March 3 Google is on a buying spree for audio startups

According to a recent report from Protocol, Google has been acquiring several audio hardware startups over the past year or so. It is estimated that Google has spent tens of millions of dollars on the patent portfolio of start-ups and companies engaged in audio hardware, 3D audio, noise reduction and Bluetooth technology, a fact that may indicate that it is planning to expand its audio product lineup. In many cases, it is also reported to have recruited employees from the company.

Google is no stranger to the world of audio products. It sells a variety of models and generations of wireless earplugs and touts its Nest Audio smart speakers as "everything to do with sound". But for now, its product range is different from that of competitors such as Apple or Bose-these acquisitions could put Google in a better position to create products such as earphones or more feature-rich earplugs.

Google seems to be working on customized audio chips

Some of the hiring and to-do lists discussed in the report suggest that Google can also build custom chips for audio products. This method may make sense. Apple's headphones use custom chips, while Google has a history of creating specialized hardware, designing its own chips for security and photo processing. It even created its own SoC for Pixel 6.

As Protocol points out, some deals seem to focus more on net patents than on technology or talent. String acquisitions began after Sonos sued Google (twice) for infringing patents on smart speaker technology. Google recently had to remove some features from some smart home devices after a judge ruled that Google did infringe Sonos's patents-it's hard to imagine Google continuing to make current or future products worse because of intellectual property disputes. Having your own set of audio patents can help prevent this from happening in the future.