Next generation of Bluetooth audio unveiled

Twenty years ago, Bluetooth cut the audio cord and created the wireless audio market. Today, the Bluetooth SIG has announced the upcoming release of LE Audio, the next generation of Bluetooth audio. LE Audio will not only enhance Bluetooth audio performance but add support for hearing aids and allow Audio Sharing, a completely new use case that is poised to transform the way we encounter audio and connect with the world around us.

“With close to one billion Bluetooth audio products shipped last year, wireless audio is the largest Bluetooth market,” said Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “The launch of LE Audio is a prime example of how the Bluetooth community is driving technology and product innovation and enabling delivery of even better and more capable Bluetooth Audio products.”

Bluetooth audio will be able to support two operation modes. LE Audio will operate on the Bluetooth LE radio while Classic Audio runs on the Bluetooth Classic radio. LE Audio will support the development of the same audio products and use cases as Classic Audio while adding new features to enhance their performance as well as facilitate new ones.

Low Complexity Communication Codec (LC3) for Higher Quality and Lower Power. LE Audio will incorporate a new high-quality, low-power audio codec. Offering high quality even at low data rates, LC3 will bring huge flexibility to developers, enabling them to make better design tradeoffs within key product attributes such as audio quality and power consumption.

“Extensive listening tests have shown that LC3 will provide improvements in audio quality over the SBC codec included with Classic Audio, even at a 50% lower bit rate,” said Manfred Lutzky, head of audio for communications at Fraunhofer IIS. “Developers will be able to leverage these power savings to create products that can provide longer battery life or, in cases where current battery life is enough, reduce the form factor by using a smaller battery.”