They can be summarized as follows:

Scalability: IPv6 has 128 bits addresses versus 32 bits IPv4 addresses. So the number of available IP addresses multiplies by 7.9 * 10²⁸. IPv6 offers a 2¹²⁸ space (340.282.366.920.938.463.463.374.607.431.768.211.456). To understand what this cipher implies, we only have to calculate how many IP addresses we could get by each square meter of the land surface: 665.570.793.348.866.943.898.599.

Security: IPv6 includes security in its specifications like information encryption and the authentication of the source of this information.

Real time applications: To provide real time traffic better support (i.e. videoconference), IPv6 includes flows labeled in its specifications. By means of this mechanism, routers can recognize the end-to-end flow to which transmitted packets belong to.

Plug and Play: IPv6 includes, in its standard, the "plug and play" mechanism, to facilitate to users the connection of their equipments to the network. The configuration is automatically made.

Mobility: IPv6 includes more efficient and stronger mobility mechanisms.

More clear and optimized specifications: IPv6 will follow IPv4 good practices and removes not used or obsolete IPv4 characteristics, getting an optimization of Internet protocol. The idea is getting good things and removing bad ones of present protocol.

Addressing and routing: IPv6 improves the addressing and routing hierarchy.

Extensibility: IPv6 has been designed to be extensible and offers optimized support for new options and extensions.