Google LLC and Qualcomm Inc. are targeting the smart headset market with a new reference design for manufacturers that adds native support for Google LLC’s Assistant and Google Fast Pair.

The reference design, announced today, is based on Qualcomm’s low-powered QCC5100 series of Bluetooth audio chips and features both hardware and software manufacturers can use as the basis of their wireless stereo earbuds and related products.

Google and Qualcomm are clearly ambitious, since they’re talking up the possibility of smart headsets priced at just $50, with support for Google Assistant and a battery life of up to 20 hours.

One of the key features of the reference design is “push-button activation” for Google Assistant, which talks to the Google Assistant app on users’ smartphones. Chris Havell, senior director of product marketing, voice and music at Qualcomm, told SiliconANGLE the main advantage of being able to connect a headset to Google Assistant is to enable voice controls give people an easier, hands-free way to use such devices to make queries, hear text messages and the like.

Google noted that this could also mean a longer battery life, because the more you use Google Assistant with the headset, the less you pull out your phone and look at the screen, which is the biggest battery hog.

The other important aspect is Google’s Fast Pair technology, which is supported by a range of Qualcomm chips and enables headsets to pair almost instantly with any Bluetooth-enabled device. In this case, when pairing the headset to a specific Android device, what you’re actually doing is pairing it with your Google account if you’re signed in. In other words, users will only need to pair their headset once, and it will automatically add their other devices when nearby.

Qualcomm is offering two separate reference designs for manufacturers. The first is a basic headset that smaller manufacturers can use as the basis for their own designs, priced at $299. The second is for bigger manufacturers that want to add more customizations such as additional sensors, selling for about $800.

The Qualcomm Smart Headset Platform with support for the Google Assistant and Google Fast Pair is available now. The first headsets are likely to go on sale in the next quarter, Qualcomm said.

With reporting from Robert Hof

Photo: Qualcomm