You next wireless earbuds might use ‘micro-power Wi-Fi’ to extend the range beyond Bluetooth
Qualcomm's S7 Pro platform should extend your earphones' wireless range beyond what Bluetooth can offer
We’ve all been there – your wireless earbuds cut out as you experience interference or go beyond the Bluetooth range. But that could be about to change with future models. Qualcomm produces the silicon inside many earbuds and its newly-announced S7 Pro platform includes some clever Wi-Fi-based tech that should extend their wireless range beyond what Bluetooth can offer.
The ‘micro power’ tech is intended for use where there is existing Wi-Fi, so a “home, building or campus” according to Qualcomm. So it probably won’t help you when you’re walking down the street, but then you’ll probably have your phone with you at that point.
This is part of Qualcomm’s so-called XPAN tech which will switch devices onto Wi-Fi rather than a direct connection when the signal is broken.
What’s more, that technology will also support up to 192kHz multi-channel lossless music streaming and multi-channel spatial audio for gaming, too. So as well as far-reaching connectivity, it also improves the audio options open to you, too.
This tech will work in conjunction with phones and other devices running the latest Qualcomm phone and PC platforms, so using the newly announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as well as the Apple Silicon-baiting Snapdragon X Elite for Windows PCs. The tech is part of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform.
The new S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 platforms will appear in wireless earphone launches during 2024 – they promise a serious step up in performance aside from the Wi-Fi connectivity, with six times the performance of the previous generation hardware, plus a significant improvement in AI processing for use alongside virtual assistants.
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
