Nordic Semiconductor reported Thursday, Oct. 29, that two prototype systems-on-chip transferred a 2 MB file using Bluetooth High Data Throughput at about 3.8 Mbps in a test of a planned Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) upgrade.
In the desk test, the file took about four seconds to move over HDT, compared with 12 seconds on LE 2M and 22 seconds on LE 1M. Nordic used a 508-byte payload and measured average file-transfer throughput of about 1.4 Mbps on LE 2M and 0.76 Mbps on LE 1M. The company described the results as preliminary and said it plans more lab testing as work proceeds.
The comparison separates file-transfer performance from each mode’s maximum radio bit rate. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) says HDT’s maximum is 7.5 Mbps, while LE’s current maximum is 2 Mbps. The standards group is aiming to include HDT in a specification update expected in late 2026; that timing remains a target.
Nordic says HDT needs compatible radio hardware because the feature changes both signal modulation and packet design. Existing systems-on-chip therefore cannot gain HDT through a software update alone. Nordic plans to support the feature through its regular software and developer tools.
The gains may depend on the type of traffic. Nordic says larger transfers can use radio time more efficiently by spreading fixed transmission overhead across a bigger payload. Small messages sent repeatedly could see less improvement or move more slowly than on LE 2M, the company says.
Nordic lists wearables, smart-home products, PC accessories and hearing aids as potential applications. It also identifies bulk transfers and firmware updates as tasks HDT could speed. The company says Bluetooth 5.0 introduced LE 2M while retaining much of the earlier modulation and packet framework; HDT changes both.
Nordic plans to show the technology at electronica 2026 in Munich, Nov. 10–13, at booth C6 159.
