New iPhones might get dual Bluetooth audio, report claims

Upcoming iPhones might get the ability to send Bluetooth audio to two different devices. 

This is according to a report by Japanese blog Mac Otakara (via MacRumors), which cites sources from the Asian supply chain. 

You can already connect one iPhone to several Bluetooth devices — a watch, a speaker, a car — but you currently cannot send Bluetooth audio to two different audio devices. 

With this new functionality, two users could listen to tunes on one iPhone using two pairs of AirPods. Or you could have the phone send GPS directions to a car’s audio system, while transmitting audio to a pair of headphones at the same time. 

The feature sounds nifty but isn’t exactly new — Samsung phones which support Bluetooth 5.0 already have it under the “Dual Audio” moniker. 

Unfortunately, Mac Otakara does not say which iPhones might get this functionality, but we’re not exclusively talking about future iPhones. Certain iPhone models, including iPhone XS, iPhone X and iPhone 8 have Bluetooth 5.0 on board, so it might be possible for Apple to bring the functionality to these phones, as well as some upcoming models. 

Other rumors about the new iPhones, which are likely coming in September in three flavors (5.8-inch and 6.5-inch models with OLED screens, and a 6.1-inch model with an LCD screen), include a triple rear camera, bigger batteries and reverse wireless charging.