Qualcomm recently introduced two chips specifically designed for wireless earphones and headphones; the S3 Gen 3 and S5 Gen 3. These chips are aimed at improving the quality of budget-friendly wireless earphones by incorporating advanced connectivity features and AI-driven audio technologies.
More About the Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 and S5 Gen 3
The S3 Gen 3 and S5 Gen 3 chips deliver high-quality sound, premium audio codecs, enhanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) call clarity, and longer battery life to wireless earbuds and headphones. Positioned below Qualcomms audio chips, the S7 and S7 Pro these new offerings cater to market segments.
The S3 Gen 3 chip is tailored for range earbuds, headphones, and wireless speakers providing features like ANC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless (24 bit 48kHz) Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio, Bluetooth Auracast, and Spatial Audio. It also includes an upgraded Digital-To-Analog (DAC) converter for improved quality and reduced background noise.
With support for Alexa and Google Assistant with wake word activation along with Google Fast Pair for pairing the S3 Gen 3 chip ensures voice calls using up to three microphones on each earbud.
The S5 Gen 3 chip is designed for high-end earbuds, headphones, and wireless speakers that fall below the flagship category. Featuring a 50% increase, in memory and a notable boost in DSP processing capabilities compared to its version, the S5 Gen 3 chip enhances performance for gaming and music listening.
Additionally, it comes with noise cancellation (ANC) echo suppression and is compatible, with Bluetooth 5.4 featuring LE Audio, Bluetooth Auracast, and Spatial Audio support. Moreover, it features aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless (24-bit 48kHz) codecs for superior audio fidelity, along with Adaptive ANC and Adaptive Transparency features.
Both the S3 Gen 3 and S5 Gen 3 audio chips will soon be accessible to earphone manufacturers, with earbuds incorporating these chips expected to debut in the market later this year or early next year. While Samsung utilizes Qualcomm’s chips in some of its wireless earbuds, it remains uncertain whether the future Galaxy Buds will adopt the S3 Gen 3 or S5 Gen 3 chips.
