Qualcomm folds Wi‑Fi 6E into new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 chip
On-chip Wi‑Fi and efficiency gains could make Wi‑Fi audio more practical in everyday earbuds and headsets.
Qualcomm has integrated micro-power Wi-Fi 6E into its Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, removing the need for a separate Wi-Fi chip and potentially making direct network audio more practical in compact devices. The move echoes Qualcomm’s 2023 S7 Pro and XPAN pitch for 24-bit 96kHz lossless audio over Wi-Fi; that earlier setup needed an additional chip, and the only reported device using it was Xiaomi’s 2025 Buds 5 Pro, which was not released globally. Qualcomm says the new chip is 30 percent smaller, uses up to 40 percent less power, and has twice the previous generation’s AI processing capacity. The company says it is working with HP on an unnamed product and collaborating with Bose. With Cleer, it is pursuing camera-equipped earbuds as a new intelligent-hearables category.
Why it matters
By putting micro-power Wi‑Fi 6E directly into the audio chip, Qualcomm removes the need for a second radio in Wi‑Fi-capable earbuds and headsets, cutting size and power demands while keeping the promise of higher-quality, lossless audio that earlier designs struggled to bring to market. With only one niche pair of earbuds previously using Qualcomm’s Wi‑Fi audio pitch, new collaborations with HP, Bose, and Cleer suggest Wi‑Fi listening and new hearable form factors may finally move beyond experiments.
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Sources
- The Verge