Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update will upgrade the Bluetooth stack

Windows 10 Redstone is a huge upgrade, and even brings a number of new features for Windows 10 Mobile.

At WinHec 2016 Microsoft revealed some new improvements to the Windows 10 Mobile Bluetooth stack.

The main one of interest to our readers would be the upgrade of the AVRCP profile from version 1.3 to 1.5.

The Audio-Video Remote Control Protocol lets users control music from a Bluetooth A2DP headset or car head unit.

The current version in Windows 10 Mobile is 1.3 which allows control devices to see the status of the music source (playing, stopped, etc.) and metadata information on the track itself (artist, track name, etc.).

The new stack features version 1.5, and was introduced to Insiders in March in Windows 10 Mobile Build 14283.

It brings the ability for devices to browse and search media and playlists on devices, allowing the Kenwood DDX4016DAB head unit above for example to browse the Now Playing playlist on your phone.

It also brings support for Absolute Volume, where turning the volume control on your head unit would adjust the volume on your phone.

Other changes are better support for Bluetooth Beacons and support for Factory Pairing of devices, allowing companies for example to pre-pair Bluetooth styluses to devices at ship time.

The changes in the Bluetooth stack is likely why the Microsoft Band has been having some issues,  and we hope of course that Microsoft is able to smooth out all these issues before ship time July this year.