The Thus chip will initially be featured in earbuds before being introduced to additional Anker products.
The Thus chip will initially be featured in earbuds before being introduced to additional Anker products.
Anker has unveiled its own proprietary silicon, claiming it will introduce local AI capabilities to audio devices, mobile accessories, and IoT gadgets. The Thus processor represents the globe’s pioneering neural-net compute-in-memory AI audio chip, designed to be smaller than conventional chips while consuming less power to perform intricate computations. This positions it as an attractive option for compact devices.
In comparisons of Thus with current chips, Anker’s CEO Steven Yang remarked, “All AI chips previously were designed to store models on one side and execute calculations on the opposite. To process, the device must transport all parameters repeatedly per second for every inference. Thus localizes computation where the model resides. The model remains stationary.”
The inaugural Thus chip will be integrated into Soundcore’s forthcoming flagship earbuds. The company states it is prioritizing earbuds due to the challenges posed by size constraints when integrating AI chips. The limited space restricts power supply, and since the chip stays active during use, earlier models had to depend on smaller neural networks that managed only a few hundred thousand parameters. However, Anker asserts that the energy-efficient compute-in-memory design allows the Thus chip to manage several million parameters, greatly enhancing computing capacity to tackle complex environmental noise.
Conventional call noise cancellation utilizes those diminutive onboard neural networks and can struggle to isolate your voice in very loud environments, leading to ambient noise intrusion or overly compressed voices, hindering clarity. Anker claims that the expanded neural network present on the Thus chip, complemented by eight MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) microphones and two bone conduction sensors to concentrate on your voice, in its yet-to-be-revealed earbuds will deliver visibly clearer call audio, irrespective of the surrounding conditions.
It appears promising, but we will need to evaluate how the compute-in-memory Thus chip performs against rivals in real-world settings — including the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6. According to a March leak, the first earbuds equipped with the Thus chip are anticipated to be the Liberty 5 Pro Max and Liberty 5 Pro, projected to retail at $229.99 and $169.99, respectively. Anker intends to disclose comprehensive earbuds product specifics and additional AI-driven features on May 21 during Anker Day.
