Are Your Bluetooth Devices Missing These Key Features? Here's Why - And Who To Blame

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The existent Bluetooth Core Specification is Bluetooth 6.2.
• It's up to manufacturers to merge nan latest Bluetooth features into products.
• Although Channel Sounding take is slow, Auracast take is gaining momentum.

I've attended 2 CES shows truthful far, and undoubtedly, nan astir informative gathering I've had is pinch nan Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Bluetooth is ubiquitous, but speech from connecting america to our devices wirelessly, nan exertion feels obscure and cryptic.

Also: What is Bluetooth 6.0? Why nan newest audio connectivity modular is worthy getting excited about

I talked pinch nan Bluetooth squad astir each things Channel Sounding, Bluetooth 6.0, and Auracast, and nan largest takeaway mightiness astonishment you: We're reasoning astir Bluetooth each wrong. Here's why.

Bluetooth 6.2 is here, truthful wherever are each nan caller features?

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The Bluetooth SIG precocious published Bluetooth 6.2. Key features see Shorter Connection Intervals, which alteration ultra-low latency for wireless peripheral devices, and Channel Sounding Resilience, which enhances information successful wireless cardinal applications. 

However, galore devices, particularly peripherals specified arsenic headphones, earbuds, smartwatches, and gaming mice and keyboards, don't execute arsenic good complete a Bluetooth relationship arsenic you'd expect. The Bluetooth SIG often announces promising features, but they're not successful your devices. Why? Manufacturers.

Also: Your Android telephone conscionable sewage a awesome Bluetooth upgrade for free - really it works

The Bluetooth squad told maine that implementing nan latest Bluetooth features wrong a Bluetooth Core Specification is simply a determination made wholly by manufacturers, moreover if a instrumentality contains nan latest Bluetooth version. Therefore, you shouldn't let a device's Bluetooth type to transportation excessively overmuch weight, because there's a chance nan shaper will omit nan champion features.

Channel Sounding was each nan rage. Where is it?

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Bluetooth Channel Sounding was a standout characteristic successful Bluetooth 6.0, demonstrating that nan Bluetooth SIG had developed a exertion to democratize Find My Device capabilities. Yet, respective Bluetooth 6.0 devices are now connected nan market, and nary of them advertise Channel Sounding successful a Find My Device context. 

As mentioned above, nan determination to see Channel Sounding is astatine nan discretion of manufacturers, sloppy of nan reason. However, applications of Channel Sounding are emerging successful the Bluetooth tracker and smart fastener industries. 

Also: Finally, Bluetooth trackers for Android users that usability moreover amended than AirTags (at a debased price)

At CES 2026, Motorola's Moto Tag 2 demonstrated really Channel Sounding, for faster instrumentality find and unafraid connections, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB), for precise location tracking, tin activity together to fortify nan tag's location and information features. 

The Bauer Products NE-CS smart RV lock, besides announced astatine CES 2026, incorporates Channel Sounding. The Bluetooth exertion offers improved region consciousness betwixt nan fastener and nan cardinal device, arsenic good arsenic enhanced information to forestall interference and vulnerabilities. 

Also: I replaced my deadbolt pinch this Apple HomeKey smart fastener - and it's an iPhone user's dream

At nan show, Bauer demonstrated really a Google Pixel 10 smartphone pinch Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility tin unlock nan NE-CS smart fastener via Bluetooth. 

However, envisioning a world wherever each your Bluetooth devices are consolidated into a single, ample Find My Device ecosystem whitethorn beryllium far-fetched, astatine slightest for nan adjacent respective years. Consider this: Bluetooth Auracast was announced successful 2022, pinch wide take gaining nan astir traction successful 2025, pinch much anticipated successful 2026. Channel Sounding has a measurement to go.

You should attraction connected Auracast for now

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Consumer audio enthusiasts should stay excited astir Auracast, a awesome Bluetooth characteristic that enables audio to beryllium broadcast from 1 instrumentality to an unlimited number of receivers. If you've purchased headphones aliases earbuds wrong nan past 3 years, these devices mightiness already incorporate nan hardware basal to beryllium compatible pinch Auracast, moreover via an over-the-air package update.

Also: Your Sony headphones conscionable sewage a useful Bluetooth upgrade pinch nan latest package patch

Newer audio devices are being introduced to nan marketplace pinch Auracast, allowing consumers to entree a scope of broadcasting features. Because smartphones, headphones, earbuds, and proceeding immunodeficiency each support Bluetooth, consumers tin usage its standardized audio broadcasting exertion to bypass marque lock-in. Auracast's features see broadcasting audio from a listening device, specified arsenic a smartphone, to respective Bluetooth speakers. 

Other applications of Auracast see privately connecting proceeding devices to nationalist broadcasts, specified arsenic PA announcements successful airports aliases train stations; connecting earbuds aliases headphones to a TV successful a sports bar; aliases sharing audio from your smartphone pinch a adjacent friend's headphones aliases earbuds.

Also: I switched to a Bluetooth Auracast receiver for my location theatre setup - and person nary regrets

Applications of Auracast are besides extending to location theater. For example, Sennheiser's BTA1 receiver connects to a TV and tin broadcast its audio to an infinite number of Auracast-enabled receivers, opening listening opportunities to Bluetooth speakers, headphones, proceeding aids, and earbuds successful your home. I spot this mentation of Auracast arsenic astir useful to group pinch proceeding loss, group who want a manufacturer-agnostic solution for at-home backstage listening, and group who want to create a group of rear speakers from Bluetooth speakers.

Google and Android person been notable adopters of Auracast successful smartphones, pinch respective Android phones tin of acting arsenic Auracast transmitters, sharing audio pinch others, aliases serving arsenic assistants, acting arsenic a middleman betwixt a receiver and a transmitter.

Several Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, headphones, and proceeding immunodeficiency are compatible pinch aliases tin beryllium updated to beryllium compatible pinch Auracast. More brands are expected to adopt nan exertion this year.