The next major update to Bluetooth is long overdue, but it’s finally coming with new features and improvements.

Bluetooth is everywhere now. First released in 1998, Bluetooth has made its way into nearly every modern gadget, including phones, laptops, speakers, mice, keyboards, gaming controllers…

Which explains why development is slow and methodical. The last update to Bluetooth came out in 2016, meaning it’s been almost a decade since Bluetooth 5.0 and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the next since.

Fortunately, Bluetooth 6.0 is now just around the corner, and it looks like it’s going to be a good one with some ingenious features. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) recently shared some details about one such feature, which we’re really excited about.

Related: Oh, that’s why it’s called ‘Bluetooth’!

More precision when locating devices

One of the most exciting features in Bluetooth 6.0 is called “Channel Sounding,” which makes it possible to locate lost devices and/or other objects with much more precision than previous versions of Bluetooth. In fact, you’ll be able to locate them down to the centimeter.

And this device detection feature isn’t just for close-range uses — it will be able to work across long distances and be just as effective. If it lives up to the hype, this improvement could significantly improve devices like Apple’s AirTag and apps like Google’s Find My Device.

Bluetooth 6.0’s Channel Sounding could even find its way into more types of devices that need protection against loss, such as remote controls (which somehow tend to disappear without a trace).

Apple actually already uses the necessary ultra-wideband technology to determine exact positions and is therefore ahead of the competition. However, Bluetooth 6.0 will allow other providers to catch up.

If you want to learn more about the technical details of Channel Sounding, read about it in this comprehensive overview.

Another cool Bluetooth 6.0 feature

Bluetooth 6.0 also promises a few other features that seem quite promising. For example, audio stream quality can be improved in real time with “Isochronous Adaptation Layer” (ISOAL). This will also reduce latency and ensure smoother audio transmission.

Currently, the audio quality of Bluetooth is already being improved with LE Audio, which not only reduces latency but also synchronizes the simultaneous transmission of image and sound.

When is Bluetooth 6.0 being released?

As of this writing, there are currently no official plans or announcements as to when Bluetooth 6.0 will be released. However, based on these new details, we assume it won’t be much longer now.

Experts previously expected Bluetooth 6 to be available for devices starting 2025, but manufacturers already have access to it so we might be seeing it in upcoming products sooner than that.

Further reading: The best Bluetooth wireless earbuds