Qualcomm’s latest QCS400 chipset will supercharge smart speakers

Qualcomm’s latest QCS400 audio System-on-Chips (SoCs) is said to allow for more accurate recognition of wake words, improved overall voice detection in loud environments, and faster response times. It also supports “local” voice control, so the smart speaker won’t have to be connected to the internet to respond. Qualcomm says it should provide 25 times longer standby with voice wake-up, as the chipset will also improve power efficiency and battery life too, crucial for portable speakers.

Of course, the chip improves audio performance too. It has a quad-core processor and a dedicated audio DSP that supports up to 32 channels of audio. It also brings Dolby Atmos and DTS:X format support as well as Qualcomm’s DDFA amplifier and aptX Bluetooth audio. For devices that incorporate a display, QCS400 chips will also incorporate the Adreno graphics processor.

Here’s a chart of the QCS400 series variants.

Sources: Qualcomm, What Hi-Fi?