At CES® 2018, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced its high definition Bluetooth® wireless audio codec, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, is now available on more than 60 products, meaning consumers and audiophiles now have more options than ever to access and enjoy premium HD sound with the support of our technology.

aptX HD is an enhanced codec that supports 24-bit music quality over Bluetooth and has been engineered to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, resulting in lower background noise. This improved technology helps listeners to hear even the smallest details in their music and is designed to provide realistic audio quality that is hard to distinguish from the actual live sound produced by the musician.

“We helped to revolutionize the Bluetooth stereo listening experience with aptX, which is designed to vastly improve the quality of music delivered over a Bluetooth connection and the aptX logo on a package represents this proven quality. Now with aptX HD we are helping to meet growing demand for high resolution audio from consumers looking for even higher levels of sound quality from their devices,” said Jonny McClintock, director, product marketing, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “It’s a very exciting time for both consumers and the audio industry because with aptX HD we’re helping to make the Bluetooth wireless listening experience indistinguishable from wired and we’re seeing growing traction commercially as a result."

There are a number of options available for manufacturers interested in integrating aptX HD into their wireless audio devices. For devices, including wireless headphones and speakers, aptX HD is supported on Qualcomm® Bluetooth Audio SoCs including CSR8675 and the newly launched QCC5100 series. For source devices, including smartphones and tablets, aptX HD is natively supported on platforms including the recently launched Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform. The technology is also now supported by the Android™ 8.0 Oreo Operating system.

“At Bowers & Wilkins we’re committed to making music sound exceptional, detailed, natural and something that simply sounds true to the original. We chose to integrate aptX HD into our latest PX Wireless headphones exactly for that reason, the technology is designed to deliver a truly exceptional 24-bit wireless listening experience helping our customers get the very most from their music,” said Alexander Van Der Heijden, General Manager Headphones Bowers & Wilkins.

“For decades, PSB has stayed true to delivering the best possible music listening experience, in the home and on the go,” said Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Designer of PSB Speakers. “As media consumptions continue to go mobile and fuel the growth of headphones, the future of audio becomes more wireless, making superior audio playback quality a design decision. Thanks to advanced Bluetooth technologies like aptX HD, we are able to deliver a wireless design, innovation and sound that is engineered to let you enjoy every soundtrack as the artist intended.”

“The combination of Qualcomm aptX professional sound quality and AQUOS super high-quality display helps us to deliver the highest level AV experience to our smartphone customers.” Said Yoshiro Nakano, BU Vice President, IoT Communication BU for Sharp.

Manufacturers with devices that now support aptX HD include:

Audio Technica

Bowers & Wilkins

Beyerdynamic

iRiver

Google

LG

Nura

SONY

OnePlus

Huawei

HTC

SHARP

NAIM

PSB Speakers

For more information, visit www.aptx.com

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. To learn more, visit Qualcomm’s website, blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.