Handset giant to bring high-fidelity wireless stereo to Bluetooth audio accessories
CAMBRIDGE, UK and SAN JOSE, USA - 1 Aug 2011
CSR plc (LSE: CSR) today announced it has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) to enable the handset giant to incorporate CSR aptX™ audio compression technology for Bluetooth into a new generation of highly stylised Nokia consumer electronics products featuring high-fidelity wireless audio capabilities. Using CSR aptX technology and associated CSR Bluetooth audio chips, Nokia expects to introduce a range of exciting new Bluetooth audio accessories in the fourth quarter of this year that will offer a level of stereo audio quality to match their fashionable good looks.
“By incorporating CSR aptX technology into our audio products, we are enabling the audio experience to be nothing less than inspirational,” said 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.”
Although standard Bluetooth technology offers the ability to stream stereo audio wirelessly from handsets and other audio devices to headphones and speakers, the bandwidth-constrained audio does not come close to what consumers have come to expect from their electronic entertainment systems. CSR aptX audio coding technology solves this problem, breaking the bandwidth barrier to deliver CD-quality stereo audio wirelessly over Bluetooth connections for a variety of consumer electronics applications.
“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 and provide consumers with the most compelling audio experience,” said Anthony Murray, Senior Vice President of CSR’s Audio and Consumer Business Unit. “Because of its rapid adoption by Nokia and others, aptX technology has already established itself as the benchmark for wireless stereo audio quality for consumer electronics products, and will continue to find new applications as consumers demand the best from their handsets and other mobile devices.”
CSR Bluetooth devices are at the heart of many of the world’s most popular consumer electronics products, and are available in a number of highly integrated solutions featuring Bluetooth v4.0 and low energy support, wideband speech, aptX high-fidelity audio, CVC noise cancellation and other technologies for a variety of multimedia applications.