At the recent Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm revealed its latest audio technology – the Qualcomm S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 Sound platforms. These new chipsets are set to transform the audio experience for earbuds, headphones, and speakers, offering improved performance, energy efficiency, and advanced connectivity.
These platforms incorporate robust on-device AI, making them smarter compared to their predecessors. With six times more processing power and nearly 100 times more AI capacity, they promise superior audio quality without depleting your device’s battery.
The S7 Pro Sound platform introduces Qualcomm’s XPAN technology and low-power Wi-Fi. Essentially, this innovative technology leverages low-power Wi-Fi to extend the range of Bluetooth earbuds, speakers, and headphones. It can detect the quality of a Bluetooth connection and seamlessly switch to Wi-Fi when you move beyond Bluetooth’s range. Qualcomm XPAN also delivers high-quality audio at 48 kHz and 96 kHz without any loss of quality, ensuring minimal latency when watching or listening.
The S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 Sound platforms enhance quick-response noise cancellation, support multiple audio channels, and operate efficiently. This translates to the best noise cancellation performance to date, particularly in noisy environments like offices or cafes. The noise cancellation adapts automatically to remain effective even if the earbud shifts or surrounding noise conditions change suddenly.
The new platform architecture unlocks a new level of performance while maintaining ultra-low power consumption. Key features include almost 100 times more AI power than the Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform, dedicated AI and audio curation cores, a high-quality stereo audio codec, and 4th Generation Qualcomm Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. These platforms also support Bluetooth 5.4 radio, Bluetooth LE Audio experiences, and enhanced audio development workflows through a USB High-Speed PHY at 480 Mbps.
Additionally, Qualcomm’s XPAN Technology allows for micro-power Wi-Fi connectivity, providing seamless transitions from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi, offering data rates of up to 29 Mbps, and supporting Snapdragon Sound for high-quality music streaming over Wi-Fi.
In related news, Qualcomm has unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip for upcoming flagship smartphones.
