BlackBerry Limited (BB) announced Tuesday that it's secured a major design win with one of China's leading automakers, which will integrate QNX Sound into its next-generation luxury electric vehicles hitting the market in 2026.

The deal highlights how QNX is gaining traction as a scalable, high-performance platform in the increasingly software-driven automotive world.

How the Technology Works

QNX Sound represents a fundamental shift in automotive audio architecture. It's a digital audio platform built for software-defined vehicles that separates audio software from hardware, bundling voice processing, media playback, alerts, and noise control into a single integrated system.

This approach streamlines development, reduces hardware requirements, and speeds up time-to-market for automakers—critical advantages in the fast-moving EV sector.

The economics are compelling. The platform can slash hardware costs by $21 per mass-market vehicle and $98 per premium model. It also reduces printed circuit board surface area by up to 44% and cuts weight by up to 28%, which translates directly into improved EV range and energy efficiency.

By eliminating traditional digital signal processors and simplifying amplifiers, QNX enables automakers to consolidate hardware, reduce part counts, achieve volume efficiencies, and accelerate time-to-market while lowering long-term development costs.

China's EV Leadership

William Dong, Chief Representative of Greater China for QNX, put the win in context: "China's EV market is setting the pace for global innovation, and we're proud to be part of that momentum."

"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."

BlackBerry shares were up 0.50% at $4.00 during after-hours trading on Monday.