Qualcomm announces wireless audio chipset QCC305x for improved noise reduction and battery life

     The number of wireless earbud brands and products is too large to count, but one of the reasons we are seeing explosive growth in new and existing manufacturers entering this business is the Bluetooth Audio SOCs offered by Qualcomm, including the QCC5100 and QCC30xx series. Qualcomm will introduce the QCC305x, the latest chipset in its wireless portfolio. Unsurprisingly, it's a more powerful chip, with four more powerful cores compared to the three of its predecessor, the 304x. This additional processing power will now enable earbud manufacturers to offer adaptive active noise cancellation and support for using wake words to proactively use features like Alexa or Google Assistant.

     The new chipset now also supports Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive with audio resolution up to 96kHz and support for aptX Voice for echo cancellation and noise suppression with 3 microphones for clearer calls while users are on the go. Despite the increase in power, Qualcomm also promises to provide all-day battery life, but in the end, it is up to each manufacturer to adjust their equipment accordingly.

     The new chipset is also designed to support the upcoming Bluetooth LE audio standard. The new standard isn't finalized yet, but it promises features like being used to transmit multiple simultaneous audio streams from a single device - which is useful for wireless earbuds - and support for personal audio sharing, so that music from your smartphone can be shared with those around us. There's also location-based sharing that allows public places like airports and gyms to share Bluetooth audio with visitors.

     For Bluetooth LE Audio, it's still too early to determine the details of its functionality, but in a press conference ahead of today's announcement, Qualcomm emphasized that its new chip will be ready for it once the standard is approved.