Qualcomm Partners with Audio Brands for Wireless Audio Innovations

Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., is a global enabler in the wireless audio space, driving technology innovation and offering an extensive portfolio of platforms and technologies to help OEMs meet rapidly-evolving audio consumer demands.

The State of Play Report 2020, a multi-geography survey including thousands of audio consumers, found that most continue to demand new use cases and capabilities from their wireless audio devices. With the worldwide explosion in growth of truly wireless earbuds, features including longer battery life, improved interoperability with the smartphone, active noise cancellation, wake word activated voice assistants and hearing enhancement are all becoming highly sought-after.

Additionally, the popularity of gaming and video media consumption has driven up the need for low-latency Bluetooth wireless audio connectivity. High-resolution audio continues to be a leading differentiator across audio devices. Consumer uptake of portable Bluetooth speakers remains strong, and features such as speaker networking, cloud-based voice assistants, superior sound quality and improved portability are most important.

With these fast-evolving demands in mind, Qualcomm Technologies International has delivered multiple technology advancements within our audio portfolio, which includes industry leading Bluetooth Audio System on Chip (SoC)s that offer ultra-low-power performance and superior Bluetooth connectivity alongside advanced processing capabilities. Our portfolio includes a suite of high-performance technologies, such as Qualcomm TrueWireless™ Mirroring, Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive, Qualcomm® cVc™ Echo Cancellation and Noise Suppression, Qualcomm® Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and support for wake word activated voice assistants, designed to further help audio OEMs create feature rich audio products.

“We are committed to helping our customers lead the way in the evolution of wireless audio. With this latest generation of devices, consumers around the world can enjoy richer sounding, more intuitive listening experiences and a wider range of use cases.” said James Chapman, vice president and general manager, Voice, Music, and Wearables, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “We engineered our highly-integrated platforms specifically so that audio brands can simplify the process of developing the next generation of complex, feature rich and robust Bluetooth audio products - with extended battery life even in the smallest form factors. We continue to invent smart, new audio tech for the future.”

Audio brands that have recently commercialized devices using our audio technologies include:

Audio Technica
AVIOT
Bang & Olufsen
Belkin
Cambridge Audio
Cleer
Earin
Edifier
GLiDiC
Jabra
JVC
Kakao Enterprise
NAVER
Marshall
Sennheiser
Yamaha
AVIOT
“AVIOT and Qualcomm Technologies International have long collaborated to deliver audio devices that elevate the true ‘Japan Sound.’ Our latest TE-D01g in ear device was designed to deliver the best-in-class connection by combining the Qualcomm® QCC3040 and aptX Adaptive which is Bluetooth 5.2 compatible to improve call quality and be used comfortably in telework,” said, Hirokazu Tsuchiyama, CEO, AVIOT. “We’re excited to continue to work closely to create truly differentiated products that utilize low energy but deliver high performance to bring heightened audio experiences to our customers.”

Belkin
"Over the last 30 years we've substantially evolved our audio portfolio from essential cables and adapters to more innovative acoustic products including wireless earbuds and smart speakers with built-in wireless charging,” said Melody Tecson, senior director of product management at Belkin International, Inc. "Working alongside Qualcomm Technologies International to develop our newest SOUNDFORM™ Freedom True Wireless Earbuds allowed us to continue the elevation of our audio collection and provide customers with premium sound quality, enhanced convenience and exceptional experiences."

Cambridge Audio
“Our close collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies International has helped us develop our latest Melomania Touch true wireless earbuds, which are designed to deliver the highest levels of audio quality and listening enjoyment. Melomania Touch features a groundbreaking High-Performance Audio mode, support for aptX, crystal clear-voice calls, and extended battery life” said James Johnson-Flint, CEO, Audio Partnership plc, trading as Cambridge Audio. “Working with the Qualcomm® QCC3020 SoC we have we have been able to truly innovate in this space by deploying real class A/B amplification for our best ever headphone listening experience.”

Jabra
“Recently we did something that has not been done in the industry before. Jabra updated an existing product line to include ANC via a free over-the-air update. Our Jabra Elite 75t series was activated to include ANC for existing users, applying to music and media playback through engineering with the help of Qualcomm Technologies. Taking advantage of the superior digital audio processor already available in Elite 75t and leading ANC know-how, Jabra has been able to deploy ANC in the existing product line, which was very well received by the users, and we thank Qualcomm Technologies International for the collaboration on this”, said Calum MacDougall, SVP Global Marketing at Jabra.

JVC
“As consumer expectations for always-connected and crystal-clear audio continue to dramatically grow worldwide, modern applications and devices face increasing challenges with respect to battery life, range and high-performance,” said Kenji Ejima, Engineering department General manager, JVCKENWOOD. “Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies International, allows us to deliver the latest capabilities in our devices, and continuously solidify our position in the market as leading providers that value and meet our customers’ needs.”

SB C&S
“As demand for devices with high quality sound, longer battery life and more immersive hearing experiences grows among global consumers, Qualcomm Technologies International has helped ensure our customers can experience the highest-quality entertainment on their smartphones and devices,” said Junji Ishikawa, Executive Director, SB C&S. “Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies International to utilize the QCC3020 and aptX to our GLIDiC Sound Air TW-7100 and GLIDiC Sound Air TW-5100, are another step forward in our long-standing collaboration to deliver world-class premium in ear device.”

Yamaha
“Yamaha and Qualcomm Technologies International. have long collaborated to bring limitless audio experiences,” said Ken Iwayama, General Manager of HS Development Dept, Home Audio Division, Yamaha Corp Japan. “The new TW-E7A, coupled with Qualcomm® QCC5124 and aptX audio, delivers to the consumer the ultimate wireless sound experience by combining comfort, quality and battery life.”