There's potentially bad news for owners of the Google Pixel 8a: it looks as though the Auracast feature that's arriving with Android 15, which enables phone-to-phone audio sharing via Bluetooth, might not be available on the 2024 mid-ranger.
This news comes from Android Authority and well-known code digger Mishaal Rahman, and is based on an analysis of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which forms the foundation of the various flavors of Android shipped by phone manufacturers (including Google).
While there are switches in AOSP to enable Auracast for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, there isn't one for the Pixel 8a – or indeed for any other Pixel phone, including the Google Pixel 7, which suggests that older handsets will miss out.
That would be a shame, especially as the Pixel 8a and Pixel 7 have the necessary Bluetooth LE Audio technology needed to make Auracast work. None of this is certain for now, but it's a concerning sign for users of Pixel phones other than the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro.
Auracast explained
Auracast is a Bluetooth technology that's been around for a while now, and Samsung added it to its TVs and earbuds last year. It essentially creates an audio hotspot – so audio from a TV or phone can be shared with multiple receiving devices at the same time.
That means, for example, the whole family could listen to movie audio on individual headphones, or several of your friends could tune into a podcast you're playing on your phone, all via wireless audio streaming.
It should work well in public spaces like airports and hospitals too, but you need headphones and speakers that support the standard. We were impressed by the technology when we tested it out earlier this year at CES 2024.
Google hasn't officially announced that Auracast support will be part of Android 15, but the signs are there in the code. Let's hope that if and when it does appear later this year, the audio-sharing upgrade will be available on as many phones as possible.
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