While Galaxy phones and tablets include high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs like aptX, SSC, and SSC UHQ, none of them support truly lossless audio. That could change in the future, as the Bluetooth SIG is working on several audio technologies, including high-resolution and lossless audio without the need for third-party audio codecs.
The Bluetooth SIG, which oversees the development and licensing of Bluetooth, has revealed that it is working on several enhancements that will arrive in the future.
Future versions of Bluetooth will bring native support for high-resolution, lossless, and spatial audio
Samsung Semiconductor
It is also working on several wireless audio enhancements that could be included directly in future versions of Bluetooth. These include high-resolution audio, lossless audio, spatial audio, surround sound, and sound exposure monitoring.
Using codecs like aptX Lossless and LDAC and spatial audio technologies like Dolby Atmos require wireless earbuds makers to pay a certain licensing fees to respective brands. If Bluetooth SIG brings native support for lossless and spatial audio, brands won't have to pay a licensing fee, and they can make earbuds and headphones cheaper.
Bluetooth SIG
Enhancements to Auracast’s coverage and capacity are also being developed. The Bluetooth SIG is creating a standardized method for Bluetooth Auracast-based audio devices that do not have a display, such as Bluetooth hearing aids, allowing them to join audio broadcasts more easily.
Native support for voice assistants, faster data rates, and wired connection-like latency
Native support for voice assistants is also being added to Bluetooth. This will allow Alexa, Bixby, Gemini, and other voice assistants to be integrated into Bluetooth earbuds and headphones more easily, which will benefit brands that manufacture such devices.
Samsung
Higher data transfer speeds of up to 8Mbps will be possible using Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) with the High Data Throughput PHY mode. This will significantly increase data transfer speeds between devices. Currently, the maximum speed is limited to 2Mbps with Bluetooth 5.x.
Bluetooth currently operates in the 2.4GHz spectrum, but the Bluetooth SIG is developing support for Bluetooth LE in the unlicensed mid-band spectrum, including 5GHz and 6GHz, similar to Wi-Fi. This could bring notable performance improvements.
The Bluetooth SIG is also working on making human interface devices (HIDs) such as wireless gaming controllers as fast as wired controllers by reducing latency. It plans to support polling rates as high as 1000Hz, which are often seen in high-end gaming mice with custom USB receivers. This could make controllers, keyboards, mice, and other sensors more responsive for AR, MR, and VR devices.
It is not yet clear when these enhancements will arrive or which Bluetooth version will include them. Some features could arrive sooner, while others may take several years. However, it is interesting to see the amount of development underway to improve the flexibility and performance of the Bluetooth standard.
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