SAN DIEGO, Aug. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm
Technologies International, Ltd., a subsidiary of Qualcomm
Incorporated, today at its IoT Industry Analyst Workshop released
the 2018 State of Play report, based on a survey of 6,000 consumers
in China, the United Kingdom and the United States. The report looks to analyze
purchasing drivers, and to better understand how consumers feel
about and interact with audio technology.
"When we saw the results, we were surprised by a couple of
things. We knew consumers were adopting true wireless devices, but
the trend towards wire-free earbuds is very strong in China, with more than 80 percent of
participants in China looking to
purchase a pair vs. more than half planning to do the same in the
U.S. It is exciting to see true wireless being so rapidly adopted
by those consumers," said Anthony
Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice and
music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. "Another notable
finding is the way many consumers have adopted smart speakers and
voice user interfaces. This product category is evolving rapidly,
and end-user expectations are shifting accordingly. People now want
to take their smart speakers outside or be able to move them around
the house, and they expect to get an immediate, natural-sounding
voice response. This means the next generation of products need to
work well in a multitude of environments, support multiple modes of
connectivity and both on device and cloud-based artificial
intelligence, yet have the battery power and life necessary for
extended portability."
It is an exciting and transformative time in the audio industry.
Expectations for sound quality across the whole audio ecosystem are
clearly growing - including at lower price points and even with the
headphones that come with a mobile phone purchase. Many
manufacturers are racing to meet new possibilities with features
like true wireless, natural-sounding voice assistance, ultra-low
power, integrated active noise cancellation; not to mention a
variety of new use cases, such as artificial intelligence based
in-ear sports coaching. Murray added, "Fortunately we are inventing
products and platforms that can help our customers to deliver these
features successfully."
Some of the key findings from the 2018 State of Play report
include:
- More consumers claim to be audiophiles than ever before: 78% of
participants said they look for high resolution (24-bit) audio in a
wireless headphone or speaker, and Active Noise Cancellation, once
only available in high end headsets is becoming a sought-after
feature
- 47% of respondents said they would be more likely to purchase a
new smartphone that came with a set of wireless headphones or
earbuds, with Bluetooth® wireless being the most preferred
connection type
- The industry is ripe for the introduction of hearables with 78%
of respondents being more likely to purchase truly wireless
headphones that could support additional features such as calling,
fitness tracking or voice assistant capabilities
- People have embraced voice interfaces, with 78% of respondents
stating that using voice or natural language to interface with
their smart speaker, home hub or other electronic devices does or
would make life easier
- Smart speakers are among the most sought-after consumer audio
device – 32% of respondents said that if they could only purchase
one device within the next 12 months, it would be a smart speaker
with integrated cloud-based voice assistant
- Almost half of consumers surveyed would like the ability to
take their voice-supported speaker outside and use it "on-the-go"
with improved battery life and need to support cellular
connectivity
- British respondents are slower to adopt new audio technologies
such as smart speakers and truly wireless headphones compared to
their Chinese and United States
counterparts
The study, based on a survey of 6,000 adult smartphone users in
China, the United Kingdom and the United States conducted by OnePoll Ltd,
helps identify current consumer attitudes and purchase drivers for
personal audio and speakers – helping Qualcomm and its customers to
design audio technologies and products designed to meet users'
expectations and enrich their lives.
For more information and to download the full report, please
visit the State of Play webpage.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm invents breakthrough
technologies that transform how the world connects, computes and
communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the
mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the
foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries.
As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in
cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected
devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote
delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart
cities, smart homes, and wearables. 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, the QCT semiconductor
business. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog,
Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm Contacts:
Pete Lancia, Corporate
Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
John Sinnott, Investor
Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
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SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated