Qualcomm updated its mid-tier and high-tier sound platforms with the introduction of the S3 Gen 3 and the S5 Gen 3, respectively, both of which are aimed at getting better sound performance out of mobile devices. In 2022, the S3 Gen 2 and S5 Gen 2 brought support for spatial audio, lossless audio at 48KHz, and Qualcomm’s third-generation Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) tech. This time, the new S3 Gen 3 series focuses on low power consumption and customization. Some S3 Gen 3 models are aimed at true wireless earbuds while others are destined for stereo headphones and speakers. Qualcomm says the S3 Gen 3 will make it easier to wear earbuds all day thanks to low power consumption. Any manufacturer using the S3 Gen 3 series has access to the Qualcomm Voice and Music Extension Program, which invites manufacturers to come up with their own plugins that can be shared with other OEMs. There are over 50 members of this organization, which includes Dirac and Dolby. Extensions related to noise cancellation and hearing assistance are some of the tools available so companies can assemble a tailored version of the S3 Gen 3. While the S3 Gen 3 is a Qualcomm product, not all models will have access to Snapdragon Sound, Qualcomm’s dedicated tech for audio that leverages hardware and software to provide high-quality audio on connected devices.
(Credit: Qualcomm)
All models of the S5 Gen 3, aimed at higher-end devices, do support Snapdragon Sound and will be found in wireless audio devices like earbuds, headsets, and speakers. The S5 Gen 3 is based on Qualcomm’s highest-end audio tech, the S7 sound platform.On-device AI is a big feature of the S5 Gen 3 and it will sculpt audio while minimizing battery drain. Qualcomm’s fourth generation ANC tech is onboard the S5 Gen 3, which adjusts audio dynamically to account for external noises and/or can alter audio to offset changes from a loose earbud.
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Qualcomm says the S5 Gen 3 has three times the compute power and almost 50 times more on-device AI than the S5 Gen 2. The actual S5 Gen 3 system on a chip features 5MB of memory (up from 2.64MB) and Bluetooth 5.4. Vivo is the first company to release a device with the S3 Gen 3 sound platform, though there is no information on which company will debut the S5 Gen 3. When devices arrive with the newest Qualcomm sound chips, we’ll be sure to give them a listen.
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