Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 for AI wearables

Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform for intelligent audio wearables. The platform targets products including earbuds, headphones, open-ear devices, audio glasses, and camera-enabled wearables. It delivers up to twice the artificial intelligence capability of its predecessor while reducing power consumption by up to 40% and its footprint by up to 30%.

The platform integrates Qualcomm aptX Lossless, XPAN, fifth-generation Active Noise Cancellation, cVc technology, and the Snapdragon Audio Sense Solution. It also includes micro-power Wi-Fi 6E for direct-to-cloud connectivity. These features enable multimodal applications such as real-time translation, contextual assistance, and personalized hearing.

Qualcomm faces wearable competition from Apple, which expanded its lineup with Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4, SE 3, and AirPods 5, and Alphabet, which introduced the Pixel Watch 5 with Gemini Intelligence and Wear OS 7.

Qualcomm shares have gained 16.2% over the past year, trailing the broader industry's 40.4% gain. The stock trades at 19.66 times forward earnings, compared with an industry average of 13.94. Over the past 60 days, fiscal 2026 earnings estimates have fallen 2.2% to $10.55 per share, and fiscal 2027 estimates have declined 7.9% to $10.02 per share.