Leading Chinese Automaker Selects QNX's Software-Defined Audio Platform for Luxury EV Lineup

Rhea-AI Summary

QNX (NYSE:BB) announced a design win with a leading Chinese automaker to deploy QNX Sound across its next‑generation luxury EV lineup in 2026. An independent Munro & Associates study cited by QNX quantified potential efficiencies: hardware cost savings of up to $98 per premium vehicle, PCB surface area reductions up to 44%, and weight savings up to 28%. QNX Sound centralizes audio software, eliminating legacy DSPs and simplifying amplifiers to reduce part counts, speed time‑to‑market, and lower manufacturing costs. The announcement follows QNX's 2025 product award and references existing OEM relationships globally.

Positive

• Hardware cost savings up to $98 per premium vehicle
• PCB surface area reductions up to 44%
• Weight savings up to 28% improving EV efficiency
• Consolidation of audio hardware reducing part counts

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – BB

+2.01%

1 alert

+2.01% News Effect

On the day this news was published, BB gained 2.01%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Hardware savings premium: $98 per vehicle Hardware savings mass-market: $21 per vehicle PCB area reduction: 44% +2 more

5 metrics

Hardware savings premium $98 per vehicle Munro & Associates analysis of premium models using QNX Sound

Hardware savings mass-market $21 per vehicle Munro & Associates analysis of mass-market vehicles using QNX Sound

PCB area reduction 44% Maximum printed circuit board surface area reduction cited in study

Weight savings 28% Maximum vehicle audio hardware weight reduction from QNX Sound approach

Deployment year 2026 Planned deployment across next-generation luxury EV lineup

Market Reality Check

Price: $3.32 Vol: Volume 3,764,482 is about...

low vol

$3.32 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,764,482 is about half of the 20-day average 7,090,063, showing muted participation ahead of this news. low

Technical Price at 4.35 is trading above the 200-day MA of 4.09, indicating an improving longer-term trend before this announcement.

Peers on Argus

Peers showed mixed moves: APPN down 7.06% while AI, EVTC, NN, and PAYO were mode...

Peers showed mixed moves: APPN down 7.06% while AI, EVTC, NN, and PAYO were modestly positive, suggesting company-specific rather than broad sector dynamics for BB.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 08 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 08	Product showcase	Positive	+2.1%	QNX to demo new SDV and embedded software platform at CES 2026.
Dec 04	Earnings schedule	Neutral	+1.6%	Company set dates for Q3 FY26 earnings release and future quarters.
Dec 02	Auto design win	Positive	+2.0%	Chinese automaker to deploy QNX Sound across 2026 luxury EV lineup.
Nov 17	Leadership change	Positive	+3.4%	John Wall appointed President of QNX division, succeeding prior leader.
Nov 12	CSR partnership	Positive	-3.1%	Expanded Women in Cyber leadership program in Malaysia and ASEAN region.

Pattern Detected

Recent QNX- and partnership-related headlines have mostly coincided with positive 24h price reactions, with one notable negative divergence on a partnership/CSR announcement.

Recent Company History

This announcement continues a series of QNX- and partnership-focused updates for BlackBerry. On Nov 12, 2025, the company expanded a Women in Cyber program, which saw a -3.12% reaction. A leadership change at QNX on Nov 17, 2025 was followed by a 3.37% move. The same QNX Sound EV design win on Dec 2, 2025 previously aligned with a 2.01% gain, and a CES 2026 showcase announcement on Dec 8, 2025 saw a 2.08% rise. The current news fits this ongoing emphasis on automotive software traction.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights a QNX Sound design win with a leading Chinese automaker’s 2026 luxury E...

Analysis

This announcement highlights a QNX Sound design win with a leading Chinese automaker’s 2026 luxury EV lineup and cites up to $98 per-vehicle hardware savings plus 44% PCB and 28% weight reductions. It fits an ongoing stream of QNX and automotive-software updates. Investors may track future disclosures around revenue impact, additional design wins, and how this aligns with upcoming milestones such as the scheduled Q3 fiscal 2026 results.

Key Terms

software-defined vehicles, printed circuit board, dsp, oems, +2 more

6 terms

software-defined vehicles technical

"QNX Sound is a digital audio platform for software-defined vehicles that decouples"

Vehicles whose key features and performance are controlled and updated primarily through software rather than fixed hardware designs. Like a smartphone that gains new apps and capabilities over time, these cars can receive over-the-air updates that add features, improve efficiency, or fix issues, which matters to investors because it can extend product life, create ongoing revenue from software services, lower recall risk, and change how value is created and captured in the auto industry.

printed circuit board technical

"Printed circuit board (PCB) surface area reductions of up to 44%, enabling"

A printed circuit board is a flat board made of non-conductive material with thin lines of metal (usually copper) etched onto it to hold and connect electronic parts like chips and resistors; think of it as the skeleton and wiring harness of electronic devices. Investors should care because the design, quality and availability of these boards affect manufacturing costs, product reliability, supply-chain risk and a company’s ability to scale or compete.

dsp technical

"By eliminating traditional DSPs and simplifying amplifier designs, QNX enables"

A demand-side platform (DSP) is software that automates buying digital advertising space across websites, apps and video, letting marketers bid for and place ads in real time. Think of it as a smart shopper that compares many stores at once to find the best price and audience for each ad. Investors watch DSPs because their reach, pricing efficiency, data access and compliance with privacy rules directly affect revenue growth, margins and competitive position in ad-driven businesses.

oems technical

"gain traction among OEMs seeking scalable, high-performance solutions for immersive"

