The AirPods Pro might face stiff competition now. Qualcomm plans to release Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) for true wireless earbuds. Apple’s AirPods Pro relies on ANC as a selling point. Other companies could buy Qualcomm’s ANC to launch them on par with Apple.
Qualcomm’s ANC
The AirPods Pro uses ANC to adjust the buds’ noise-canceling levels “200 times per second.” Also, the AirPods Pro uses the “adaptive EQ” feature to adjust sound outputs based on your ear shape. This feature means sound quality changes depending on the shape of your ear.
Qualcomm hopes to topple AirPods Pro with “adaptive” noise cancellation for true wireless earbuds https://t.co/meJvgppOG3 pic.twitter.com/5raUy4NrEr
— The Verge (@verge) September 3, 2020
In terms of features, Qualcomm wants to stand toe to toe with Apple. The company says that its version of ANC would change audio quality according to the buds’ fit in your ears. Qualcomm’s ANC also adjusts sound quality, no matter how or where you use your earbuds.
Noise-Canceling in Other Earbuds
Most earbuds don’t have the adaptive noise-cancellation feature. Instead, they just sample environmental sounds and cancel them out with phase sounds. Qualcomm does claim that their ANC version should work with all types of earbuds. The tech could also work with newer models, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.
The company also wants to focus on comfort, so that users won’t need to jam the buds deep inside their ears just to hear the music better. Moreover, Qualcomm claims that their ANC tech should work without fitting earbud tips. Users can even apply ANC to music listening and video calls.
Which Brands Could Use Qualcomm’s ANC?
Qualcomm is already working with a diverse set of audio companies. These companies include Sennheiser, Jabra, Bang & Olufsen, Audio Technica, Skullcandy, and many others. With these partners, Qualcomm should be ready to ship out its ANC with numerous earbud models pretty soon.
