Sony's WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling earbuds launched in June 2021, so it's reasonable to imagine an update could soon be on the way. Although they're two years old, the WF-1000XM4 still rank among the best wireless earbuds on the market and continue to be one of the best Apple AirPods alternatives, too.
At $279 / £250 / AU$298, Sony's earbuds are too pricey for the best cheap wireless earbuds, but they've managed to amass a fan base thanks to being versatile with both iOS and Android device platforms. They are a more practical choice for many, and you can check out our AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4 face-off to see how the two rivals compare.
But given the FCC filing spotted recently, and the WF-1000XM4 price crashes we've also reported on, there's plenty of fuel for speculation on whether a next-generation version of Sony's flagship wireless noise-canceling earbuds are just around the corner.
Here’s all the Sony WF-1000XM5 rumors we've uncovered so far, plus the top upgrades we hope to see in any future version of Sony's noise-canceling earbud flagship.
Sony WF-1000XM5: Release date and price
It's important to point out that there's nothing official from Sony about the arrival of a next-gen flagship so far, but a post by The Walkman Blog suggests that any new earbuds could be with us by August.
Since the Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds arrived in June 2021, we've seen close rival Apple launch the AirPods Pro 2 in September last year. The price for the AirPods Pro 2 surprised us all by remaining the same as the original Pro model launch price, and we hope to see any pricing strategy for the WF-1000XM4 successor take a similar approach.
However, it's prudent to mention that when the Sony WH-1000XM5 flagship headphones arrived in May last year as the successor to the WH-1000XM4, the price increased by $50 owing to the eco redesign and performance upgrades.
So in terms of Sony WF-1000XM5 pricing rumors, although we have no indication yet, we’re not getting our hopes up on seeing a price drop.
Sony WF-1000XM5: Design and features
Images recently leaked by The Walkman Blog appear to show the WF-1000XM5 suggest a more compact design than the current WF-1000XM4 version. This could be to aid fit and improve levels of comfort, as they look more rounded with more angled nozzles for inserting into the ear canal. The glossy finish looks a bit cheap compared to the matte finish of the current XM4 version, but it's quite possible that the finish will be different when the next-gen version finally arrives.
The Walkman Blog also notes that the new earbuds will use touch-capacitive controls on each bud just like the WF-1000XM4 and a battery voltage of 3.85V. Unfortunately, the FCC filing doesn’t specify battery life, but given the battery capacity we've seen from the new Sony WF-C700N, we're hopeful that any new model will improve on WF-1000XM4’s 8 hours per charge with 16 more hours of juice in the case.
The filing also suggests that the new earbuds will use the latest Bluetooth 5.3 standard, which could mean Bluetooth LE Audio support, too.
Sony WF-1000XM5 — what we want to see
Better comfort and fit: As great as they are, there's no denying that Sony's WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds are looking oversized alongside elegant earbud designs launched in 2023. Size and weight have a direct affect on earbud comfort levels and fit, and given the design of models in Sony's LinkBuds series are aimed at all-day wear, this is clearly something Sony has been looking into.
Eco credentials: Much like when the WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling headphones launched in May last year that use a recycled ABS plastic material that can be recycled again at the end of its life, we're hopeful that any new flagship earbuds will have equally strong eco credentials.
Transparent option: This might be a bit too nerdy for some, but we've been loving the transparent options of the Beats Studio Buds+, and the Nothing Ear 2 wireless noise canceling earbuds that show the internal components under the hood. A see-through option is a popular choice right now, along with alternative colors that reflect individual style.
Stronger spatial audio support: It'd be great to see Sony's new earbuds pull a few tricks from Apple's playbook by implementing spatial audio anytime the earbuds are on, rather than only during playback of Sony 360 Audio tracks.
What we’ll have to wait for, sadly, is more information around the earbuds’ specs — specifically how long their battery will last, what wireless codecs they support and, most importantly, how Sony has improved the sound since the WF-1000XM4.
