Home › News ›

Qualcomm's Broadcast Audio and TrueWireless Stereo Promise to Make Bluetooth Buds Way Better

Article Comments

Feb 21, 2018, 7:30 AM by Eric M. Zeman

Qualcomm today introduced two improvements to audio technology that should improve the experience of listening to music wirelessly. First, Broadast Audio will let people stream Bluetooth to more devices. The one-to-many streaming technology, which is proprietary to the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform, allows one Bluetooth source to stream audio to numerous headsets or speakers with "near perfect" synchronization. The idea is to allow one person to push music via Bluetooth to multiple speakers, headphones, or other devices. Qualcomm claims Broadcast Audio delivers simpler pairing, connecting, and managing devices; support for dozens of devices in range; and automatic retransmission and packet-loss concealment for a drop-out-free listening experience. Qualcomm's TrueWireless Stereo technology is the second audio tech on deck and is meant for truly wireless products, such as ear buds. The technology broadcasts Bluetooth content to each bud independently to eliminate the need for any wires whatsoever. (Many ear buds maintain one Bluetooth connection between the phone and the primary bud, and retransmit from the main bud to the secondary bud.) TrueWireless Stereo can deliver a good experience no matter the smartphone platform, and gives people the option to switch the role of earbuds between primary and secondary in order to balance power consumption for improved playback time. Qualcomm's TrueWireless Stereo tech is meant to be used with the recently-announced QCC5100 series Bluetooth SoC, which can help reduce power needs for voice calls and streaming audio by 65%. Broadcast Audio and TrueWireless Stereo are already available to developers and device makers.

Related

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is Qualcomm's New Flagship Chip

Nov 30, 2021
Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the company's flagship chipset to power 2022's top-end phones. The chip is the successor to the Snapdragon 888, but uses the new single-digit + generation naming scheme the company recently announced.

Google Intros Pixel Buds Pro

May 11, 2022
Google today announced the Pixel Buds Pro, the company's first wireless earbuds with ANC (active noise cancellation). Like most competing buds, they offer a Transparency Mode that lets you hear your surroundings if you wish.

Samsung Upgrades its Wearables

Aug 10, 2022
Alongside its new foldable phones, Samsung has revealed its newest smartwatches and Bluetooth earbuds, each with significant engineering improvements. The new Galaxy Watch5 has a 13% larger battery and 60% more durable face compared to the Watch4.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Redefines AI in Flagship Phones

Nov 15, 2022
Qualcomm has announced its newest top-end chip, intended to power most flagship-level Android phones in 2023. As expected, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is more powerful and power-efficient across the board (compared to Gen 1), but the most impressive improvements and new features involve AI.

Google Intros $99 Pixel Buds

Jun 3, 2021
Google today announced the Pixel Buds A-Series, a new model of the company's true wireless earbuds that keeps most of the features of last year's Pixel Buds, but brings the price down from $179 to $99. The new A-series has a similar design for both the buds and charging case.

Comments

This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.

No messages

Page 1 of 1