More consumers are showing interest in smartphone audio and OEMs are working to improve audio sound quality in their products, according to audio chip firm Cirrus Logic.
This has increased the number of amplifiers in smartphones and tablets throughout the years, Cirrus Logic vice president of mixed-signal products Carl Alberty told TheElec in an interview.
The latest smartphones have four amplifiers, while tablets have up to eight, Alberty said.
Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Fold, which launched in March, is the first smartphone to have four amplifiers.
Cirrus Logic supplies its audio amplifiers to Xiaomi. The company grew from supplying them to Apple’s iPhones and tablets. It also supplies them to Samsung and Huawei. Most smartphones in the beginning had one amplifier which increased to two for flagship phones in recent years.
Apple’s iPhone 12 launched last year had three audio amplifiers.
Alberty stressed that besides the number of amplifiers, speaker performance was also important to increase audio quality.
High-excursion speaker function was being required for amplifiers, the vice president said. The most important thing for the speakers to offer peak output efficiency while protecting the battery, he said.
Cirrus Logic launched CS35L45 audio amplifier in April. The company said the new model increases peak output by 30% from its predecessor. The chips also come with adaptable battery management function that protects the battery at high power output, Cirrus Logic said.
CS35L45 are being used in Xiaomi’s Black Shark 4 Pro gaming smartphone and Asus’ ROG 5 smartphone.
Cirrus Logic will be supplying CS35L45 and its predecessor CS35L41 to major smartphone OEMs this year.
Latest Ultrabooks have thinner assembly than before and are requiring better audio from thinner devices, much like smartphones, Alberty said. Cirrus Logic will expand the supply of audio amplifiers and haptic solutions for the notebook market, he said.
