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It turns out you will need a flagship Qualcomm phone to enjoy a pair of Wi-Fi earbuds (Updated)
Published onMarch 3, 2025
- Qualcomm has clarified which of its chipsets will support XPAN technology.
- XPAN allows wireless earbuds to utilize Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to receive audio data.
- The technology allows for greater range and the transmission of higher audio quality.
Update, March 3, 2025 (12:35 PM ET): We’ve now heard back Qualcomm and the company has sorted its messaging out:
XPAN was first supported on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s not currently supported on 7-series mobile platforms already announced.
Apparently the confusion may have stemmed from a mix-up with the Snapdragon S7 sound platform.
Update, March 3, 2025 (10:14 AM ET): Qualcomm has backtracked on its statement about XPAN support coming to its mid-range chipsets. Currently, the company cannot confirm whether Snapdragon 7 series chipsets will support the technology. We’ve reached out for clarification and will update this post once we have more details about supported chipsets.
Original article, March 3, 2025 (04:35 AM ET): New wireless earbuds utilizing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to beam your favorite tunes to your ears are still relatively scarce, but Qualcomm wants to ensure this tech gets a fair chance. The company confirmed to Android Authority at MWC 2025 that its XPAN audio technology will be supported by more than just its topline chipsets.
The chipmaker mentions that mid-range and flagship silicon, specifically the Snapdragon 7 series and upwards in its pecking order, will receive support for XPAN. This broadened support will allow these earbuds to work with more devices up and down the pricing spectrum.
XPAN, or Expanded Personal Area Network technology, allows supported earbuds to switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi seamlessly when required. As a practical example, worn earbuds utilizing this tech may employ Bluetooth when the paired smartphone is in your pocket but expand to Wi-Fi when it’s charging in your room, and you’re gardening, provided the two devices are on the same network.
We’ve already seen the first pair of earbuds that support this technology with the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi making its bow in Barcelona over the weekend. Notably, Xiaomi notes that its XPAN support is available first on the recently announced Xiaomi 15 Ultra. However, with Qualcomm’s confirmation, we do expect it to work with more devices in due course.