Bluetooth SIG has announced the next version of the Bluetooth interface, Bluetooth 6.0. In particular, the new version offers more accurate location tracking and improved security.
While Bluetooth 5.0 and its “decimal” revisions focused on improving the sound quality and reliability of wireless headphones, Bluetooth 6.0 focuses on accurate location tracking and better privacy protection. One of its big innovations is the Bluetooth Channel Sounding feature, which determines the distance between two devices by using an oscilloscope that sends radio signals between the two devices at different frequencies to calculate the distance. The Bluetooth SIG says the feature can determine distance to the nearest centimeter, similar to UWB (Ultra Wideband) technology.
Brands and developers can use Bluetooth 6.0 in their hardware to improve the location tracking of subjects. Once it starts appearing in laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart watches or wireless headphones, it will increase the accuracy and reliability of Find My Device networks operated by Samsung, Google, Apple or Tile. With the new Bluetooth version, they do not need smart locators, digital keys or smartphones need UWB.
Since Apple launched a smart pendant AirTag, there are ohledně privacy and security concerns, especially since AIRTAGy are also used for tracking and car theft. The mentioned fThe Bluetooth Channel Sounding function can prevent these security issues by measuring the distance between the vehicle and the digital key and limiting its functionality to a certain distance, thus avoiding man-in-the-middle attacks.
It is unclear at this point when the first new devices with Bluetooth 6.0 will hit the market, but it should not be long. It is expected that the next generation of Samsung’s smart pendant will use the new version of the Bluetooth Galaxy Smart Tag.