LE Audio is expected to drive significant growth in device sales and use cases over the next five years due to its ability to enhance Bluetooth Audio performance, support a new generation of hearing AIDS and enable Bluetooth Audio sharing. According to the “The latest information on the Bluetooth market in 2021” report, the completion of LE Audio technical specifications in 2021 is expected to further strengthen the Bluetooth ecosystem and drive greater demand for Bluetooth headsets, speakers and hearing aid devices, with annual shipments of Bluetooth Audio transmission devices expected to grow 1.5 times between 2021 and 2025.
New trends in audio communication
By eliminating the need for cables to connect devices like headphones and speakers, Bluetooth has revolutionized the audio field, and changed the way we use media and experience the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that Bluetooth audio transmission has become the largest area of Bluetooth technology solutions. As the demand for wireless headphones and speakers continues to rise, the annual shipments of Bluetooth audio transmission equipment will be higher than all other Bluetooth solutions. It is expected that the annual shipments of Bluetooth audio transmission equipment will reach 1.3 billion in 2021.
Wireless headphones, including in-ear headphones, are leading the audio transmission device category. According to analysts' predictions, LE Audio will help expand the Bluetooth in-ear headset market. With a new low-power and high-quality audio codec and support for multiple streaming audio, LE Audio is expected to further increase the shipments of Bluetooth in-ear headphones. In 2020 alone, the shipment of Bluetooth in-ear headphones has reached 152 million; it is estimated that by 2025, the annual shipment of the device will climb to 521 million.
In fact, Bluetooth headsets are not the only audio device that is expected to see a surge in the next five years. TVs are also increasingly relying on Bluetooth connectivity to provide high-quality home audio and entertainment experiences. It is estimated that by 2025, the annual shipment of Bluetooth TV will reach 150 million. The market demand for Bluetooth speakers also maintains a growing trend. At present, 94% of speakers use Bluetooth technology, which shows that consumers have a high degree of confidence in wireless audio. In 2021, the shipment of Bluetooth speakers is expected to approach 350 million, and its annual shipment is expected to increase to 423 million by 2025.
A new generation of Bluetooth audio technology
Based on two decades of innovation, LE Audio will enhance the performance of Bluetooth audio, support for Bluetooth hearing aids added, and also add the innovative application of Bluetooth® Audio Sharing, and it will change again the way we experience audio and connect us to the world in a way we have never seen before.
LE Audio will accelerate the adoption of Bluetooth hearing aids. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, about 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of hearing impairment, and the gap between those who need hearing aids and those who already use hearing aids is still widening. LE Audio will provide hearing-impaired people with more choices, more accessible, and truly global interoperability hearing aids, thus playing an important role in bridging this gap.
Bluetooth audio sharing
Through broadcast audio, an innovative feature that enables a single audio source device to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of audio receiver devices, Bluetooth audio sharing will allow users to share their Bluetooth audio with nearby friends and family Experience can also enable public places such as airports, bars, gyms, cinemas and conference centers to share Bluetooth audio with visitors to improve their experience.
Through broadcast audio, an innovative feature that enables a single audio source device to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of audio receiver devices, Bluetooth audio sharing will allow users to share their Bluetooth audio with nearby friends and family Experience can also enable public places such as airports, bars, gyms, cinemas and conference centers to share Bluetooth audio with visitors to improve their experience.
People will be able to listen to the audio broadcast on the TVs of airports, bars and gyms on their own headphones through location-based Bluetooth audio sharing. Public places will use Bluetooth audio sharing to meet the needs of more individuals in large places and support a new generation of hearing aid systems (ALS). Cinemas, conference centers, lecture halls and religious places will also use Bluetooth audio sharing technology to help visitors with hearing impairments, while also being able to translate audio into the listener's native language.
