Bluetooth SIG Promotes First Ever Auracast Experience at MWC 2023 in Barcelona

In 2022, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the Auracast extension of the Bluetooth LE Audio specifications, combining audio sharing and broadcast audio into a new term that would make it easier to promote. The audio innovation promises to propel audio streaming forward by letting users share their audio or select from publicly available Auracast wireless audio streams. At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona the technology was demonstrated in a practical manner for the very first time.

Nordic Semiconductor has used the latest trade shows globally to showcase its latest low power wireless solutions, and introduced a series of new development solutions targeting Bluetooth LE Audio. At the Embedded World Exhibition that took place in Nuremberg, Germany, Nordic offered demonstrations of its new nRF5340 Audio Development Kit (DK), a design platform for rapid development of LE Audio products, and the Nordic Thingy:53 a rapid prototyping solution, both based on Nordic’s nRF5340 SoC.

CEVA announced that its latest RivieraWaves Bluetooth 5.3 IP family now supports Auracast broadcast audio, the new audio sharing standard, based on the Bluetooth LE Audio broadcasting specification, unveiled by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). According to CEVA, Auracast broadcast audio is set to transform the shared audio experience, enabling an unlimited number of Auracast receiver-compliant devices such as TWS earbuds, headphones, hearing aids and wireless speakers to simultaneously receive audio broadcast from one or several Auracast transmitter devices.

There’s a lot happening in the true wireless stereo (TWS) category and this market update article intends to provide a quick overview of the state-of the-art technologies and platforms in the space, as well as some reference approaches in product design. This audioXpress Market Update addresses what is happening in this vibrant product category in 2021.

In early March 2021, following a series of announcements in development platforms and solutions for wireless audio, Qualcomm announced Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, a new end-to-end approach to promote high-resolution digital audio and enhanced voice communications across devices. The systems' approach combines and optimizes multiple Qualcomm technologies for mobile platforms, processing, connectivity, plus the latest aptX Adaptive audio technologies needed to improve the sound experience for consumers. But how can manufacturers and new brands benefit? Will there be a lossless extension for aptX Adaptive? We asked the questions to Jonny McClintock, Director of aptX Sales & Marketing at Qualcomm.

Tempow, the Bluetooth-specialist, Paris-based startup, announced a new partnership with Zhuhai Jieli Technology, a leading chipset manufacturer in the TWS Bluetooth SoC segment. Jieli Technology is joining Tempow's chipset partner program to deploy TempowOS, an operating system for True Wireless Earbuds, on its flagship AC897N and AD697N extreme low power Bluetooth TWS solutions.

At CES 2020, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the upcoming release of LE Audio, the next generation of Bluetooth audio. Two years on the making, Bluetooth LE Audio will enhance the performance of wireless audio, add support for hearing aids, and introduce Audio Sharing, a new use case with the potential to once again change the way we experience audio and connect with the world around us as Bluetooth did when it cut the cord 20 years ago to create the wireless audio market.