Ceva Leads Next Gen Location: First IP Provider to Achieve Bluetooth 6.0 Qualification with Channel Sounding, Strong Momentum with 10+ Customers

Rhea-AI Summary

Ceva (NASDAQ: CEVA) announced it is the first IP provider to achieve Bluetooth 6.0 qualification with Channel Sounding, a capability already adopted by more than 10 customers as of Oct 15, 2025. The release highlights Channel Sounding’s decimeter-level positioning, improved resistance to interference and spoofing, and Isochronous Adaptation Layer and Frame Space Update enhancements for lower latency and higher throughput.

Ceva positions this Bluetooth 6.0 IP alongside its NeuPro NPU IP to enable on-device AI and "Physical AI" use cases across automotive, industrial, IoT, and AR/VR, and cites ABI Research projections for increased Bluetooth device shipments through 2030.

Positive

• First-to-qualify Bluetooth 6.0 IP with Channel Sounding
• Adopted by more than 10 customers as of Oct 15, 2025
• Portfolio synergy: Bluetooth 6.0 paired with NeuPro NPU for on-device AI
• Claims to power more than 1 billion devices annually with Ceva-Waves IP

Negative

• Customer base for Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding currently limited to more than 10 customers

Insights

Wireless connectivity strategist

Ceva's Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding qualification and early customer traction strengthen its IP leadership in high‑accuracy positioning.

Ceva achieved a concrete product milestone as the first IP vendor qualified for Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding and reports adoption by more than 10 customers; it also positions this IP alongside its NeuPro NPU offering. This creates a bundled product proposition for semiconductor and OEM customers that need both high‑accuracy wireless positioning and on‑device processing.

Risks and dependencies include customer integration timelines and how quickly OEMs ship silicon using this IP; the press release gives no revenue, timing, or contract terms. Watch for public design wins, announced silicon shipments, and customer validation over the next 6–18 months to confirm commercialisation and revenue conversion.

Edge AI product analyst

Combining Channel Sounding with on‑device NPU IP builds a clearer technical pathway to context‑aware edge devices, but commercial impact remains to be proven.

Channel Sounding delivers decimeter‑level positioning claims and, per the release, improves resistance to relay and spoofing when processed locally with IMU and vision data via Ceva's NeuPro NPU. That technical stack maps directly to use cases cited: digital keys, asset tracking, AR/VR latency, and indoor robot navigation.

Key near‑term signals to monitor are confirmed design wins, engineering milestones from the >10 customers, and any disclosed silicon or product launch dates; absent those concrete metrics, treat this as a product leadership and roadmap advancement rather than immediate financial evidence. Expect meaningful validation signals within 2026 if customers proceed to tape‑out and sampling.

Ceva strengthens its leadership as a trusted single source for advancing the smart edge, with Bluetooth® 6.0 Channel Sounding for secure spatial awareness enabling on-device intelligence and Physical AI

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As industries demand greater positioning accuracy, security, and reliability for wireless connectivity, Bluetooth® 6.0 emerges as a critical enabler for next-generation high performance applications. Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge today announced it is the first IP vendor to achieve Bluetooth® 6.0 qualification with Channel Sounding support. Already adopted by more than 10 customers, this milestone sets a new benchmark for secure, high-accuracy positioning and proximity capabilities in automotive, industrial, and IoT markets. Ceva also offers NeuPro™ NPU IP, providing its customers a single trusted source for both wireless connectivity and on-device AI to enable context-aware devices and Physical AI - intelligence that senses and acts in the real world. 

Market Drivers for Bluetooth 6.0 Adoption

The demand for secure, high–accuracy positioning and robust wireless performance is accelerating across multiple sectors. In automotive, Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding enables digital key solutions with secure access control. In industrial environments, it supports asset tracking and automation with improved reliability in harsh conditions. For IoT and consumer markets, Channel Sounding enhances location–based services, smart tracking, smart access, and next–generation audio experiences. According to ABI Research, Bluetooth innovations such as LE Audio and Channel Sounding will help drive the market to more than 8.5 billion Bluetooth-enabled device shipments annually by 2030*.

Key Bluetooth 6.0 Features Supported by Ceva-Waves IP Include:

• Channel Sounding for High-Accuracy Positioning: Enables precise location tracking for use cases such as automotive digital keys, asset tracking, and industrial automation, with improved resilience to interference and spoofing, and with robust performance in challenging multipath environments
• Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISOAL) Enhancements: Improvements for larger data frames to be transmitted in smaller packets, enabling reduced latency and improved reliability of LE Audio streaming
• Frame Space Update: Shorter interframe space between packets to increase further the user throughput

Why Channel Sounding Matters for AI: Independent Context-Aware Intelligence 

Channel Sounding delivers precise, secure distance awareness between connected devices, enabling decimeter-level accuracy, while maintaining robust protection against relay and spoofing attacks. When combined with on-device AI, this spatial signal becomes a critical input for perception and decision-making at the edge, enabling context-aware intelligence without cloud dependency. By processing Channel Sounding data locally alongside IMU, vision, and other sensors, devices can increase positioning accuracy, reduce latency, preserve privacy, and save power. This capability also lays the foundation for Physical AI - machines that perceive, reason, and act in the real world, unlocking new classes of edge devices such as autonomous mobile robots for indoor navigation, smart access systems with intent-aware authentication, AR/VR wearables delivering ultra-low-latency spatial experiences, and industrial automation solutions that enhance safety and efficiency.

