Bluetooth 6.0 is coming and it will bring some big changes to smartphones

Almost every year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announces a new version of the tech. Currently, we are using Bluetooth v5.4, however, the Bluetooth SIG has already published the specifications for the latest v6.0. Which means, with flagships lining up to launch in the coming weeks, we might start seeing the new Bluetooth 6.0 in smartphones soon. The latest version of the connectivity tech comes with features like Channel Sounding, decision-based advertising filtering, monitoring advertisers, among others. But does that mean for you?
Now, based on the specifications published by Bluetooth SIG, a majority of the changes are behind the scenes, affecting things we don’t directly interact with. However, for device makers and software developers, these changes should noticeably improve Bluetooth connection stability, data speeds, and battery life. Which in turn means a significant upgrade for the end user as well.
One of the biggest changes that comes with Bluetooth 6.0 is a feature called Channel Sounding, which helps Bluetooth provide real spatial awareness. The feature will add real distance awareness to Bluetooth, which can bring big improvements to many areas. For example, it will make finding lost items with “Find My” tools faster and easier.
Another feature that comes with Bluetooth 6.0 is decision-based advertising filtering. No, this feature isn’t about online ads but about how Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) signals identify themselves to other devices. It allows a device to decide if it needs to look for more related data after receiving a packet. This reduces data loss and speeds things up by preventing the device from downloading the same data more than once. There is also a feature called monitoring advertisers, which is further meant to save battery and improve Bluetooth’s response time by letting a device receiving data filter out duplicate packets from a sending device.
The delays in data transfers will also be reduced with Bluetooth 6.0 with another feature called Isochronous adaptation layer enhancement, which will allow large data to be split into smaller packets, enabling faster transfers. It also includes a new mode to lower latency based on how data is organised.
Currently, no devices with Bluetooth 6 have been announced, but the new specifications were released in August 2024. The Snapdragon 8 Elite supports Bluetooth 6, so we may soon see it in smartphones and other devices. As of now, two smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset have been announced –– the OnePlus 13 and Realme GT 7 Pro. Several other smartphones, including Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series, iQOO 13, and Xiaomi 15 series.