What you need to know
- Google has acquired the 3D audio startup, Dysonics.
- Employees from Dysonics are reportedly developing "audio hardware" for Google, which could refer to several types of products.
- New audio hardware could be related to the Pixel Buds or Nest audio devices.
Google has been slowly stepping up its audio offerings with products like its Nest Audio and even its Google Pixel Buds (2020). Sure, there might be room for improvement if Google wants to really compete with the best wireless earbuds on the market, and that's where its latest acquisition of Dysonics may come into play.
According to Protocol, Google has acquired the 3D audio startup, and the transition has apparently been underway for months. The employees coming in are apparently working on "audio hardware" and "audio algorithms for a variety of Google's hardware products." In the context of Google, it's easy to narrow down the possibilities as to what this could mean.
The obvious deduction is that this could improve audio for the future versions of its Pixel Buds and Nest speakers. Protocol points out that Dysonics is known for initially developing motion sensors for headphones that can provide a spatial audio experience and has previously partnered with Virgin Airlines to provide enhanced surround sound for its in-flight entertainment systems. Coincidentally, a new pair of Pixel Buds has recently been spotted, although the fruits of the acquisition may not make it to this product.
Another possibility is that Google is looking into building VR products. Even after the death of its Daydream VR platform, Google has shown some renewed interest in the AR/VR space. Last year, Google acquired North, a maker of smart AR glasses, as an investment towards its "hardware efforts and ambient computing future." Given Dysonics' experience developing spatial audio software for VR, the acquisition would boost Google's efforts in an AR future that may not be too far off. But before that, it would be nice to see some of this 3D audio tech in future Pixel Buds.
