In addition to the flagship smartphones Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the Chinese manufacturer also introduced new wireless headphones Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro in Europe.
The headphones are available in two versions: a standard version with Bluetooth and a top-of-the-line version with a Qualcomm S7 Pro chip and Wi-Fi support, which uses Qualcomm Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology to transmit lossless audio quality of 96 kHz/24 bit with a bandwidth of up to 4.2 Mbps - this significantly exceeds the capabilities of Bluetooth. In addition, the user will be able to move away from the smartphone without deteriorating the connection, as long as they remain within the coverage area of the Wi-Fi network.
Of course, there's an obvious limitation with Wi-Fi — you need to be connected to a network, so you'll only be able to enjoy the benefits of better sound quality around your home. When Qualcomm announced XPAN in 2023, it said your smartphone would transmit Wi-Fi data during pairing, but it's not yet known whether the headphones can connect to multiple networks to work in the office. However, when Wi-Fi isn't available, the headphones can always switch to Bluetooth.
At the moment, these headphones are only compatible with the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra. This will change in the future, but hardware limitations mean that they will only work with smartphones that have a compatible Qualcomm chipset, such as the 8 Gen 3 or 8 Elite. This means that you won't be able to use them over Wi-Fi with an iPhone or other Apple products.
Battery life is 10 hours (up to 40 hours with the case), which is better than the Bluetooth model, which lasts 8 hours.
Audio comes from a three-driver system, with the main driver measuring 11mm in diameter. There's active noise cancellation, IP54 protection, and built-in AI features including call recording, transcription, and translation.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro can already be purchased in Europe for €199/ €219. In Ukraine, the headphones currently cost 8,000 UAH and 9,000 UAH, respectively.