Qualcomm’s new ‘Elite’ sound chip might finally deliver the Wi-Fi earbud dream
Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, its first audio chip to include integrated micro-power Wi‑Fi 6E, enabling earbuds and similar hearables to connect directly to home Wi‑Fi networks and the cloud. The company says the new Elite chip is smaller, more power-efficient, and more capable at on-device AI than its predecessor, targeting use cases such as high-resolution lossless streaming and always-connected earwear.
Why It Matters
If device makers adopt the integrated Wi‑Fi approach, earbuds could bypass Bluetooth bandwidth limits and support higher-quality streaming and more persistent connections without needing a paired phone nearby — a long-promised capability that Qualcomm previously pushed with a platform that required a separate Wi‑Fi chip.
Key Facts
- Product: Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2
- Integrated technology: Micro-power Wi‑Fi 6E built into the audio chip
- Lossless audio target: 24-bit, 96 kHz
- Improvements vs prior gen: 30% smaller, up to 40% lower power consumption, 2x AI processing
- Previous platform: 2023 S7 Pro sound platform (required separate Wi‑Fi chip, used XPAN)
Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, a new audio system-on-chip that embeds "micro-power Wi‑Fi 6E" directly on the chip. By putting Wi‑Fi in the same package as the audio processor, the company aims to let tiny devices such as wireless earbuds and audio glasses attach straight to home networks and cloud services rather than routing all audio through a nearby phone.
The chip is positioned to address limitations inherent to Bluetooth audio, which Qualcomm and others have argued lacks the bandwidth to carry high-resolution, lossless formats. Qualcomm highlights support for 24-bit/96 kHz audio as a use case for Wi‑Fi-connected earbuds, and says the Elite Gen 2 is 30% smaller, consumes as much as 40% less power, and offers double the on-device AI horsepower versus the prior generation.
Qualcomm previously promoted a similar vision with its 2023 S7 Pro sound platform and the Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) approach, but that solution required a separate Wi‑Fi chip to enable Wi‑Fi earbuds. According to The Verge, that requirement limited adoption; the only known consumer product that used the earlier approach was Xiaomi's Buds 5 Pro, which did not receive a global release.
To encourage ecosystem uptake for the new integrated chip, Qualcomm says it is collaborating with several partners: it cites work with HP on an unnamed product, close cooperation with Bose, and a project with Cleer to develop what it calls "intelligent hearables" — earbuds equipped with cameras. The company hopes that removing the need for a separate Wi‑Fi component will make Wi‑Fi-capable earbuds and other tiny hearables more practical for device makers.
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