Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced at CES® 2018 support for Android Things, the Google Assistant, Google Cast for audio and other Google services on the Qualcomm® Smart Audio Platform. The solution is designed to allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to more easily create differentiated smart speakers featuring support for the rich voice interaction of the Google Assistant across various product tiers and categories. The integrated platform is designed to bring together a unique combination of processing capability, connectivity options, voice user interfaces and premium audio technologies to help meet increasing consumer demand for comprehensively featured, highly intuitive smart speakers. With the help of Google Cast for Audio, users are now able to stream the music they love from mobile devices to smart speakers throughout home. Among OEMs launching products based on the Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform at CES 2018, LG will showcase LG ThinQ Speaker which comes with Google Assistant built-in.

“Our Smart Audio Platform helps allow traditional speaker OEMs to more efficiently join and participate in the growing smart speaker segment,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice and music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “Demand for voice control and assistance in the home is rapidly gaining traction, and this platform is designed to offer great flexibility for manufacturers wanting to deliver highly differentiated user experiences taking advantage of the power of Google cloud-based services.”

The Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform with support for Android Things is available to select customers today, and it is expected to be generally available in the first half of 2018. For more information and to start developing smart speakers using Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform please visit the Qualcomm booth at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, January 9 – 12, Central Hall, 10948.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm's technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.