From classic Bluetooth to low-power Bluetooth, Bluetooth audio devices will focus on dual-mode operation

The audio field is one of the key application areas of Bluetooth technology. ABI Research predicts that the annual shipment of Bluetooth audio peripherals will reach 1.5 billion in 2027, including over 730 million true wireless stereo earphones, 208 million voice control front ends, 192 million speakers, and 179 million hearing aids.
According to radio technology, Bluetooth audio peripherals can be classified into pure classic audio (Bluetooth Classic) devices, dual-mode audio devices, and pure low-power audio (Bluetooth LE) devices.
Before 2021, classic Bluetooth technology dominated the market, with shipments accounting for nearly half. Classic Bluetooth (BR/EDR) is the first generation of Bluetooth radio, which has the characteristics of high transmission rate (up to 3 Mbps) and long communication distance (up to tens of meters), as well as advantages in anti-interference, stability, security, and cost. Therefore, it can achieve high-quality audio and data transmission, and is used for audio streaming, printers, car keys, keyboards, mice, etc., especially audio streaming.
Low power Bluetooth was proposed by the Bluetooth Technology Alliance when it released the Bluetooth 4.0 standard in 2020, and its emergence also means that Bluetooth audio has entered the era of low power consumption. The Bluetooth Technology Alliance believes that by 2028, 97% of Bluetooth devices will support low-power Bluetooth.
Although the communication distance and data transmission rate of low-power Bluetooth are not as good as classical Bluetooth, with a data transmission rate generally below 1Mbps, its most obvious advantage is that it can complete communication under lower power consumption conditions. The connection delay is also reduced to 6ms, and the maximum output power is 10mW. It is suitable for low-power devices with short transmission distance and high requirements for device battery life. More importantly, low-power audio also provides Auracast ™ The application of broadcast audio provides a foundation and brings a brand new audio experience.
Currently, most Bluetooth chip manufacturers support classic Bluetooth or low-power Bluetooth in their products. For example, Ruiyu's RTL8762E series supports 2.4GHz private and low-power Bluetooth protocols, with adaptive frequency hopping characteristics and latency less than 1ms.
Currently, with the emergence of low-power Bluetooth, many Bluetooth chip manufacturers have added dual-mode wireless solutions to audio products. Dual mode refers to classic Bluetooth+low-power Bluetooth, which is also considered one of the ways to transition from classic Bluetooth audio to low-power audio.
In terms of chip manufacturers, Tailingwei's TLSR951x and TLSR952x series not only support classic Bluetooth, but also offer multiple solutions such as BT and BLE dual-mode coexistence, and multi-channel BT coexistence. Juxin Technology has also launched the Bluetooth headphone chip series product ATS301X, which is a dual-mode Bluetooth 5.3 single chip solution. The power consumption during regular audio playback can be as low as 5.5mA, and the Bluetooth audio signal delay is less than 50ms.
As more and more chip manufacturers launch dual-mode wireless solutions, the shipment volume of dual-mode audio devices will also continue to increase. Compared to single-mode audio solutions, dual-mode Bluetooth audio solutions can better help manufacturers expand product penetration in the market, thereby enhancing market competitiveness.
It is worth mentioning that the dual-mode solution can achieve new Auracast broadcast audio functions. Currently, Bluetooth chip manufacturers such as Tailingwei and Juxin are laying out Auracast broadcast audio functions to enhance their product's technological competitiveness.