The Bluetooth SIG adopted High Data Throughput, an optional feature of Bluetooth Core 7.0 that raises the top Bluetooth LE bit rate from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps. Its first flagship use is standardized lossless and multi-channel wireless audio, expected in 2027. The SIG hasn't said whether current devices can get it.
Bluetooth is getting a faster lane, and the first products that use it are expected in 2027. The Bluetooth SIG announced on November 4 that it has adopted Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT). The new physical layer raises the top Bluetooth LE bit rate to 7.5 Mbps, nearly four times the 2 Mbps of today’s fastest LE mode.
What the SIG announced
HDT is an optional feature in Bluetooth Core 7.0, the latest version of the core specification. At its center is a new physical layer with modulation schemes that move more data per link. The SIG says it targets four things: faster transfers, more capacity, better energy efficiency and more reliable links.
The first flagship use, which the SIG says is expected in 2027, is standardized premium wireless audio:
- Lossless and high-resolution audio as a standard Bluetooth feature that any maker can build in.
- Multi-channel surround and spatial audio.
- Faster everyday transfers for wearables, health and fitness trackers, smart home gear and peripherals, such as firmware updates and workout syncs.
The SIG also lists spatial computing, AI devices and industrial systems. Its announcement quotes supporting statements from Samsung Electronics and Nordic Semiconductor, which makes Bluetooth chips for many wearables. Engadget expects the first HDT device announcements as early as CES in January.
What the SIG did not say: whether earbuds, phones or laptops sold today can add HDT with a software update. Because HDT is a new physical layer, the radio itself, our inference is that most current devices will need new hardware. Treat that as unconfirmed until a chipmaker says so.
Buy earbuds for today’s calls and treat HDT as your next upgrade
Being optional matters. A device can be “Bluetooth 7.0” without HDT, so look for HDT by name on the spec sheet when the first products arrive. Both ends need it, the earbuds and the phone or laptop, before you get the extra speed.
For work, the gain shows up in music first. Call quality depends on the microphones, noise handling and fit far more than on link speed, so a pair bought this month for calls won’t age badly. If you need earbuds now, the picks in our best earbuds for calls and travel guide still hold, and Samsung’s open-ear Galaxy Buds On ships in early November at $229. If lossless audio from your phone is the reason you’d upgrade, wait for the 2027 products and the first independent tests.
I haven’t tested any HDT device. None are on sale yet.