Nokia has licensed audio compression technology for Bluetooth from Cambridge-based developer CSR.
Nokia said it will use CSR’s aptX technology and associated Bluetooth audio chips in a range of audio accessories to be introduced in the fourth quarter.
According to Hans Henrik Lund, global head for Nokia Accessories at Nokia: “CSR is solving the Bluetooth audio dilemma with solutions that allow us to take audio accessories in a new direction and we are excited by the potential of our partnership.”
Bluetooth is already used to stream stereo audio wirelessly from handsets and other audio devices to headphones and speakers, but it is bandwidth-constrained.
CSR says its aptX audio coding technology can be used to deliver CD-quality stereo audio wirelessly over Bluetooth connections.
“We welcome Nokia to the growing family of Tier One aptX technology adopters who have recognised the exciting possibilities our Bluetooth audio solutions offer to deliver CD-quality stereo audio wirelessly,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president of CSR’s Audio and Consumer Business Unit.
Apt-X, which was developed by a Belfast-based company and acquired by CSR last year, is a predictive audio coding engine and the audio middleware code-named stream-X, is described as a packet-based data transport fabric for the retro-integration of high-performance HD-VoIP/LL-AoIP services.
Originally developed for wireless digital networks and transport of HDTV Surround-Sound over AES pair, apt-X is one of several audio coding engines developed by Aptx that can be integrated into stream-X.
The technology is being used by Microsoft Game Studios for wideband, full-duplex voice-over-network (VoN) communications.