When Apple ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack with the iPhone 7, Android manufacturers quickly followed suit. These days, it’s rare to see a flagship phone with an audio jack. While Bluetooth earphones have become the norm, they’re often criticized for issues like latency, interference, and limited bandwidth. But Samsung may have a solution that could change the game—at least on paper.
According to a patent filing with the US Patent and Trade Office (via 91mobiles), Samsung is working on future wireless earphones that use ultra-wideband (UWB) technology for audio transmission instead of relying purely on Bluetooth. Here’s how it works: the earphones will initially connect to the source device via Bluetooth, but once connected, the first earbud will switch over to UWB, followed by the second earbud. This shift allows for several advantages over traditional Bluetooth technology.
Why UWB Could Be a Game-Changer for Audio
Using UWB for audio transmission solves common Bluetooth issues such as latency and interference. Samsung’s patent suggests that UWB will support high-speed data transmission of up to 20Mbps, consume less power, and even enable the delivery of lossless audio.
For those unfamiliar, lossless audio retains all the original audio data from a recording while keeping the file size manageable. Since Bluetooth doesn’t have the bandwidth to handle lossless audio, UWB earphones could offer a significant upgrade in sound quality. However, for this to work, the source device—whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer—must also have UWB hardware. The good news is that premium devices from Samsung, Google, and Apple are already equipped with UWB support.
What’s Next for Wireless Audio?
While UWB technology sounds promising, mass adoption could take time. That said, Samsung isn’t the only one exploring alternatives to Bluetooth. Qualcomm is reportedly working on XPAN-based earphones, which would use Wi-Fi for audio transmission, offering improved range, better quality, and minimal latency.
Bluetooth earphones have dominated the market for years, but with companies like Samsung pushing boundaries with UWB and Qualcomm experimenting with Wi-Fi audio, the future of wireless sound is looking brighter—and much less laggy.
In other news, Asus is expected to bring back the 3.5mm headphone jack in its upcoming Zenfone 12 Ultra. While traditional audio jacks are now rare, they’re still appreciated by audiophiles and those looking for reliable, high-quality sound without the need for adapters or charging.
Stay tuned as we watch these innovations unfold in the world of wireless audio!
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