INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Qualcomm has unveiled two new Bluetooth audio systems-on-a-chip (SoC) aimed for use in true wireless headphones
The QCC514X and the QCC304X are ultra-low-power chips designed for mid-tiered and entry-level headphones, respectively, with both supporting
Qualcomm's TrueWireless Mirroring technology.This technology allows just a single earbud to connect wirelessly to a handset via Bluetooth,
which the other 'bud can then mirror
This allows the user to remove the connected 'bud and still continue listening without interruptions via the mirrored one.The new chips also
feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which could make the feature standard in the more affordable true wireless 'buds that end up using
could enable the use of ANC for extended periods without making a huge impact on battery life.Qualcomm says that the noise-cancellation tech
(dubbed "hybrid ANC") also allows for "leak-through" for outside noise, which seems to be equivalent to the transparency (or ambient) modes
available on the current crop of more premium noise-cancelling headphones
This means that headphones using the new Qualcomm chips will allow external sounds to pass through the 'buds so users know what's
happening around them.The chips also bring voice assistant support with them, but this is where they differ from each other
The more premium QCC514X features always-on voice support, while the entry-level QCC304X has push-button voice activation
Either way, the new SoCs could see voice assistant support become more accessible on low-cost earbuds.So if you've been hankering after a
set of Apple AirPods Pro or Sony's WF-1000XM3 true wireless 'buds, you may want to wait as these new Qualcomm chips will soon be making
their way into upcoming headphones and could save you a pretty penny.
