Qualcomm says the S7 Pro Gen 1 chip supports XPAN, a new technology that uses micro-power Wi-Fi, which can help extend the range of Bluetooth earbuds, speakers and headphones
Qualcomm today announced two new processors for audio devices – S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1. Designed for wireless earbuds, speakers and headphones, the latest from Qualcomm makes use of micro-power Wi-Fi to extend the range of audio devices.
Compared to Bluetooth, which can transmit audio over a distance of up to 10 metres, Qualcomm S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 devices will enable users to take calls and listen to music when walking around their homes, buildings or offices.
Available on devices with S7 Pro Gen 1 SoCs, Qualcomm has developed a new technology called XPAN (expanded personal area network) that uses micro-power Wi-Fi. The company claims XPAN Wi-Fi consumes very little power and can stream music up to 192kHz lossless audio using the same energy a Bluetooth-enabled device takes to stream 48kHz audio.
XPAN works by keeping a tab on the quality of the Bluetooth connection and automatically switches over to Wi-Fi if it detects that the user is going out of range. It works with existing Wi-Fi networks that are using 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands, meaning it will be compatible with the majority of routers.
Qualcomm also seems to have improved the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) capabilities with the S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 processors, which now adapt according to what’s going on in the real world. Using on-device AI, the new chips can now automatically detect the noise levels around you and dynamically adjust the ANC depending on various parameters like variations in fit and sudden noises.
The list of companies that make use of Qualcomm’s audio chips includes Audio-Technica, Edifier, Bose, Jabra, LG and Shure to name a few. However, audio products powered by the new S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 chips are expected to hit the market sometime in 2024.
