Bluetooth 6.0: What’s New for Audio, Devices, and Connectivity

Released in September of 2024, Bluetooth 6.0 is the latest and most meaningful upgrade to the Bluetooth Core Specification in years. Unlike version 5.4, which mainly served developers and niche use cases, Bluetooth 6.0 is built with everyday users in mind.

It’s the first major step forward since Bluetooth 5.2, which introduced LE Audio and the LC3 codec. And it finally brings with it practical improvements to the devices you rely on most every day.

Bluetooth 6.0 redefines how your wireless gear connects, streams, and stays in sync, especially if you use wireless audio, smart trackers, or proximity-based tech.

It includes several upgrades, including Channel Sounding for highly accurate location tracking, stronger support for low-latency audio, and smarter power management.

For us users, this means we can expect:

Smoother, more consistent audio performance
Faster and more stable wireless connections
Improved location accuracy
Better battery efficiency for connected devices
More secure access and proximity-based unlocking

Built on top of the Bluetooth LE Audio foundation, this update further optimizes how devices handle timing, signal interference, and real-time communication in crowded spaces.

It’s a response to the real pain points users have had for years, tackling some of the most common and frustrating issues we’ve all experienced with Bluetooth devices.

We’re going to break down exactly what’s changed, where it matters most, and what to expect as Bluetooth 6.0 rolls out in new phones, earbuds, wearables, and smart home devices in 2025.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

Bluetooth 5.4 vs Bluetooth 6.0 Specifications Comparison

Feature/Spec	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 6.0
Max Range	~240 meters (LE)	~240 meters (LE), with precision improvements
Speed / Data Rate	2 Mbps (LE 2M PHY)	Same as 5.4
Frequency Band	2.4 GHz ISM band	Same as 5.4
Location Support	AoA/AoD for direction-finding	Channel Sounding via phase-based ranging and round-trip time (secure, cm-level accuracy)
Audio Codec and Performance	LC3 via LE Audio	LC3 with improvements made to ISOAL for lower latency and reliability when transporting audio
Security	Encrypted Advertising Data	Smarter precision tracking and secure location-based access
Connection Efficiency	PAwR (one-to-many communication)	More efficient scanning with Decision-Based Filtering and better reconnection with Advertiser Monitoring

Audio Improvements: Better Sound and Less Lag

Bluetooth 6.0 brings with it a real step up in sound quality, especially for anyone who listens on wireless headphones or earbuds.

At the center of this improvement is the LC3 codec, which originally replaced the older SBC codec in the Bluetooth 5.2 update.

While the LC3 codec remains in use, Bluetooth 6.0 enhances how it performs through updates to the Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISOAL).

These changes improve how audio is framed, buffered, and delivered, which helps preserve detail and consistency across your listening experience.

You should be able to notice:

More defined highs and punchier bass
Clearer stereo imaging and spatial effects
More consistent quality when streaming at higher bitrates

But keep in mind, even though LC3 supports up to 24-bit / 48 kHz audio, it’s still a lossy codec (some data is compressed to conserve bandwidth).

That said, on supported hardware, the improvement in clarity and dynamics should be easy to hear. And some manufacturers might also apply proprietary enhancements for even better results once products hit the market.

Just know that if you’re chasing true lossless audio, a wired setup still delivers the cleanest experience for now.

Lower Latency for Real-Time Applications

Latency has always been a weak spot for Bluetooth audio. But with Bluetooth 6.0, the updated ISOAL will help close that gap by tightening up how quickly and smoothly audio data is processed and transmitted (down to 20 ms or less).

Once Bluetooth 6.0 is fully implemented in the next few years, we should start getting:

Gaming audio that keeps up with on-screen action (footsteps, gunfire, timing cues)
Video streaming that stays in sync with dialogue and lip movement
Phone calls and virtual meetings that sound more in-person, with no echo or lag disrupting the flow

With tighter timing and smarter synchronization, these improvements can help reduce audio jitter, prevent dropouts, and keep everything sounding more consistent, especially when you’re listening at higher bitrates

Location Awareness: Smarter, More Secure, and Accurate Proximity Features

For years, Bluetooth location tracking has been, for lack of a better word… approximate. But Bluetooth 6.0 changes that with a major leap in spatial precision and proximity sensing. It could tell you if a device was “nearby,” but not how close, or even in what direction.

Now, it will actually know exactly where it is, down to the centimeter. This opens the door for smarter, faster, and more secure interactions between your gear and the space around you.

Centimeter-Level Accuracy with Channel Sounding

With the introduction of Channel Sounding, devices will soon be capable of centimeter-level location tracking, providing precise and reliable proximity data that outperforms the “nearby” estimates of the past.

Not meters or zones, but the actual physical distance between two devices.

What makes this possible is a smarter, more advanced way to calculate how far two devices really are from each other.

