Qualcomm has just introduced its latest chipsets for Bluetooth audio – the Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2. These were introduced alongside the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 and the latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 at the Snapdragon Summit 2022.
Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2
The second-generation chipsets show Qualcomm’s continuing work on Bluetooth LE Audio. These can work hand-in-hand with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to transfer lossless audio.
The Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 support dynamic head tracking to enable spatial audio for more immersion. They also come with better Active Noise Cancellation that is paired with speech detection. This means when the audio devices hear that someone is talking to you, they will enable passthrough so you don’t have to disable ANC or remove your headset/earphone manually.
Additionally, the chipsets are built with gaming in mind with as low as 48ms latency. This is down from 68ms on their predecessors.
The audio chipset duo also supports Auracast, a Bluetooth version of FM radio. This uses a single transmitter to send to multiple receivers without pairing needed. The feature can be used for sharing music with friends, connecting to TVs outside the house, and more.
The Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 are designed for stereo headsets with lossless audio support for earbuds and headphones. They can also be used for wireless speakers. According to Qualcomm, audio products with the new chipsets are expected to arrive in the second half of 2023.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
