Qualcomm's New S7 and S7 Pro Chips to Enable Wi-Fi Connectivity for Audio Devices

Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip introduces Wi-Fi and Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology for earbuds, headphones, and speakers, enhancing audio quality and range, but will only be compatible with devices using Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform, excluding Apple products.

Qualcomm's newly announced S7 and S7 Pro chips will allow audio devices such as earbuds, headphones, and speakers to benefit from Wi-Fi in addition to Bluetooth. This will significantly improve the range of these devices and enable lossless music playback.
The S7 Pro chip leverages Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology to achieve high audio quality at the same power consumption as lossy audio. This means users will be able to enjoy high-quality audio without worrying about fast battery drain.
The new chips come with enhanced computing power, memory, and AI capabilities, offering more powerful, intelligent, and adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. If the user is in a potentially dangerous situation like biking near traffic, the chip will raise the transparency level to help them stay aware of their surroundings.
Qualcomm's S7 and S7 Pro chips are compatible with devices powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform, which will launch next year. However, this excludes Apple devices as they do not use Snapdragon Sound. Brands expected to use the new chips in their devices include Audio-Technica, Bose, Edifier, Fiio, Jabra, LG, Master & Dynamic, and Shure.
The focus of these chips is not only on enhanced audio quality, but also on user convenience and adaptability. They allow users to shift from a direct Bluetooth connection to Wi-Fi for uninterrupted media playback and phone calls, even across different access points. However, the actual efficiency of this functionality will only be confirmed when the new chips are integrated into devices and tested.