Where older methods relied on signal strength (RSSI) and basic path loss formulas (which were easily affected by interference and offered limited accuracy), Bluetooth 6.0 combines two new standardized techniques that deliver real, measurable distance with impressive accuracy:

Phase-Based Ranging (PBR): Measures the phase shift of Bluetooth radio waves across multiple frequencies to calculate how far apart devices are.
Round-Trip Time (RTT): Times how long a signal takes to travel to another device and back, while also accounting for the signal processing time to improve accuracy.

This information will give your devices a much clearer sense of spatial awareness and distance, converting rough estimates into reliable and precise measurements down to the centimeter.

Compare that to Bluetooth 5.4, which could only estimate range to within about 1 to 2 meters, and the improvement is going to be especially noticeable. This kind of accuracy unlocks new use cases that will finally feel dependable:

Item trackers that can pinpoint lost earbuds in a couch cushion or a laptop you left in the other room
AR/VR systems that can track position and movement more precisely, with less drift
Indoor navigation in places like airports, malls, or campuses, where GPS falls short

With Bluetooth 6.0, you’ll be getting location-based features that are far more useful and reliable. Data within a space will be put to real use. Proximity will be smarter and more accurate. And your devices will respond to your exact location, not just that you exist somewhere within range.

Smarter, More Secure Proximity Features

The improved proximity detection with Bluetooth 6.0 is also tied into one of its most significant advancements: secure, location-based access.

Because hosting devices will now be able to determine how close another device actually is, proximity-based actions, like unlocking your phone, laptop, or car, will now be more reliable and secure with location verification.

This system runs over a new 1:1 Channel Sounding link between two roles:

The Initiator, which sends the signals and calculates distance
The Reflector, which returns signal and timing information

These exchanges happen at the controller level, with low-level measurements passed up to the host, where apps or operating systems can use this information to enforce access rules.

This tighter access control makes a real difference when your phone acts as a digital key or when access depends on precise positioning. Here’s what that means for you:

Trust-based unlocking: Your door, laptop, or locker won’t open unless you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be
Better protection against location and relay attacks: Attackers will no longer be able to trick your device by simply relaying Bluetooth signals from a distance. In addition to receiving a signal, your device will now also verify how long it took for the signal to arrive, utilizing the round-trip time feature. That timing data can’t be faked, making it much harder for someone to replicate your location and make your phone think you’re nearby when you’re not.
More reliable badge logins and two-factor authentication: Useful with Bluetooth-based access systems in offices, coworking spaces, and high-security facilities

It’s an upgrade that prevents unintentional or unauthorized access and makes your wireless ecosystem feel more secure by default. This level of spatial control wasn’t possible before, but now, Bluetooth finally has the precision to back up its security promises.

Signal Strength and Connection Stability

Bluetooth 6.0 will take a smarter, more selective approach to staying connected. Rather than constantly scanning and responding to every nearby signal, devices will now scan more efficiently and focus only on the signals that matter.

That means faster pairing, fewer dropouts, and a more stable connection, even when you’re in crowded spaces filled with competing signals.

Decision-Based Advertising Filtering (DBAF)

One of the features making this possible is Decision-Based Advertising Filtering, or DBAF. This allows Bluetooth 6.0 devices to be far more intentional about what signals they respond to, and which ones to ignore when you’re in a busy environment.

For example, if you have a pair of wireless headphones that you want to connect to your phone, the headphones will send out advertising packets to your device, saying, “Hey, I’m here and ready to connect.”

These packets go out on two types of channels:

Primary channels: These are like a main bulletin board. It’s the first thing your phone sees. It gives your phone a quick heads-up that the headphones are nearby.
Secondary channels: These are like the extra flyers with more details on the bulletin board. These channels carry more information, like the headphones’ features or capabilities.

Today, your device scans every primary and secondary channel of the Bluetooth signal in range, which can number in the dozens at any given time.

This uses a lot of battery and processing power. But with DBAF Filtering, your device will now be able to check that initial “I’m here!” message on the primary channel, and then decide whether it’s relevant to you and worth scanning the secondary channels for the rest of the data.

This helps your device:

Prioritize connections
Ignore unnecessary or redundant broadcasts
Cut down on wasted scanning and potential interference

For us users, this translates into faster, smoother connections, especially with accessories that we use the most, like earbuds, wearables, or keyboards. Connections will be more efficient, cleaner, and have less interference.

More Reliable Reconnection with Advertiser Monitoring

Bluetooth 6.0 will also improve how devices monitor previously connected accessories. With advertiser monitoring today, your phone or laptop can already recognize familiar devices as they move in and out of range and will re-establish connections the moment a known device comes back into range.

However, there’s no way for your hosting source (laptop or phone) to know if your device (headphone or speaker) is still in range without constantly scanning for them in the background.

The 6.0 upgrade will stop these unnecessary background scans and instead use what’s called a Host Controller Interface (HCI) to inform your hosting source when a device is back in range.

