Bluetooth SIG Launches Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Detection for Centimeter-level Positioning Accuracy

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), the organization responsible for developing Bluetooth standards, announced the specifications for Bluetooth 6.0 this week. The new version is expected to positively impact indoor navigation, device tracking, and item finding applications.

A highlight of Bluetooth 6.0 is its channel detection feature, allowing Bluetooth devices to detect each other's channel usage and then determine the direction and distance of devices based on the condition of the channel.

This feature is described as a true distance-awareness innovation, capable of achieving centimeter-level accuracy over "considerably long" distances.

Apple's Find My network, which relies on Bluetooth and ultra-wideband technologies, is expected to significantly benefit from the improvements in positioning accuracy, especially for indoor finding scenarios, with the advent of Bluetooth 6.0.

In addition to channel detection, the Bluetooth SIG has also added an extra layer of security to the new version's authentication features to enhance safety, which will be particularly useful for scenarios involving Bluetooth digital keys.

As is customary, the new version of Bluetooth will continue to increase transmission efficiency, for example, by supporting larger data frames and reducing latency for audio applications. New devices supporting Bluetooth 6.0 are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2025 or 2026.