Qualcomm has released new hardware for true wireless earphones that work with the Bluetooth LE Audio standard launched back at CES 2020 in January (seems a LONG time ago now).

It's called the Qualcomm QCC305x and you should expect to see it start appear in wireless earbuds from this CES, taking place in mid-January.

Bluetooth LE Audio enables you to get better quality from true wireless earphones (as much as 50 percent according to the Bluetooth SIG) using a new codec called Low Complexity Communications Codec, or LC3) for the more efficient transfer of data. 

Bluetooth LE Audio also has multi-stream audio, which basically means multiple devices can share the same audio source more readily. They also include in-built support for hands-free voice assistants, so you don't have to 'wake' the assistant by touching a button first. 

Qualcomm's chip is designed for mid-tier true wireless earphones mostly, which is the sweet spot in the fast-moving market. They can support Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) while compensating for the fit in the user's ear. Naturally, the chip also supports Qualcomm's aptX audio technologies including up to 96khz audio and voice tech including echo cancellation and noise suppression.