Silicon Labs Provides Insight Into
What We Can Expect From Bluetooth®
Technology Next Year

Silicon Labs is a major contributor to the wireless connectivity space for the IoT. Their integrated hardware and software platforms, intuitive development tools, and ecosystem support positions them to build advanced industrial, commercial, and home and life applications.

This month, I had a chance to speak with Parker Dorris, Silicon Labs Bluetooth product manager about how they have used Bluetooth® technology to enhance their innovations in 2024 and what they expect to see from Bluetooth connectivity in 2025.

Q&A With Parker Dorris From Silicon Labs

Looking back on 2024, what do you think was the most exciting Bluetooth technology moment, innovation, or development?

Reflecting on 2024, two of the most exciting developments in Bluetooth technology have been the release of Bluetooth® Core 6.0 and the demonstration of Auracast^™ broadcast audio.

We were particularly excited about the adoption of Bluetooth® Core 6.0 because of the introduction of Bluetooth Channel Sounding, which we are seeing broad and enthusiastic interest in.  It’s a technology that inspires developers to think of new features to add to products, supports transformative user experience enhancements, and provides methods to increase safety for human-machine interface (HMI).

It was satisfying to work toward bringing a solution to market in 2024; we are just getting started. Next year we expect to see a steep ramp of new use cases enabled by Bluetooth Channel Sounding.

We are also excited to see the progress Auracast^™ broadcast audio has made toward market adoption. This is a significant development in Bluetooth LE Audio, fundamentally expanding the concept of audio streaming to include connectionless, one-to-many use cases.

What were the biggest Bluetooth highlights for Silicon Labs in 2024?

One of our key focuses this year has been bringing the latest Bluetooth® Core 6.0 to the market. This is primarily driven by our support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding technology. It is very exciting to now provide interoperable, high-accuracy, and secure distance estimation using Bluetooth Channel Sounding. We offer a single antenna solution which is more suitable for applications that require lower power consumption like an asset tracker. A dual antenna solution, which is ideal for size-constrained applications like key fobs, will be available in early 2025.

Looking back at 2024, we have had significant developments and announcements that reestablish our commitment to creating wirelessly connected devices that transform industries and IoT.

What notable Bluetooth success stories or case studies can you share from this year?

We had quite a few success stories with customers who used our Bluetooth technology. One of them is CareMedi. The company wanted to provide a patch-type insulin pump with a 3mL drug reservoir and ±5 percent injection accuracy using an ultra-small, low-power, electroosmotic pump developed with CareMedi’s original core technology. By integrating a Silicon Labs Bluetooth enabled wireless SoC and module, they created a flexible, reliable, and wireless-controlled insulin pump that gives users unprecedented flexibility and control over their insulin infusion without compromising energy efficiency, comfort, or affordability.

Another success story is our collaboration with CoreHW. Location services has always been a big focus for Bluetooth technology, and CoreHW aimed to develop comprehensive locationing solutions that offer real-time precise positioning with low latency and seamless scalability for various tracking needs. We provided a low-energy option that supported high-accuracy Bluetooth Direction Finding hardware and software algorithms, enabling CoreHW to create a unique RTLS solution. This solution delivers industry-leading positioning accuracy and supports new use cases with lower overhead costs.

What Bluetooth technology trends had the most significant impact in 2024?

Bluetooth has seen transformative developments this year, and, as a company that strives to keep innovating and always ahead of the curve, Silicon Labs has kept up with these innovations and trends.

The rise of Ambient IoT and energy harvesting and high-accuracy distance measurement with Bluetooth Channel Sounding have definitely been two highlights. Many companies are looking for sustainable, battery-less, and power-efficient solutions for their devices, which led to us developing our most power-efficient, energy-conservation-focused series of SoCs.

Moreover, we introduced support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding, unlocking a new realm of possibilities for devices that rely on location tracking, proximity awareness, and distance estimation while ensuring the most interoperable and secure performance to date.