Qualcomm announces next-gen Bluetooth chips for true wireless earbuds

Chip maker Qualcomm announced its new ultra-low-power Bluetooth audio SoCs (Systems on a Chip) optimized for wireless earbuds and smart headphones. The two chips, one for premium and one for entry devices, feature integrated active noise cancelling technology, voice assistant support, and improved connectivity.

Better yet, the new Bluetooth chips promise a boost in efficiency and battery life. Qualcomm boasts a playtime of 13 hours from a 65mAh battery. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are among the wireless earbuds with best battery life, with up to 11 hours of music playback from a 85mAh battery.

The premium chip's main advantage over the budget one is support for Always on Voice (listening for a wake-word) while the entry and mid-tear chip offers push-button voice activation instead.

Hybrid Qualcomm Active Noise Cancellation (Hybrid ANC) is another major feature that promises better efficiency and due to its integration to the chip is going to allow for the release of cheaper earbuds and headphones with active noise cancellation.

Currently popular ANC earbuds are the Apple AirPods Pro, with 4.5 hours of battery life and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, which last up to 7 hours.

Qualcomm is best known in the tech community for its Snapdragon chips used on many flagships and mid-tier phones, with its newest being the Snapdragon 865, expected in many phones this year.