Bluetooth 7 speeds expected to quadruple in 2027, especially for audio

Wireless technology is about to get a whole lot livelier. On Thursday, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, the trade association that oversees Bluetooth, officially unveiled Bluetooth High Data Throughput, a flagship upgrade expected to arrive as part of the Bluetooth Core 7.0 standard. The revision strengthens Bluetooth Low Energy by pushing maximum bitrates to 7.5 Mbps, quadrupling the throughput of existing LE 2M technology. Compatible devices should arrive in stores from 2027.

This is good news for phone users, tablet users, laptop groupies, smart speakers and more. Bluetooth remains the most popular mid- and short-range wireless standard for connecting devices. But this is a significant rollout, and changes will begin with high-end wireless products, such as earbuds, followed by other applications.

These other applications could include spatial computing, exchanging AI-related information with local devices, connecting to health wearables, and a host of smart home applications, like playing Spotify through Amazon Echo Studio or dimming a smart light bulb.

“In practical terms, a smartwatch could sync hours of sensor-rich workout data to a phone in seconds. A smart home product could perform a firmware update with little visible downtime,” Damon Barnes, director of technical marketing at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, told CNET. “Smart glasses and other AI-enabled devices could exchange more data with a companion device or the cloud. And in audio, the additional capacity can support richer experiences, including high-resolution, lossless, surround, and spatial audio.”

A representative for the Bluetooth Special Interest Group did not respond to a request for comment.

What makes HDT Bluetooth so fast?

The biggest change in this update is a new physical layer for Bluetooth. The layers are like different sections of the Bluetooth protocol, and the physical layer is the foundation of the standard, the fundamental layer involved in transmitting and receiving data signals.

Improvements to the physical layer can have very significant effects on all Bluetooth communications. In this case, the new modulation schemes allow the physical layer to handle data more efficiently and transmit more data at once, which is why the speed increases are so significant.

These improvements also make the new standard more efficient, saving battery life in many applications. So your smart lock can last longer before you need to replace the AA batteries, the earbuds won’t need to return to their case as quickly, and so on.

When and what you can expect with Bluetooth HDT

We know that the first flagship devices should appear with this technology in early 2027, but we don’t have an exact date.

Barnes also told Use that since the update starts with wireless audio, the first devices to see it will be headphones, earbuds, and speakers.

With protocol changes like this, it can take a while for new products to come to market, and it can take a long time for manufacturers, even years, to adopt them.

Tyler Lacoma

Senior Editor / Home Security & Smart Home

Tyler has worked, lived with, and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tips, and top recommendations. With degrees in business management, literature, and technical writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technologies, push smart devices to their limits, and occasionally throw cameras off his roof—all to find the best devices to trust with your life. He’s always checking in with the tenants (and pets) in his life to see which smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation. Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest technologies in all kinds of weather conditions and temperatures. But when he’s not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying a new cooking recipe for loved ones, keeping up with his favorite reads, or playing games with good friends.

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