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Qualcomm's XPAN: Earbuds to Revolutionize Wireless Audio

9/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Qualcomm is developing XPAN for wireless earbuds, enabling seamless switching from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi to extend audio range and potentially enable global access.
The first XPAN-enabled earbuds are Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro, supporting 96kHz audio; future models aim for 192kHz.
Qualcomm claims no latency with Wi-Fi versus Bluetooth, and that earbuds could connect directly to streaming services for calls.

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Story summary

Qualcomm is developing XPAN for wireless earbuds, enabling seamless switching from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi to extend audio range and potentially enable global access.
The first XPAN-enabled earbuds are Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro, supporting 96kHz audio; future models aim for 192kHz.
Qualcomm claims no latency with Wi-Fi versus Bluetooth, and that earbuds could connect directly to streaming services for calls.