"Bluetooth 6.0 ushers in a new era for the smart edge, with Channel Sounding enabling secure, decimeter-level positioning and enabling spatially aware devices," said Tal Shalev, Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless IoT Business Unit at Ceva. "As the first IP provider to qualify Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding and a single source for both wireless connectivity and edge AI NPUs, Ceva helps customers accelerate time-to-market, reduce complexity, and create smarter, safer, and more immersive user experiences."

Industry Perspective

"Bluetooth Channel Sounding will apply to consumer, enterprise, and industrial settings alike, enabling a new wave of location–based services and secure access solutions," said Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director at ABI Research. "With Bluetooth innovations such as LE Audio and Channel Sounding expected to help drive more than 8.5 billion Bluetooth–enabled device shipments annually by 2030, these advancements will be critical for applications like digital keys, smart access, asset tracking, and industrial automation, where both accuracy and security are paramount."

Ceva-Waves Bluetooth IP solutions are widely adopted by leading semiconductor and OEM companies, powering more than 1 billion devices worldwide annually. The addition of Bluetooth 6.0, together with Ceva's extensive portfolio of Wi-Fi, UWB, cellular and NPU IPs, further strengthens Ceva's position as a trusted partner for connectivity and AI in the smart edge era.

For more information about Ceva's Bluetooth IP portfolio, visit https://www.ceva-ip.com/product/ceva-waves-bluetooth/.

*Source: https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/service/wi-fi-bluetooth-wireless-connectivity

About Ceva, Inc.

At Ceva, we are passionate about bringing new levels of innovation to the smart edge. Our wireless communications, sensing and Edge AI technologies are at the heart of some of today's most advanced smart edge products. From Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB and 5G platform IP for ubiquitous, robust communications, to scalable Edge AI NPU IPs, sensor fusion processors and embedded application software that make devices smarter, we have the broadest portfolio of IP to connect, sense and infer data more reliably and efficiently. We deliver differentiated solutions that combine outstanding performance at ultra-low power within a very small silicon footprint. Our goal is simple – to deliver the silicon and software IP to enable a smarter, safer, and more interconnected world. This philosophy is in practice today, with Ceva powering more than 20 billion of the world's most innovative smart edge products from AI-infused smartwatches, IoT devices and wearables to autonomous vehicles and 5G mobile networks.

Our headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland with a global customer base supported by operations worldwide. Our employees are among the leading experts in their areas of specialty, consistently solving the most complex design challenges, enabling our customers to bring innovative smart edge products to market.

Ceva: Powering the Smart Edge™

Visit us at www.ceva-ip.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube,Facebook, and Instagram.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ceva-leads-next-gen-location-first-ip-provider-to-achieve-bluetooth-6-0-qualification-with-channel-sounding-strong-momentum-with-10-customers-302584203.html

SOURCE Ceva, Inc.

FAQ

What did Ceva announce on October 15, 2025 about Bluetooth 6.0 (CEVA)?

Ceva announced it is the first IP provider to achieve Bluetooth 6.0 qualification with Channel Sounding and said the IP is adopted by more than 10 customers.

How does Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding affect positioning accuracy for CEVA customers?

Channel Sounding provides decimeter-level positioning and improved resilience to interference and spoofing for high-accuracy use cases.

What industries does Ceva say will benefit from Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding (CEVA)?

Ceva cites automotive (digital keys), industrial (asset tracking, automation), IoT, consumer devices, AR/VR, and autonomous indoor robots.

How does Ceva combine Bluetooth 6.0 with on-device AI (CEVA)?

Ceva pairs Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding data with its NeuPro NPU IP to enable local context-aware intelligence and Physical AI without cloud dependency.

What technical Bluetooth 6.0 features does Ceva-Waves IP support (CEVA)?

Ceva lists Channel Sounding, Isochronous Adaptation Layer (ISOAL) enhancements, and a shorter Frame Space Update for higher throughput and lower latency.

Does Ceva cite market projections for Bluetooth growth tied to these features (CEVA)?

Yes; Ceva references ABI Research forecasting Bluetooth innovations helping drive more than 8.5 billion Bluetooth-enabled device shipments annually by 2030.