These Xiaomi earbuds are first to stream music via Wi-Fi
03 Mar 2025

In a major development in the audio space, Xiaomi has launched its Buds 5 Pro at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

The earbuds are the first to use Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip, allowing audio streaming over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without any additional power consumption.

The innovative technology was first announced by Qualcomm in October 2023, and Buds 5 Pro are its first implementation.

How does the tech work?
Mechanics

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro come in two flavors: a regular Bluetooth version and a Wi-Fi one. The latter uses Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) tech to provide high-quality audio.

It provides lossless audio at 96kHz/24bit, with a bandwidth of up to 4.2Mbps, exceeding Bluetooth standards.

You can walk away from your phone without losing the connection as long as you're within your Wi-Fi network range.

Limitations and compatibility requirements
Usage constraints

While the Wi-Fi feature promises superior audio quality, it does have some limitations. The main requirement is a stable Wi-Fi connection, which means you'll only get enhanced audio quality on your home network.

Qualcomm has said that during pairing, your phone will share its Wi-Fi credentials. However, it's still not clear if these earbuds can connect to multiple networks simultaneously.

In absence of Wi-Fi, the earbuds seamlessly switch back to Bluetooth mode.

Battery life and audio performance
Technical specifications

The Buds 5 Pro will work with phones having a compatible Qualcomm flagship chipset, like Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Snapdragon 8 Elite. This includes Xiaomi's new models but not Apple devices.

The earbuds offer an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours, going up to 40 hours with the case.

They offer a triple-driver system for audio output and feature active noise cancellation and various built-in AI capabilities.

Take a look at the pricing
Fact

The Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi are priced at £189.99 (around ₹20,900) and come exclusively in black. Meanwhile, the Bluetooth-only variant, available in white or gray, is slightly cheaper at £159.99 (around ₹17,600).