The Google Pixel Watch 3 has emerged as the first Android device to introduce Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a feature that allows for precise distance tracking to a centimeter level. This innovation marks a significant enhancement over traditional Bluetooth signal strength measurements, providing a more accurate way to locate items. Although the watch has received the update enabling Channel Sounding following its Wear OS 5.1 upgrade, the feature is not currently implemented, likely in anticipation of the upcoming Find Hub app.
In December 2022, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced Bluetooth 6.0, which introduced Channel Sounding for accurate distance measurement between devices. While this feature holds promise for item tracking, at the time, no Android devices seemed to support it. However, the Google Pixel Watch 3 has now been confirmed to support Channel Sounding, a capability revealed after its recent system update.
Most current Bluetooth devices utilize signal strength measurement to approximate distance, which proves unreliable due to interference factors. By contrast, Channel Sounding delivers centimeter-level accuracy by assessing the time taken for a signal to travel between two devices. This precision is especially valuable for item tracking, which often struggles with traditional methods.
Although Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology provides a more accurate tracking experience, it comes with increased complexity and costs, leading to limited adoption among Android devices. Channel Sounding, which is supported by nearly all mobile devices, offers a practical alternative. Yet, most existing devices lack the necessary firmware updates to utilize this feature, with the Google Pixel Watch 3 being a notable exception.
While the Pixel Watch 3 stands out for its Bluetooth Channel Sounding capability, there is currently no evidence that it is actively being utilized. This is likely because Google has yet to launch the Find Hub app for Wear OS. The app is anticipated to leverage the Channel Sounding feature, particularly for tracking devices that do not support UWB.
With the impending release of Android 16, which will include APIs to facilitate tracking technologies, the full potential of Channel Sounding may soon be realized, provided it meets the performance standards set by Google.
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