Wi-Fi Switching Earbuds Are Coming Sooner Than You Think
I've always found it a bit limiting that my wireless earbuds are tethered to my phone via Bluetooth, especially when I'm at home. You know, when you're trying to chill and listen to music without having your phone glued to your hip. Qualcomm is cooking up a clever solution: earbuds that automatically switch to Wi-Fi when you wander out of Bluetooth range. It might sound like a small thing, but it hints at a future where earbuds can stream music independently, no phone needed.
Okay, I get it. Some might say this is solving a problem that doesn't really exist for most people. But I think it's a cool glimpse into what's coming. Qualcomm let me try out this tech, called XPAN (Expanded Personal Area Network), in Hawaii. Basically, the earbuds figure out if your phone is nearby via Bluetooth. If you start to walk away, they seamlessly jump to Wi-Fi. I walked about 30 feet away from my phone, and the music kept playing without a hitch. I didn't even notice it swapping connections!
What's really interesting is the potential behind this. These earbuds have a Wi-Fi antenna built-in, but otherwise, they look pretty normal. The idea is that eventually, you could listen to music anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. According to Qualcomm, there's no noticeable lag with Wi-Fi compared to Bluetooth, and it can easily handle the high-quality audio that audiophiles crave. They are already talking about supporting 192kHz to be truly lossless.
More Than Just Music?
While the initial focus is on music, I think this tech could be even more useful for calls. Imagine crystal-clear calls, no matter where you are in your house. The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro were actually the first earbuds with this tech, supporting the 96kHz standard. But Qualcomm says we'll see more earbuds with XPAN soon.
It seems like our earbuds are slowly becoming as connected as our phones. This could lead to a future where we stream music directly from our earbuds' case, ditching the phone altogether. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more earbud cases with screens for controlling music. In a way, your earbuds could become a modern-day, dedicated music player. Of course, you'll still need to pay for your streaming service. While this might not be a revolutionary change, it does represent a step in a direction where earbuds and headphones are less dependable on the smartphone in our pockets and more stand-alone.
Source: Gizmodo