The Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 sound platforms follow the company’s Qualcomm S3 and Qualcomm S5 sound platforms announced earlier this year at MWC. Qualcomm said the new sound platforms are the company’s “most advanced Bluetooth audio platforms to date,” supporting its Snapdragon sound technology and optimised for use with the new Snapdragon 8 generation SoCs.

These audio platforms bring a range of new features to Snapdragon Sound, including spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, improved lossless music streaming, and 48-millisecond latency between the phone and earbuds for lag-free gaming.

In addition to these features, the S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 support third-generation Qualcomm Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, and Adaptive ANC technology on the new audio platform includes Adaptive Transparency Mode with automatic voice detection, said James Chapman, vice president and general manager of voice, music and wearables at Qualcomm, speaking about the latest audio chips.

“The next-generation Qualcomm S5 and S3 platforms are designed to deliver the rich features that consumers want most, while also delivering ultra-low power performance. We were the first to offer lossless audio over Bluetooth and we have been innovating ever since. We learned from the 2022 ‘State of Sound’ consumer research process that more than half of consumers say they will be looking for support for spatial audio in their next set of wireless earbuds. I am pleased to say that we are bringing support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking to Snapdragon Sound technology, lossless audio to the new Bluetooth LE audio specification, and lower latency on our latest platforms.”

Qualcomm has already begun sampling the new Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 and Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 sound platforms to OEMs, and you can expect to see them in commercial products in the second half of 2023.

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Optimized to work with Qualcomm’s newly launched second-generation Snapdragon 8 mobile platform, these products are feature-rich and ultra-low power consumption, bringing new features to Snapdragon Sound Snapdragon Listen, including spatial audio support with dynamic head tracking, optimized lossless music streaming and an extremely low-latency gaming experience of 48 milliseconds between the phone and headset.

Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 offers a more high-end experience, while Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 targets mainstream audio accessories. The new chip works with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to deliver lossless audio from the phone to the user’s ears. The new chip supports dynamic head tracking for spatial audio for a more immersive experience.

Both Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 and S3 Gen 2 feature third-generation Qualcomm Adaptive Noise Cancellation, which will enable pass-through when the headset hears someone talking to you, so you can also hear outside sounds without having to manually turn off ANC.

The S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 chips are also designed with the gaming experience in mind, offering a faster-than-ever low-latency mode, down to just 48 ms from 68 ms in Gen 1, and a voice return channel for a high-quality in-game chat experience.

The S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 chips also support Auracast, which is the Bluetooth version of FM radio. A single transmitter can send signals to multiple receivers without prior pairing, just tuning. This can be used to share music with friends, connect to a TV outside the home (at the gym or airport, for example), listen to public radio in a variety of venues, and more.

Qualcomm’s S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 are designed for stereo headphones with lossless audio support as well as mid-range headphones that can also be used for wireless speakers.

The new audio platform also features a variety of connectivity standards, including Bluetooth LE Audio. Qualcomm is also working closely with leading audio brand Bose, whose latest products will support Snapdragon Sound. In addition to headphones and speakers, the chipmaker also envisions AR and VR headsets that will take advantage of Snapdragon Sound technology. That’s why it’s focusing on spatial audio, which will be able to track the user’s head movements to optimize sound and provide a realistic experience.

Qualcomm’s S5 and S3 second-generation audio platforms are expected to enter commercial devices in the second half of 2023.

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