This is our first look at Sony's upcoming WF-1000XM5. The pictures come from the earbuds' certification (via The Walkman Blog), and if accurate, they show smaller earbuds and a redesigned charging case.
Let's take a closer look.
As you can see, the earbuds have a more compact design, with an underside that is no longer flat like the XM4's. This is most likely to help the earbuds sit more comfortably in the ear.
The picture also shows the tactile dot, above which is a hole for a microphone, though it's not clear whether it's for the feedforward or voice mic. According to the recent filing with the Federal Communications Commission, the earbuds should also include a touch panel for controls, though it's not clearly visible in these pics.
Now we should take these pictures with a pinch of salt, as they may well not be the final versions, but there are some details that will likely be in the final design.
For example, the case shows a switch from a three-pin design to a two-pin for recharging. The case has also changed its recharging ability, from 5V = 140mAh on the XM4 to 5V = 230mAh. Which could make for faster charging.
The LED also seems to have been tweaked and shrunk from a bar to a small dot on the front of the case. This shows the battery status.
Qi wireless charging will again come as standard, so you can just place the case on a compatible charging mat to juice it up.
The XM5 will follow the Award-winning WF-1000XM4, which currently top our list of the best wireless earbuds. We've already come up with a wishlist of 6 things we want from Sony's next wireless earbuds so to say expectations are high would be an understatement.
Recent leaks suggest they could launch as soon as May and you can be sure we'll bring you all the news as we get it.
MORE:
Sony WF-1000XM5: 6 things we want from Sony's next wireless earbuds
AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: which five-star earbuds are better?
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs Sony WF-1000XM4: which buds are better?
The best Sony WF-1000XM4 deals on the internet