So instead of wasting power scanning to see whether or not a device is still around, Bluetooth 6.0 gives your source real-time awareness. The result is a wireless experience that feels less fragile and more responsive.

This will help:

Wireless earbuds or smartwatches stay in standby mode until you’re nearby, avoiding unnecessary connection attempts when you’re out of range.
Fitness trackers stay ready to sync data when you’re back in Bluetooth range, instead of being forgotten by your phone.
Smart home devices like locks or thermostats respond quicker when you enter a room, without needing constant polling from your phone or hub.

Power Efficiency and Battery Life

Everything we’ve talked about so far has a direct impact on your device’s power and battery life.

By reducing unnecessary signal chatter and optimizing the handling of audio and connection data, Bluetooth 6.0 focuses on doing less, more intelligently, which enables smarter energy use across the board.

Here’s how Bluetooth 6.0 will improve the battery life of devices:

Smarter connection handling: Features like Decision-Based Advertising Filtering and Advertiser Monitoring prevent your devices from wasting energy listening to or scanning for irrelevant signals.
More efficient audio streaming: Improvements to the LC3 codec and Isochronous Adaptation Layer reduce the energy used during high-resolution audio playback, especially when listening for a long time.
Reduced latency means less power waste: With tighter timing and less need for audio correction or buffering, devices will spend less time trying to resolve syncing issues and more time in low-power states.
Better behavior in crowded environments: Instead of trying to respond to every signal in busy spaces like offices or airports, Bluetooth 6.0 filters aggressively, helping your phone, earbuds, and wearables conserve power.

You’ll eventually begin noticing your earbuds won’t die as fast, your smartwatch lasts longer between charges, and your phone isn’t constantly burning energy just to stay connected. Bluetooth 6.0 is designed to make devices both smarter and leaner, without affecting their overall performance.

Device Compatibility: Will Current Devices Support It?

Bluetooth 6.0 has introduced some real, measurable upgrades, but what does that mean for the devices you already own? And when can you expect full support to start appearing in new products?

New Features Require New Hardware

Unlike past versions, this Bluetooth 6.0 can’t be accessed with a firmware update.

Features like low-latency audio, precise tracking, and smarter proximity detection rely on hardware-level changes to the Bluetooth radio and require entirely new chips to be integrated into devices.

In other words, both your device and its accessories will need Bluetooth 6.0-specific hardware to take advantage of the new capabilities.

That being said, it is fully backward compatible. So if you buy a new 6.0 device, it will still work with all your older Bluetooth gear, it just won’t include all the new features.

When Will 6.0 Devices Be Available?

Since Bluetooth 6.0 was just released in September 2024, it’ll take time for manufacturers to design, test, and integrate compatible chipsets.

However, you should start seeing devices shipping with Bluetooth 6.0 support later in 2025, with it becoming the standard in 2026 and years to come.

Where Bluetooth 6.0 Will Show Up First

1. Smart Locks, Trackers, and Keyless Entry Systems

These proximity-based devices are set to benefit the most from Bluetooth 6.0’s Channel Sounding and centimeter-level location tracking.

Silicon Labs is already leading the charge with certified xG24 SoCs, xGM240 modules, and BG24L chip, which are optimized for ultra-accurate ranging and low-power operation in crowded wireless environments.

Next-gen tracking devices, like a rumored Apple AirTag 2 and new Tile models, are expected to incorporate Bluetooth 6.0 as a way to complement Ultra Wideband and enable even more precise “Find My” capabilities.

2. Smartphones

Major phone brands are expected to begin rolling out Bluetooth 6.0 support in late 2025, though some devices may not launch until 2026. One of the most anticipated releases is Apple’s iPhone 17, which is likely to arrive in September 2025 with Bluetooth 6.0 onboard.

Google’s Pixel 10, rumored for an October 2025 release, and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup, expected in early 2026, are also likely to include Bluetooth 6.0.

Chinese manufacturer Oppo has confirmed plans to include Bluetooth 6.0 in its 2025 phones and earbuds. Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which supports it, is already powering smartphones like the Xiaomi 15 series.

3. New Wireless Audio Gear

High-resolution headphones and earbuds are expected to adopt Bluetooth 6.0 to take advantage of lower latency and more consistent audio streaming. This will be especially noticeable in gaming headsets, premium earbuds, and devices designed for lossless or near-lossless streaming.

4. Smart Home Devices

Expect to see Bluetooth 6.0-enabled smart home gear, like sensors, controllers, and full home ecosystems with voice assistants, to follow later as the spec becomes more widespread and more manufacturers in this space start building around it.

If you’re planning on upgrading, it’s worth keeping an eye out for products with 6.0 support in the coming months.

For the full breakdown of this release, check out the official Bluetooth 6.0 spec overview from the Bluetooth SIG.