Qualcomm, the chipmaker today introduced the QCC3026, which is a flash-programmable Bluetooth Audio System-on-Chip (SoC) that is designed to reduce power consumption by up to 50% compared to previous generation entry-level flash devices. Qualcomm says that the new SoC is engineered to balance functionality and cost to help manufacturers simply and quickly develop and launch feature optimised truly wireless headsets. These days manufacturers are removing the 3.5mm headphone jacks on smartphones, paving the way for the wireless audio. Qualcomm says that the QCC3026 is particularly well-suited for phone manufacturers as they're removing the standard headphone jack from their smartphones, leaving consumers a non-wired solution to listen to the music.
"With this new design, phone OEMs can provide quality sounding earbuds at a cost point that allows them to package them in the box with, or alongside, their latest smartphones providing an overall more compelling offer to consumers," said Qualcomm in a press release. Also, Oppo, the Chinese brand today announced its first wireless stereo earbuds, the Oppo O-Free, based on the Qualcomm QCC3026 SoC with Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo support. Oppo also stated that the earbuds would be included inside the retail box of Oppo Find smartphones.
The Qualcomm QCC3026 SoC enables truly wire-free listening experience, and the enhanced Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo protocols together with an improved radio are designed to deliver a robust overall wireless connectivity, from handset to earbud as well as between the earbuds themselves, which is very important both when making calls and listening to music.
Furthermore, Qualcomm promises an easy pairing experience and balanced power distribution between earbuds for lower overall power consumption and longer usage time. And paired with Qualcomm aptX audio technology, the new SoC is rated to deliver high-quality audio over Bluetooth 5.0. In addition, the new SoC also comes with support for digital assistant applications such as voice services accessibility via button-press activation, relaying the audio stream and voice control capabilities to a handset to process and execute commands.
Qualcomm also confirmed that the reference designs based on the QCC3026 SoC are expected to be available in the second half of 2018 from several ODMs to help manufacturers launch entry-level and mid-tier wireless headsets quickly and at affordable prices.
