Qualcomm has announced aptX Adaptive, a next-generation audio codec designed to be dynamically adjustable. This addition to Qualcomm’s premium audio portfolio combines enhancements in robustness, premium audio quality, scalability, low-latency and low-bitrate audio transmission to support a superb wireless listening user experience for today’s most popular and demanding applications including mobile gaming, watching video and music listening.
aptX Adaptive technology is uniquely engineered to automatically adjust to provide optimum audio quality or latency depending on the type of content being played on the device while also taking into account the external RF environment to support a robust connection. The type of content that is being consumed on mobile devices is rapidly changing and consumers are doing much more than just listening to audio. Optimized audio for a phone call is very different than for music, or for applications where latency is critical such as gaming. Qualcomm’s 2018 State of Play report found that 30% of consumers surveyed said they want to use their wireless headphones for gaming or to watch video content, in addition to listening to music and making calls.
The aptX Adaptive decoder, for devices such as headsets, headphones, and speakers, is scheduled to be available to customers on the Qualcomm CSRA68100 and the Qualcomm QCC5100 series Bluetooth Audio SoCs from September 2018. A version of the aptX Adaptive encoder for devices such as smartphones and tablets is scheduled to be available to run on Android Pie from December 2018.
“aptX Adaptive is advancing our industry as it is designed to deliver audio quality that matches wired performance across a wide range of sources and to provide consumers with the immersive wireless listening experience they are looking for,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice & music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “With this new product, listeners don’t have to do anything while aptX Adaptive dynamically adjusts performance to best deliver exceptional audio whether the user is playing games or listening a song.”
“Most audio codecs available today are largely static in nature with fixed bit-rates which can lead to wireless connectivity issues in challenging RF environments,” said Jonny McClintock, director, product marketing, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “Many of these codecs were designed for music listening and are simply not suitable for low-latency gaming and audio/video applications. aptX was one of the first technologies to really help make a difference to the Bluetooth music listening experience and we’ve continued working hard to create a technology that will help transform the listening experience for the next generation of consumers who want to replace the wire completely.”
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