Qualcomm's new S5 and S3 audio platforms tout lower latency, lossless audio

The new sound platforms feature Qualcomm's third-generation adaptive active noise cancellation capabilities.

What you need to know

• Qualcomm announced today two new audio platforms that support its Snapdragon Sound technology.
• The S5 and S3 sound platforms include 16-bit lossless CD-quality audio, stereo recording via earbuds and multipoint bluetooth wireless connectivity.
• It also features gaming mode with 68ms low latency audio and low-energy audio for sharing and broadcasting.
• Customer samping with commercial products will begin in the second half of 2022.

Qualcomm aimed to redefine the wireless audio experience for consumers with the launch of the Snapdragon Sound end-to-end platform early last year, allowing smartphone and audio OEMs to integrate its latest innovations. Today, the semiconductor giant expanded its Snapdragon Sound solution with two new audio platforms.

The S5 and S3 audio platforms combine traditional Bluetooth and the new low-energy (LE) audio technology standard to significantly improve audio quality when listening to music using the best wireless earbuds, headphones and mobile devices. Its Bluetooth LE audio capabilities also enable broadcasting to an unlimited number of devices and sharing of audio stream in a secure environment.

These audio SoCs also take advantage of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 mobile platforms, FastConnect 6900 and the new 7800 subsystem to "deliver the ultimate wireless sound experience," according to James Chapman, vice president and general manager for voice, music and wearables at Qualcomm.

What this means is that the firm uses those technologies to support hi-fi Bluetooth music playback at up to 24-bit 96kHz. Qualcomm also touts a 16-bit 44.1kHz lossless Bluetooth audio experience and 32kHz super wideband voice call quality.

The new audio platforms also feature 68ms ultra-low latency gaming mode, which Qualcomm says is 25% lower than the previous generation. Consumers can also record content in stereo sound with their earbuds.

Qualcomm also addresses a previous flaw in Snapdragon Sound, namely the lack of multipoint pairing for concurrent Bluetooth connections. Qualcomm's third-generation adaptive active noise cancellation capabilities are included in the S5 and S3 platforms.

Xiaomi and iQOO are the first smartphone brands to incorporate these audio platforms into their mobile devices. As a result, you can expect to see the S5 and S3 SoCs in the Xiaomi 12 series and iQOO 9 range.

Qualcomm says it will begin sampling the S5 and S3 platforms' commercial versions to customers in the second half of 2022.