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Qualcomm today announced enhancements to its TrueWireless Stereo technology for earphones, which eliminates wires from the media source as well as between the left and right earbuds.

This latest generation of the technology is supported on Qualcomm’s recently introduced QCC5100 series Bluetooth chip, which is being made available to headphone makers in an ultra-small form factor.

The chip is designed to help reduce power consumption by up to 65 percent for voice calling and music streaming compared with the previous generation device, and delivers an improved listening experience and easier pairing between individual earbuds, according to the company. Other updates include the ability to autonomously switch each earbud between primary and secondary roles to balance power consumption more evenly between the buds for longer playback time.

Qualcomm also introduced a TrueWireless Stereo Plus operating mode that connects the mobile device to both earbuds simultaneously, which is said to further simplify pairing and reduce latency because both buds connect directly to the smartphone. When paired with a QCC5100-series-based device and the QualcommSnapdragon 845 Mobile Platform, the Stereo Plus mode is said to help reduce power consumption by up to an additional 10 percent, which translates into up to an extra hour of battery life.

“These enhancements…are designed to help our customers create the next generation of exciting and innovative truly wireless hearable devices that can support substantially longer music play time and voice call time,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice and music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.

Designs based on QCC5100 Series chips using the enhanced TrueWireless Stereo technology are expected to be available in the second half of the year.

Qualcomm also announced that its Broadcast Audio technology, which enables one Bluetooth source to stream audio to numerous headsets or speakers with “near perfect synchronization,” is now available on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform.

Benefits of the technology include simplified set-up and pairing of devices, the ability to broadcast to numerous devices within Bluetooth range, built-in robustness with automatic retransmission, and an encrypted audio stream to reduce the risk of eavesdropping.

“Imagine the laughter of a group of teenagers sharing a new song amongst their individual headphones, a “silent disco” with hundreds listening to a DJ that only they can hear, a guided tour with simultaneous translation, or college dorm party where numerous speakers can participate to support an impromptu party — these are just some of the exciting possibilities our customers can support with broadcast audio,” Murray said.

Broadcast Audio is also available on a range of Qualcomm Bluetooth audio chips designed for wireless earbuds and “hearables.”