Lil Katz / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Qualcomm has confirmed to Android Authority that the first devices with XPAN tech will be announced “very, very soon.”
- XPAN-enabled earbuds can transmit audio over your home Wi-Fi network for longer range and improved quality.
- These products can also fall back to Bluetooth for phone calls, lossy audio, and more.
Qualcomm announced its XPAN technology in late 2023, enabling wireless audio over Wi-Fi instead of solely relying on Bluetooth. The chip company noted at the time that it expected the first wireless earbuds with this tech in 2024, but we haven’t seen any announcements since then. So what gives?
We asked Qualcomm about the first commercial products with XPAN technology, and it turns out they could be around the corner:
We’re excited to be collaborating with several of our customers to bring the first devices with XPAN to market, and these will be announced very, very soon.
XPAN (Expanded Personal Area Network) allows wireless audio products to transmit over Wi-Fi. Qualcomm noted at the time that Wi-Fi offers a longer range than Bluetooth, making it ideal if you want to listen to your earbuds but your paired phone or tablet is a few rooms away. The chipmaker also explained that XPAN enables lossless 24-bit 96kHz audio over Wi-Fi at the same power consumption as its current lossy 96kHz Bluetooth standard. Qualcomm also noted that, unlike Bluetooth, you don’t have to choose between high bit-rate audio and low latency (e.g. for gaming).
Would you buy Wi-Fi earbuds?
22 votes
Fortunately, XPAN-enabled earbuds and earphones can seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as needed. So your devices can transmit over Bluetooth when they’re close together, and you’re listening to lossy audio.
The paired earbuds require Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S7 Pro chip while the paired phone or tablet needs a Snapdragon chip (it’s unclear if a specific Snapdragon SoC is required). The paired devices also need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
In any event, we’re glad to hear that the first XPAN-enabled products are on the way soon. Here’s hoping the technology lives up to the hype and makes wireless audio less of a pain over longer distances.
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