Bluetooth HDT Lifts Low Energy Speeds to 7.5 Mbit/s in 2027

The first target is premium audio, expected in 2027: lossless, high-resolution, multichannel and spatial sound. For comparison, an audio CD runs at about 1.41 Mbit/s, while SBC, which carries music over classic Bluetooth, tops out at 328 kbit/s. HDT could carry high-resolution lossless audio natively, where proprietary codecs such as LDAC or aptX are needed today. The SIG also points to watches, health and fitness devices, smart homes, extended reality and AI devices. Transferring a file of several megabytes could drop from about 16 to 4 seconds.

New hardware required

HDT changes the radio hardware itself, so no software update can add it to an existing device. Both phone and earbuds must carry a compatible chip, and because the feature is optional, manufacturers are not obliged to include it in every model. Most earbuds still stream music over classic Bluetooth, with a usable throughput of around 2.1 Mbit/s. Low-energy audio, on which HDT builds, has only been spreading since 2024.

A draft of the specification has circulated among manufacturers for a year. Realtek showed a first HDT test bench with Rohde & Schwarz in March 2026 and plans compatible components. Qualcomm says its FastConnect 8800 chip supports HDT, and Nordic Semiconductor is also positioning itself. The first chips and earbuds could appear at CES in January 2027.

With more than 5 billion Bluetooth products shipped each year by SIG members, old and new devices are likely to coexist for a long time. Current earbuds stay at 2 Mbit/s, and standardized lossless Bluetooth audio will need a new phone and new headphones together.