- Bluetooth 6.1 update has just announced
- I should improve the privacy of the device and battery life
- You can come to iPhones and Android devices as soon as this year
Your next phone could come with a new Bluetooth function that could make it difficult for you and increase your battery life at the same time, in a double victory for any of the best phones that incorporate it. And although we do not know its exact launch date, there is the possibility that we can see it this year.
The characteristic in a matter of the new Bluetooth 6.1 protocol is called random RPA updates, and it has just been announced as part of the Bluetooth update. In this case, RPA means a solute private direction, and it is this part that will have an impact on its privacy.
This is because under Bluetooth 6.0, the devices will change their directions of identifiers in an established timer, and this predictable process makes them easier to track. With the random RPA updates function of Bluetooth 6.1, these changes of direction will occur randomly, with an interval of between eight and 15 minutes (although this can be customized anywhere from every second at every hour). That eliminates the update pattern, which makes your device much more difficult to track and exploit.
This change also affects the battery life, since the process can be handled by the Bluetooth chip of your phone instead of your CPU. The lowest load in the processor of your device should translate to better efficiency, which in turn means a slower battery drain.
When will we see these changes?
Bluetooth 6.1 has just been revealed as part of the new biannual launch schedule of the protocol, but there is the possibility that we can see it in new devices as soon as this year.
Apple, for example, has a decent record to adopt new technologies in its products, so there is the possibility that we can see Bluetooth 6.0, or maybe even Bluetooth 6.1, in its iPhone 17 range.
Even so, 2026 feels a more likely date for Bluetooth 6.1 to debut on phones, both of the Apple and Android variety. Usually, with the new Bluetooth technology, it is better not to wait too soon.
However, when it arrives, it should bring benefits for both your privacy and the battery life of your phone, and that is a double bonus for us to wait.
