The next major version of Bluetooth is here. Bluetooth 6.0 was announced by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the body governing Bluetooth's development, on Tuesday. This next big version of Bluetooth brings more accurate location tracking, and that could make object trackers like the Galaxy SmartTag 2 more precise.
Future Galaxy SmartTags could get more accurate with Bluetooth 6.0
While Bluetooth 5.0 and its minor revisions focused on improving the audio quality and reliability of true wireless earphones, Bluetooth 6.0 focuses on location tracking accuracy and privacy. One of its big features is Bluetooth Channel Sounding, which determines the distance between two devices using phase-based ranging, which sends radio signals between two devices at different frequencies to calculate the distance. The Bluetooth SIG says it can determine centimeter-level accuracy, similar to Ultra Wideband (UWB).
Brands and developers can use Bluetooth 6.0 in their hardware to improve object location trackers. Once it starts appearing in laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and wireless earphones, it will enhance the accuracy and reliability of Find My Device networks from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Tile. With this version of Bluetooth, location trackers, digital keys, and smartphones may not need UWB at all.
Watch the Galaxy SmartTag 2 review in our video below.
Ever since Apple's AirTag was launched, there have been privacy and security concerns, especially since AirTags were used to track and steal cars. The Channel Sounding feature in Bluetooth 6.0 can address those security concerns by measuring the distance between a vehicle and a digital key and limiting its functionality to a certain distance, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks.
Devices like wireless keyboards, mice, and wireless earphones can detect the distance between you, your phone, and your desktop/laptop to automatically recognize which device you are actively using. Based on that, they can switch between active and inactive states or switch from one device to another, making your life easier.
