Qualcomm Makes Truly Wireless Experiences Simpler to Design for a Broader Range of Earbuds and Hearables

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., introduced the QCC3026, 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. The new SoC is also engineered to balance functionality and cost to help manufacturers simply and quickly develop and commercialize feature optimized truly wireless headsets, and extends the Company’s portfolio of low power Bluetooth audio solutions following the announcement of the flagship QCC5100 Bluetooth SoC series earlier this year.

“Consumers are eager for earbuds they can use all day, when they are at home, in the office or out and about without constantly needing to recharge. This latest addition to our portfolio is a very robust and cost-effective true wireless solution that is optimized for both superior sound quality and pricing value, and will allow our customers to put this exciting technology in the reach of millions of more buyers,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice & music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “We were early leaders in the development of true wireless technology and we continue to drive exciting innovation across our audio portfolio that meets the needs of this rapidly evolving and growing segment. Putting so much technology into such a small form factor is a big technology challenge and with this differentiated new offering we are helping even non-traditional Bluetooth wireless headphone customers, like mobile phone manufacturers, to rapidly add valued accessories to their product line ups.”

The QCC3026 is particularly well-suited for phone manufacturers, who, with the removal of the standard headphone jack from their designs, left consumers desiring a non-wired solution to listen to their 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.

OPPO, a fast-growing global mobile phone manufacturer, today announced their first wireless stereo earbuds based on the Qualcomm QCC3026 SoC with Qualcomm TrueWireless™ Stereo, and further announced that they will be included in the box with some of its flagship Find X phones which are also built on the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 mobile platform.

“Using the latest innovations from Qualcomm Technologies, OPPO is able to provide consumers worldwide with fashionable, high-quality devices at affordable prices,” said Listen Li, Director of Product, China Market, OPPO. “The new Qualcomm QCC3026 allows us to provide an exciting and great sounding totally wireless headset which we believe that on its own, or packaged together with our latest Find X smartphone will provide a compelling offer and heightened experience for buyers seeking a new phone, especially those who really care about the quality of their music.”

QCC3026 Technology and Ecosystem Highlights:

At its lower price point, the QCC3026 is able to deliver a compelling performance and low power consumption with the use of enhanced Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo technology.

Benefits of the new SoC include:

• A truly wire-free listening experience

• 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, important both when making calls and listening to music

• An easy pairing experience and balanced power distribution between earbuds for lower overall power consumption and longer usage time.

• Proven, consistent, high quality audio over Bluetooth with Qualcomm® aptX™ audio technology

• Readiness for digital assistant applications, with support for voice services available via button-press activation, relaying the audio stream and voice control capabilities to a handset to process and execute commands.

• Suppressed background noise and echo feedback with Qualcomm® cVc™ Noise Cancellation Technology for a quieter and more seamless user experience.

• Fully tested Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo application can be immediately deployed on the SoC with a wide range of features that can be readily configured or customized.

Reference designs based on the QCC3026 SoC are expected to be available in the second half of 2018 from several ODMs to help manufacturers commercialize entry-level and mid-tier wireless headsets quickly and cost-effectively. For additional information please visit https://www.qualcomm.com/products/qcc3026. 

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects, computes and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm TrueWireless is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. aptX and cVc is a trademark of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., registered in the United States and other countries.

Qualcomm QCC3026, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Qualcomm aptX, Qualcomm TrueWireless and Qualcomm cVc are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.