Qualcomm is working on two new chips for wireless earphones

Qualcomm is working on two new socs for wireless bluetooth earphones for both expensive and cheaper earbuds. Both chips will receive support for voice assistants. According to Qualcomm, it is the first time that cheap earphones socs can handle this.

The ultra-low-power Bluetooth SOCs will be called QCC541X and QCC304X, Qualcomm writes. The latter in that range is the cheapest. Both chips will receive support for TrueWireless Mirroring, hybrid active noise cancellation and voice assistant support. The difference between the chips is how they interact with that voice assistant.

The Mirroring technology ensures that of the two wireless earphones, one is connected to the phone via bluetooth. The other earpiece mirrors the connection. According to Qualcomm, the soc has been developed to be able to switch quickly to the earpiece that has the bluetooth connection with the phone. The chipmaker mentions the example of an earbud that is removed from one ear, where the other earpiece quickly takes over the Bluetooth connection. The mirroring technology also ensures that only one Bluetooth device appears in the user’s overview.

With the active noise canceling, users can choose to let some of the outside noise seep in. According to Qualcomm, this function works well enough to also be able to use it while exercising or in the office. Anc would have a ‘minimal effect’ on battery life, according to the chipmaker.

The difference between the two SOCs is that the QCC541X has support for a voice assistant that can be activated with a voice command, such as ‘Ok Google’ for Google Assistant. The QCC304X chip cannot be activated with a voice command. To do this, the user must press a button. According to Qualcomm, it is the first time that an entry-level earphones soc has support for voice assistants.

Earlier this week, Samsung also showed new chips for wireless earphones. These are power controllers that offer similar support to Qualcomm’s Mirroring technology. The Samsung chips are said to be smaller, leaving more room for batteries. The Samsung Pmics can also be used by other wireless earphone manufacturers.