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.

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Android users can call the new Google Keep widget on the desktop to efficiently manage notes and to-dos. Support for PDF annotations has been added to the Google Drive app, which can be done with a stylus or a finger on a touchscreen.

The Google Meet app can enable noise cancellation during calls; Fast Pair will let you connect Bluetooth headphones to your Chromebook with a single click; Share them as stickers; Google Wallet also has some new animations to confirm the success of your in-store transactions.

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Google is working on a new Bluetooth distance measurement API that will allow users to know how far their Bluetooth accessories are from their smartphones. Mishaal Rahman of Esper discovered the new Bluetooth distance measurement API and Google has added its code to the AOSP.

While the accuracy of the distance measurement is not precise, the new Bluetooth distance measurement API will tell the approximate location, i.e. whether the user’s smartphone is more or less than 1 meter away from the Bluetooth accessory. Significantly, the new API will use Bluetooth RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) to measure the distance between the phone and the connected device.

However, this is different to how Apple’s AirTag tracker works, which will indicate for the user the correct direction of the missing Bluetooth accessory and also whether it is approaching. In terms of Google’s Bluetooth distance measurement feature, expect to wait until Android 14 to see early signs of it or its full debut.

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