Samsung Aims to Enhance Wireless Earbuds with UWB Technology

Back in 2023, Qualcomm introduced XPAN technology for transmitting audio over Wi-Fi, promising better range and audio quality than Bluetooth. Wireless earbuds featuring this technology may finally debut later this year. Meanwhile, Samsung might be exploring a different approach to address the limitations of Bluetooth earbuds. A newly discovered patent suggests the company plans to leverage Ultra Wideband (UWB) to enhance wireless audio transmission.

Samsung may be working on UWB-powered wireless earbuds

The folks over at 91Mobiles discovered a patent application Samsung filed in the United States. It describes a way to enhance audio quality for wireless earbuds using UWB and Bluetooth in tandem. Samsung’s design uses Bluetooth to establish the initial connection between the source device (your phone) and the master bud (the main bud that relays information to the second bud). Afterward, a UWB connection forms between the phone and the two buds.

Once these connections are in place, the phone sends data and control messages via UWB to the master bud, which then relays the information to the other bud. After the data transmission is complete, the Bluetooth connection is terminated. Essentially, Bluetooth handles the setup and control, while UWB takes over for data transmission. The idea is to take advantage of both connectivity standards, putting their strengths to good use.

Since UWB offers significantly more bandwidth than Bluetooth, it enables the transfer of larger data volumes at faster speeds. In practice, users get higher-quality lossless audio. UWB is also more resistant to interference and provides greater precision in positioning, making it ideal for maintaining stable and high-quality audio transmission. Additionally, it is energy-efficient and can coexist with other wireless protocols like Bluetooth without conflict.

Given that many modern Samsung Galaxy phones, as well as devices from Google and Apple, already support UWB, this integration could seamlessly enhance wireless earbuds experiences across various platforms. Reports suggest several firms are exploring this possibility, so there seems to be a broader industry interest in this technology. It will be interesting to see how this technology evolves.