Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD encoders, which allow for high-quality Bluetooth audio, are now free to use on Android devices, thanks to a recent move by the company. Prior to this, device manufacturers had to pay a licensing fee to use the encoders in their devices, with fees as high as $6,000 for a one-time payment alongside per-device fees.

This move means that any developer creating a custom Android-based ROM can now add support for Qualcomm aptX or aptX HD without ripping them from a licensed build. The encoders are now part of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Apache license and are free to use. While this change may not be significant for the average Android user, it could potentially lead to more devices supporting the hi-fi wireless audio format going forward.

Qualcomm has clarified that while the aptX and aptX HD encoders are now free to use, companies will still have to pay licensing fees to use other aspects of aptX, such as the decoder on the receiving end of the Bluetooth connection. Additionally, it is still the responsibility of ROM developers to use these now-open-source encoders from AOSP.

This development is a significant step forward for the mobile industry, which has seen a significant improvement in Bluetooth audio quality over the past decade but has also faced criticism for getting rid of the headphone jack. With the aptX and aptX HD encoders now freely available, more devices could potentially support high-clarity codecs, making the listening experience even better for users. It will be interesting to see how this move by Qualcomm impacts the industry going forward, and whether we see more devices adopting the hi-fi wireless audio format in the coming years.

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However, an update for HydrogenOS is bringing a new feature that isn’t yet available to OxygenOS, and that is support for aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth codecs. What is aptX and what does it do?

When you transmit audio over bluetooth, it is compressed and the audio quality is not as good as when you use a pair of wired earphones or when you stream over other wireless methods. aptX still compresses the audio but it just sounds a lot better. According to Qualcomm Global Trading Pte. Ltd., a Qualcomm subsidiary that acquired CSR, the original owner of aptX, the codec enables CD-like quality wireless audio because it solves the problem of sending the full music bandwidth over bluetooth.

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The update is still limited to the beta version (HydrogenOS Beta 12) but will soon be made available via a stable update. aptX needs a special hardware for it to work in smartphones and even aptX supported headphones or speakers. The hardware is said to be present in most high-end smartphones already. aptXsupport will also be added to all smartphones and tablets running Android O.

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