Bluetooth 6.1 Will Improve Privacy And Reduce IPhone Battery Use

JAKARTA The latest update in Bluetooth technology, namely Bluetooth 6.1, is expected to bring two significant changes: increase user privacy and reduce battery usage in iPhone accessories. Specifications for Bluetooth 6.1 are expected to be released in 2026, and this will have a major impact on Apple devices and other accessories.

Bluetooth 6.0 has previously introduced accurate distance tracking, similar to the Ultra Wideband feature on the iPhone. However, Bluetooth 6.1 brings a more important update, which is in terms of privacy. With this update, devices supporting Bluetooth will be able to randomly change their addresses, making device tracking even more difficult.

This new feature is called Randomized Resolvable Private Addresses (Randomized RPA). The previous version, Bluetooth 6.0, updated the address periodically at a predetermined interval, but Bluetooth 6.1 allows random address updates in a span of between 8 and 15 minutes. In fact, users can program this update time as needed.

In addition, another change presented by Bluetooth 6.1 is that the management of this address update can be done by the Bluetooth controller itself, not the device CPU. As a result, this process will reduce CPU power usage, which in turn will reduce power consumption on mobile devices, including iPhones.

It is estimated that the iPhone 17 model which will be launched next fall may already support Bluetooth 6 or even update to version 6.1. Apple often adopts the latest technology standards in their product releases, although sometimes it takes a long time to materialize.

However, third-party devices supporting Bluetooth 6 and other updates are likely to be available only in 2026 or after. Some devices with Updated Bluetooth firmware may be compatible with new standards faster.

Old Bluetooth device users are advised to check if their device can be upgraded to a newer version of Bluetooth. The reason is, devices that do not support the latest standards remain vulnerable to potential attacks.

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which is responsible for the development of Bluetooth specifications, is now following a two-times-a-year update schedule. The next update, namely Bluetooth 6.2, is expected to be released at the end of 2025.