Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, its first audio chip with micro-power Wi-Fi 6E built directly into the silicon, allowing earbuds to connect to home networks without a separate Wi-Fi chip. The company says the chip is 30 percent smaller, uses up to 40 percent less power, and doubles AI processing versus its predecessor. Qualcomm has named HP, Bose, and Cleer as partners, including camera-equipped earbuds with Cleer.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, a chip aimed at powering next-generation earbuds, headphones and audio glasses with on-device AI. The company says it doubles the AI processing capability of its predecessor, the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, and supports features like real-time translation and sound amplification for hearing-impaired users. The chip also includes aptX Lossless audio support, Qualcomm's XPAN wireless technology, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-24
Qualcomm introduced its Sound Elite platform built around a new S3 chip small enough to fit inside earbuds, allowing them to stream Wi-Fi lossless audio without needing a paired phone nearby. The design lets users leave their phone in another room while still receiving uninterrupted high-quality sound.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-23
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 chip at its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, designed to power a new generation of 'hearables' including earbuds, headphones, audio glasses and other multimodal wearables. The chip is meant to enable features like adaptive sound processing, real-time translation, AI note-taking and combined audio-visual interactions in devices with cameras.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-23
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