The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the standards organization behind wirelessly connected headphone technology, quietly announced an update to the specification this week. When Bluetooth 6 arrives, it will improve streaming between devices and promises to help find other nearby Bluetooth devices faster by introducing a feature called “channel detection.” This is the first major update to the specification since Bluetooth 5 was launched in 2016.
Channel detection adds “real distance perception” to Bluetooth devices, allowing for better tracking of objects such as AirTags that are accurate to centimeters. The feature is expected to improve the overall user experience of tracking devices, making it “easier and faster” to locate lost items connected via the Find My network. It appears the feature was prioritized to comply with Bluetooth’s so-called “Find My Phenomenon,” suggesting this may have been an Apple-compliant feature from the start. Many blogs are picking up on it and claiming that this is how we’ll soon find AirTags. For Android users, there is little discussion about the Find My Device network.
If there’s one thing I remember instinctively while trying to play the game Dolphin Echo 2: Tides of Timewhich is the first level, has “glyphs” that look like crystals, and you should echolocate within them to make them move. What I imagine Bluetooth 6 to be like when it comes out is that it can ping any device making a specific type of connection, except it doesn’t need the help of the neighbor kids to get past that specific level.
Bluetooth 6.0 claims that adding channel detection will improve keyless entry between the phone and the car. The feature will allow developers to “enhance the security of digital keys” with an additional layer that only unlocks the vehicle when connected to an authorized device at a specific distance.
As for Bluetooth peripherals like keyboards and game controllers, you can expect them to be better able to switch between active and inactive states based on distance. This means that when you’re away from your desk and your mouse and keyboard are still connected, the devices won’t press stray buttons or suck up remaining battery power while trying to find something to communicate with.
Bluetooth has yet to announce improvements to lossless audio streaming between devices. This particular version seems to be focused on improving the experience on connected devices, rather than the streaming experience. There are currently no devices released that support Bluetooth 6.
