Qualcomm just unveiled the third generation of its mid-tier and premium audio chipsets – the Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 and S5 Gen 3. These come to replace the Gen 2 models that were first announced in 2022. Both bring more processing power – including AI acceleration for the S5 chip – improvements to audio quality and can be used in products that are part of the Qualcomm Voice & Music Extension Program (more on that in a bit).
First things first. The Qualcomm S5 Gen 3 now features a 200MHz CPU (up from 80MHz on Gen 2) and a new 350MHz DSP (up from dual 240MHz). There is also 1.5x more memory than the older model.
Previously, AI computations had to happen on the DSP. And while the Gen 3 DSP is faster, the chip includes a dedicated AI accelerator that offers a whopping 50 times more compute power. This can utilized for things like AI-powered Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and voice processing. Additionally, there is dedicated hardware for things like hearing loss compensation, transparency mode and noise management.
For the “ultra-premium” segment, Qualcomm has the S7 and S7 Pro chips. They have even more AI acceleration (they are about twice as fast as the S5 Gen 3). They feature faster CPUs and DSPs too, but are aimed at a pricier segment of the market.
On the affordable side of things, the Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 got faster too, though the upgrades are more modest. It still has a dual-core 80MHz CPU, but the DSP is boosted to dual 240MHz (up from single 240MHz). The Qualcomm AI engine is supported, but without the powerful accelerator. Even though this chip is mid-tier, it still supports things like Google Fast Pair, Qualcomm TrueWireless Mirroring, Auracast and more.
The S3 and S5 chips are very power efficient and can stream music (using A2DP) with just 4mA power consumption. Snapdragon Sound can deliver 24-bit 48kHz lossless music streaming.
The Qualcomm Voice & Music Extension Program allows headset makers to leverage Qualcomm tech in their products. This includes things like spatial audio and echo cancellation, along with health tracking (e.g. some buds can measure your heart rate).
vivo will soon unveil the first device powered by the Qualcomm S3 Gen 3. “By utilizing this powerful platform, we are bringing audiophile quality music listening to our customers, so they can hear their music exactly as the artist intended. Stay tuned for the launch,” said Youfei Wang, General Manager of the Intelligent terminal development department at vivo. You can bet that companies are working on S5 Gen 3 products too.
