Bluetooth LE Gets a Speed Boost to 7.5 Mbps With High Data Throughput
The Bluetooth SIG has added the optional feature to Bluetooth Core 7.0, with the first supporting devices expected around 2027.
The Bluetooth SIG has formally added Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) as an optional feature of Bluetooth Core 7.0, raising the maximum bit rate of Bluetooth LE from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps. The main target is wireless audio, enabling higher-resolution streaming and spatial and multi-channel surround sound without proprietary formats, with the first supporting devices expected around 2027. The article also presents faster transfers as a way for smartwatches to sync health and fitness data with less battery drain, for spatial computing and XR devices to work without Wi-Fi, and for personal AI devices to hand data to a phone so they can be made smaller. It adds that firmware updates on wearables and smart home accessories could be quicker and less disruptive.
Why it matters
For people who follow wireless technology, the change is a step up in what Bluetooth LE can carry, moving it well past its previous 2 Mbps ceiling. The biggest expected gains are in audio, where higher-resolution and surround sound could stream without proprietary wireless formats, and in wearables, which could sync more health and fitness data without losing battery life. Since the feature is optional and the first devices are not expected until 2027, the practical effect will take years to reach everyday hardware.
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