OEMs, or Original Equipment Manufacturers, are companies that produce the main components or products that other companies use to build finished goods. For investors, OEMs are important because their performance can influence the supply chain, manufacturing costs, and overall market trends in industries like technology, automotive, and electronics. Their success often reflects broader economic health and consumer demand.

adas technical

"from digital cockpits and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to infotainment"

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are electronic systems in vehicles that assist the driver with safety tasks. Examples include automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. These systems use sensors and cameras to improve vehicle safety.

domain controllers technical

"infotainment systems and domain controllers, enabling automakers to bring innovation"

A domain controller is a central server that stores and enforces an organization’s user accounts, passwords and access rules across its computer network—like a building’s security desk that checks IDs and decides who can enter which rooms. For investors, domain controllers matter because they are critical to day‑to‑day operations, data protection and regulatory compliance; compromise or failure can lead to outages, data breaches and financial or legal consequences.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Independent Analysis by Munro & Associates Reveals Automakers Can Save Up to $98 Per Vehicle by Using QNX Sound

SHANGHAI, CN / ACCESS Newswire / December 2, 2025 / QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) announced a major design win with one of China's top automakers, which will deploy QNX® Sound across its next-generation luxury electric vehicle (EV) lineup in 2026. The selection marks a significant milestone for QNX®'s software-defined audio platform, which continues to gain traction among OEMs seeking scalable, high-performance solutions for immersive in-car sound and comes hot on the heels of a recent 'product of the year' award win at the 2025 International Sound Awards.

QNX Sound is a digital audio platform for software-defined vehicles that decouples audio and acoustics software from hardware, unifying all vehicle functionalities, including voice treatment, media playback, alerts and noise control into one system, helping to streamline development, reduce hardware needs, and speed time-to-market for automakers.

Further validating the platform's value, a new study by Munro & Associates, a leading engineering and manufacturing consulting firm, reveals that QNX's centralized, software-defined approach to in-vehicle audio can deliver substantial hardware and manufacturing efficiencies including:

• Hardware cost savings ranging from $21 per mass-market vehicle to $98 per premium model, helping automakers lower production costs while delivering high-end audio experiences at scale.

• Printed circuit board (PCB) surface area reductions of up to 44%, enabling smaller, simpler audio hardware that lowers manufacturing costs and frees up space for other vehicle systems.

• Weight savings of up to 28%, helping automakers improve energy efficiency, extend EV range, and reduce material costs - all critical factors in competitive vehicle design.

By eliminating traditional DSPs and simplifying amplifier designs, QNX enables OEMs to consolidate hardware across vehicle lines, reduce part numbers, and unlock volume efficiencies, while accelerating time-to-market and reducing long-term development costs.

"China's EV market is setting the pace for global innovation, and we're proud to be part of that momentum," said William Dong, Chief Representative of Greater China, QNX. "This win reinforces QNX's role as a strategic enabler for automakers seeking scalable, software-defined solutions that deliver premium in-cabin experiences quickly and cost effectively."

"Our thorough analysis shows that QNX Sound isn't just a technological upgrade, it's a strategic advantage," said Sandy Munro, CEO of Munro & Associates. "By centralizing audio processing and eliminating legacy components, automakers can dramatically reduce cost, weight, and complexity. It's a smart move for any OEM looking to keep pace in this hypercompetitive era."

As SDV complexity grows, QNX remains committed to helping automakers navigate change, accelerate innovation, and deliver safer, smarter vehicles. QNX is trusted as the foundation for a software-driven future by most leading OEMs and Tier 1s worldwide, including BMW, Bosch, Continental, Dongfeng Motor, Geely, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, and more. Its foundational software supports future-proof engineering design, from digital cockpits and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to infotainment systems and domain controllers, enabling automakers to bring innovation to market faster and at lower cost.

For more information on QNX, visit QNX.com and follow @QNX News.

-ENDS-

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) provides enterprises and governments the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company's high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management.

About QNX

QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB), enhances the human experience and amplifies technology-driven industries, providing a trusted foundation for software-defined businesses to thrive. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. QNX® technology has been deployed in the world's most critical embedded systems, including more than 255 million vehicles on the road today. QNX® software is trusted across industries including automotive, medical devices, industrial controls, robotics, commercial vehicles, rail, and aerospace and defense. Founded in 1980, QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Learn more at qnx.com.

©2025 BlackBerry Limited. Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design, QNX and the QNX logo design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Media Contacts:

BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com

SOURCE: QNX

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

Which automaker selected QNX Sound for 2026 luxury EVs and what is the stock symbol?

A leading Chinese automaker (unnamed in the release) selected QNX Sound; the software division is part of QNX (NYSE:BB).

What cost savings did Munro & Associates quantify for QNX Sound in 2025?

The study reported hardware cost savings ranging up to $98 per premium vehicle and up to $21 for mass‑market models.

How will QNX Sound affect vehicle manufacturing metrics for the 2026 EV lineup?

The platform can reduce PCB area up to 44% and vehicle weight up to 28%, per the Munro analysis.

When will the selected automaker deploy QNX Sound in its EVs?

Deployment is planned across the automaker's next‑generation luxury EV lineup in 2026.

What technical change enables QNX Sound savings for automakers?

Centralizing audio processing and eliminating traditional DSPs simplifies amplifier design and consolidates hardware across vehicle lines.

Does the announcement cite industry recognition for QNX Sound?

Yes; QNX Sound is noted as a 2025 product of the year at the International Sound Awards.