Upcoming firmware will enable Bluetooth 5.0 on HTC U11

The HTC U11 is about to get a major firmware update that brings some cool new features. One of them is Bluetooth 5.0 - apparently the hardware is there it just needed to be enabled, by doing this HTC U11 might become the third Bluetooth 5.0-enabled smartphone. HTC has submitted documents to the FCC to say that it intends to enable Bluetooth 5.0 on the U11 via a software update. “The major change is to enable Bluetooth 5.0 by software without any hardware change,” says HTC’s letter to the FCC. The letter was submitted on July 11th.

In case you’re wondering, the Samsung Galaxy S8 was the first device to ship with the Bluetooth 5.0 standard. Apart from the Galaxy S8/S8+, the Xiaomi Mi 6 and OnePlus 5 are also on the list of the devices to ship with Bluetooth 5.0 out of the box. Aside from the number update from 4.2 to 5.0, this newer Bluetooth technology brings along a lot of welcome improvements. Bluetooth 5.0 uses considerably less power than older versions, has a much longer range, and also uses a higher transmission bandwidth. Additionally, Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to play audio from your phone to two speakers simultaneously for stereo sound.

According to developer LlabTooFeR‏, the upgrade will bring 1080p60 Video mode and sRGB screen mode. It will also bring a newer security patch to keep the device safe. The U11 will be getting camera and performance tweaks, along with some adjustments to the Edge Sense interface

Unfortunately, while HTC is going through the process of updating the U11 to support Bluetooth 5.0, there’s no word on when the update will officially land on the handset.