Image Credits: Beebom
Apple eliminated the dependable headphone port from iPhones in 2016, and the Bluetooth wearables industry has gone a long way since then.
They are currently one of the world’s best-selling technology devices. Most of us now own a set of Bluetooth-enabled TWS earbuds for the ease of cordless listening.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) has now created a completely new technology that will elevate our TWS earphones to new heights.
Bluetooth Auracast Audio Broadcasting Technology is Now Available
The Bluetooth SIG has announced a new audio broadcasting technique named “Augmenting Reality Audio Broadcasting,” or simply Auracast, in an official blog post. TWS earphones and hearing aids that support this technology will be able to connect to any Auracast-enabled device at home or in public settings. Confused? Allow me to explain.
Bluetooth Audio sharing options on iOS and Android currently only enable users to connect up to two pairs of Bluetooth earphones at the same time to share audio with a friend or family member. Auracast allows users to connect more than two pairs of Bluetooth-enabled TWS earphones to share audio with many friends and family members at the same time.
Furthermore, Auracast will allow TWS-enabled earbuds and hearing aids to link to Auracast-enabled TVs, PAs, and other output devices in public settings, unleashing the full potential of wireless audio experiences. This allows users to quickly link their Bluetooth earphones or hearing aid devices to a muted TV at a mall or to an airport’s Public Address system to get critical flight information directly in their ears.
“For persons with any degree of hearing loss, hearing and interpreting speech in varied situations may be a daily struggle,” said Barbara Kelley, Executive Director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. “The introduction of technologies such as Auracast broadcast audio has the potential to provide people who wear hearing aids and cochlear implants with an essential new choice for hearing access in their daily lives,” she noted.
In terms of specifics, the Auracast technology is built on top of the current Bluetooth LE Audio protocol. Auracast, on the other hand, allows any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices in range to connect to a single output device, rather than restricting the maximum number of connectable audio devices to two.
According to Bluetooth SIG, users will be able to connect their Bluetooth earphones or hearing aids to devices in public settings via a technique similar to connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. Furthermore, the broadcast can be restricted to specified devices with the appropriate passkey.
Bluetooth SIG confirmed that the technology will be available to audio developers and OEMs over the next few months. Meanwhile, you can learn more about the technology by watching the video above or visiting the Auracast webpage.
