The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) that oversees the wireless standard has formally adopted Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) as an optional feature of the Bluetooth Core 7.0. It’s an upgrade the Bluetooth SIG has been previewing over the past year that increases Bluetooth LE’s maximum supported bit rate from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps. It will allow for higher resolution audio to be streamed but also improvements to battery life and reliability.
Bluetooth is getting a big boost to data transfer speeds
The maximum bit rate of Bluetooth LE will increase by nearly four times.
The maximum bit rate of Bluetooth LE will increase by nearly four times.
The primary application for Bluetooth HDT will once again be for wireless audio, with the first devices supporting the new feature expected to appear sometime in 2027. The increased bit rate will support high-resolution audio but also new wireless audio experiences including spatial audio and multi-channel surround sound without requiring proprietary wireless formats.
Bluetooth HDT will benefit other wireless devices beyond headphones. Smartwatches could sync more training, health, and fitness data…