# Qualcomm integrates Wi-Fi into new earbud audio chip

_Published Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 10:08 PM EDT · Products · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![vlcsnap-2026-09-24-16h29m15s548 — Primary](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/vlcsnap-2026-09-24-16h29m15s548.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C3.4613147178592%2C100%2C93.077370564282&w=1200)

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 integrates low-power Wi-Fi 6E into the audio chip, allowing earbud and audio-glasses makers to connect devices directly to a home network. Its earlier S7 Pro platform required a separate Wi-Fi chip for that connection.

Qualcomm says the new chip is 30 percent smaller, uses up to 40 percent less power and has twice the AI processing capacity of the previous generation. The company has identified work with HP on an unnamed product and collaborations with Bose and Cleer. The source identifies no widely available consumer device using the new chip yet; a previous Wi-Fi earbud using the earlier platform did not receive a global release.

## Sources

- [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1000443/qualcomms-new-elite-sound-chip-might-finally-deliver-the-wi-fi-earbud-dream)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/3YuMlaGoCwrPWtTEfuezmi
Published: 2026-09-25T02:08:22.564Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-24T23:42:39.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-09-25T04:01:10.458Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)