Xiaomi has officially launched its Buds 5 Pro in Europe, marking the first earbuds to feature Qualcomm’s S7 Pro chipset, enabling audio streaming over Wi-Fi alongside Bluetooth.
Announced in China last Thursday alongside the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the Buds 5 Pro use Qualcomm’s Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology to deliver 96kHz/24bit lossless audio at a bandwidth of up to 4.2Mbps—far exceeding Bluetooth’s capabilities, all without increased power consumption.
Wi-Fi Audio
Wi-Fi audio allows users to move freely within their Wi-Fi network without any connection drops, a limitation typically associated with Bluetooth. However, there are some trade-offs. The most significant is the need for a Wi-Fi connection, limiting the enhanced audio experience to locations where the earbuds can connect to a known network.
Qualcomm previously stated that phones would pass Wi-Fi credentials during pairing, though it remains unclear if the buds support multiple networks for seamless transitions between home and office environments.
At launch, Xiaomi has restricted compatibility to the 15 and 15 Ultra smartphones. While broader support may be possible in the future, the requirement for Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipsets—such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or 8 Elite—means they will not work with iPhones or other non-Qualcomm devices over Wi-Fi.
Battery Life, Audio Features, And Price
Despite this limitation, the Buds 5 Pro offer impressive battery life, with 10 hours of continuous use and up to 40 hours with the charging case, surpassing the eight-hour performance of the Bluetooth-only model. The earbuds also feature a triple-driver system consisting of an 11mm main driver, a PZT tweeter, and a planar driver. Active noise cancellation and AI-powered features, such as call recording, transcription, and real-time translation, further enhance their appeal.
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi edition is priced at $240 and is available exclusively in black. The Bluetooth-only version costs $200 and comes in white or gray.
