The new Bluetooth calling technology for Android is about to take a quantum leap forward, with ultra-wideband voice technology that will make your voice clearer and more realistic.
Currently, even with the best wireless headsets, your voice is only average when transmitted to the other person’s ear, and even worse if you’re talking on the phone while driving. While Bluetooth technology has come a long way in terms of listening to music, there has been no breakthrough in terms of call quality. However, Android may bring a better calling experience to in-car devices.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman has discovered that a patch has recently been added to the Android open source project repository that implements features related to the Bluetooth hands-free profile v1.9. The profile, which is still in draft form, will extend the frequency range transmitted via hands-free devices from the current wideband voice (50Hz-7kHz) to ultra wideband voice (50Hz-14kHz), and uses the relatively new LC3 codec to do so. However, it has not yet reached full bandwidth reproduction (20Hz-20kHz), a level that most consumer Bluetooth audio devices can achieve.
Arguably, this is a huge leap forward in Bluetooth call quality. Of course, hardware manufacturers still need to follow suit, but at least a first step has been taken.
