Qualcomm's new sound chip could finally make Wi-Fi earbuds practical

Qualcomm has introduced a new audio chip, the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, aimed at solving one of the biggest limitations of wireless earbuds: their dependence on a phone as a relay for audio streaming. The chip is the company's first to build low-power Wi-Fi 6E directly into the silicon, allowing earbuds to connect straight to a home Wi-Fi network and, from there, to the cloud.

An earlier attempt fell short

Qualcomm made a similar promise back in 2023 with its S7 Pro sound platform and its Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology, arguing that Wi-Fi-enabled earbuds could deliver 24-bit, 96kHz lossless audio that Bluetooth's limited bandwidth simply cannot handle. However, that earlier platform required a separate Wi-Fi chip alongside the main audio chip, a setup that proved impractical for manufacturers building extremely small devices. In fact, only one product is known to have adopted it: Xiaomi's 2025 Buds 5 Pro, which never received a global release.

Smaller, more efficient, more capable

With Wi-Fi no longer requiring a separate chip, the concept may finally gain traction. Qualcomm says the new Elite chip is 30 percent smaller, uses up to 40 percent less power, and offers twice the AI processing capability of its predecessor — improvements that could appeal to device makers weighing whether to adopt the technology.

The company has already lined up specific partnerships. Qualcomm is working with HP on an unnamed product, collaborating closely with Bose, and partnering with Cleer to develop what it describes as a new category of intelligent hearables — earbuds equipped with built-in cameras.