, and something that takes way longer than it should. Bluetooth 6.0's Decision-Based Advertising Filtering (DBAF) is about cutting through interference by splitting Bluetooth advertisements into two channels. The primary channel handles basic identification, with the connectivity side managed by the secondary channel. This technology also allows faster switching with fewer delays or issues.

Bluetooth 6.0 Helps Save Battery with 'Monitoring Advertisers'

Current Bluetooth technology and devices can sit there trying to connect to a phone or laptop, even when it's not in range. Another new feature of Bluetooth 6.0 is detecting when a device is out of range via 'Monitoring Advertisers.' This allows it to stop trying to connect when a device is out of range, extending battery life and improving stand-by performance.