The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has just announced that it has completed the final specifications for Bluetooth LE, a next-generation version of the Bluetooth audio specification that promises extensive performance improvements for future earphones and headphones like the upcoming AirPods Pro. Manzana.
What is the difference between the new Bluetooth LE specification and the previous version? One key upgrade is the new LC3 codec, which was designed to allow for better sound at lower data rates. According to the Bluetooth SIG website, LC3 "will give developers considerable flexibility, allowing them to make better design trade-offs between key product attributes such as audio quality and power consumption."
Auracast: Bluetooth audio sharing made easy
Another big change that LE will bring is Auracast, a technology that can transmit a synchronized audio stream to multiple headphones. With Auracast, a group of friends can "tune in" to a single stream simultaneously, allowing them to listen to the same music, podcast, TikTok video, or whatever sound they want to hear.
The benefits of Auracast also extend to television, as Bluetooth LE transmitters can be integrated into televisions. This would allow multiple viewers to use headphones to watch the same show, with the volume adjusted to their personal tastes, or spatial audio enabled, if they so choose. There is no need for a sound bar or other heavy external audio platform in this scenario.
Bluetooth SIG has plans for Auracast that extend outside the home as well. Video screens in public spaces could remain “silent”, with associated audio streaming wirelessly for anyone with Bluetooth LE-enabled headphones or headphones. And the process to achieve this would be similar to public Wi-Fi, where you use your phone's settings to connect and start streaming.
Other primary uses for Auracast would be museum exhibits, where visitors could choose to stream a curated tour, and concerts, where attendees could access a "personal" mix that sounds cleaner and is easier to listen to. Bluetooth LE and Auracast also have far-reaching implications for the hearing impaired who would otherwise have difficulty listening to music, movie soundtracks, and various types of public audio such as airport announcements.
(*2*)Review: Bluetooth LE is here, but will it be on AirPods Pro 2?Apple tends to do things its way, so we're skeptical lossless audio will make it to the AirPods 2. (That and the fact that there's no evidence to follow in the iOS 16 beta to the contrary. ). This is despite the fact that the entire Apple Music library has been upgraded to lossless audio and subscribers can access higher resolution tracks at no additional cost.
But Apple products support basic Bluetooth, and Bluetooth LE is the next-generation version of the technology, so it seems likely that it will appear in upcoming Apple products like the AirPods Pro 2.
Regardless of Apple's plans, Bluetooth LE promises to improve personal listening for all of us and bring a new level of flexibility through Auracast that enables shared audio experiences and improved accessibility. It's hard to imagine a future AirPods variant not being part of this wave.