Qualcomm wants hearables to do more than play music, with Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 bringing AI, cloud access and smarter audio features.

Updated on: Sep 24, 2026, 14:13:12 IST

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Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 Platform, its latest platform for AI-powered audio wearables. It combines audio technology with on-device AI, cloud connectivity and low-power Wi-Fi to make earbuds, headphones and other wearables smarter. The company says these devices could eventually do more than play music or handle calls. They could understand what users say, answer questions and adapt to their surroundings. Qualcomm is also preparing the platform for devices such as audio glasses and camera-equipped earbuds. Here is everything you need to know about the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 Platform and what it offers.

Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 brings more AI to audio wearables

The biggest change with Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 is its focus on AI. Qualcomm says the new platform offers up to twice the AI capability of the previous generation. This allows several AI features to run simultaneously.

The platform is also designed to use less power. Qualcomm claims it can reduce power consumption by up to 40% compared with the previous generation. It is also up to 30% smaller, giving manufacturers more room to build smaller, lighter devices.

This additional AI capability could make future earbuds and headphones more useful in everyday situations. Qualcomm is exploring features such as real-time translation, personalised hearing, and AI assistants that understand what users are saying.

The company is also preparing the platform for camera-enabled wearables. These devices could use their cameras to understand what is happening around the user and provide relevant information. Qualcomm says the cameras can gather context without necessarily taking photographs.

Another important addition is built-in low-power Wi-Fi 6E. Qualcomm says this lets compatible wearables connect directly to the cloud without relying entirely on a phone.

This is where the company’s Snapdragon Sound Apps C Agents come in. They can give wearables access to AI assistants, online services, content, and other features. Because these services can be updated via the cloud, manufacturers could add new capabilities after a device launches.

The platform also aims to enhance the basic audio experience. Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless technology delivers high-quality wireless audio without the usual compromises of Bluetooth streaming.

Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 supports Qualcomm XPAN. This technology extends wireless audio connectivity beyond Bluetooth's traditional range and is designed to make switching between compatible devices more seamless.

In addition to this, Qualcomm has upgraded the technology for calls and noise cancellation. The platform supports fifth-generation Qualcomm ANC, Qualcomm cVc technology and advanced multi-microphone setups.

In simple terms, these technologies help a wearable device block unwanted sounds and capture the user’s voice more clearly. This could be particularly useful when speaking to an AI assistant in a noisy environment.

The Snapdragon Audio Sense Solution takes this a step further. It combines microphones with software that helps the device understand voices and sounds around the user. This could improve voice calls and help AI assistants understand what is happening nearby.

Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 could power smarter wearables

Qualcomm is not limiting Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 to conventional wireless earbuds. The platform supports headphones, open-ear and hybrid audio products, camera-equipped earbuds and audio glasses.

This means future audio wearables could become another way to interact with AI without constantly reaching for a smartphone. Users could ask a question through their earbuds and hear the response directly.

The platform can also support devices that integrate audio, cameras and AI. For example, a pair of audio glasses could use microphones to understand a conversation and cameras to gather additional information about the user’s surroundings.

Qualcomm is providing reference designs to help manufacturers develop these products. These designs offer companies a starting point for testing and building new AI-powered wearable devices.

At Snapdragon Summit 2026, Cleer showcased an early concept built on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform. The prototype combined audio, vision and AI to demonstrate how future wearables could interact with the world around the user.

Qualcomm says its research found that up to 70 % of users want advanced AI features in wearable devices. The company believes that as AI becomes more common, people will increasingly interact with it through natural conversations rather than screens.

Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 is built around that idea. Rather than treating earbuds and headphones purely as devices for listening to music or making calls, Qualcomm wants them to become more intelligent personal assistants.

The platform doesn't mean that all these capabilities will automatically appear on every device using Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2. Manufacturers will decide which features to implement in their products.

However, the platform provides the hardware, connectivity, and audio technology needed to build a new generation of AI-powered wearables. This could eventually make earbuds, headphones and audio glasses more useful beyond traditional listening and communication.

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