Update, May 28 (3:10 p.m. ET): Leaked video shows the earbuds in action
What you need to know
- More details about the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM4 have emerged.
- The earbuds will reportedly feature up to 24 hours of battery life with ANC on, 36 hours without ANC.
- LDAC, Hi-Res Audio, and Precise Voice Pickup will be supported.
- The Sony WF-1000XM4 are rumored to retail in Europe "soon" for €280.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are expected to launch soon, and more details of the successor to one to the best wireless earbuds have just been revealed.
According to WinFuture, the upcoming Sony earbuds will feature a whopping 24 hours of total battery life with ANC turned on. That's eight hours per charge from the case, extending to 12 with ANC turned off and a total of 36 hours.
Those numbers are quite a bit higher than the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds, which feature fantastic battery life but only manages up to a total of 24 hours. It's also notably higher than the five and eight respective hours provided by the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro with ANC on and off. The charging case will also support wireless charging and can be topped off with the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 III.
Another improvement Sony is reportedly bringing to its next flagship earbuds is the addition of water resistance, with the WF-1000XM4 given an IPX4 rating. It's not quite as protective as the IPX7 on the Galaxy Buds, but it should shield them from splashes and rain.
On the audio front, the earbuds are rumored to come equipped with a new Sony V1 chip to improve the quality and performance of ANC. The WF-1000XM4 will also come with Precise Voice Pickup, a feature borrowed from the on-ear Sony WH-1000XM4 that combines multiple microphones for clearer voice calls. LDAC and Hi-Res Audio support are also included.
No release date has been provided, but WinFuture states that the Sony WF-1000XM4 will launch "soon" and retail for €280, which is a bit higher than the €250 launch price of their predecessor. However, given the smaller size and improved battery life, these tiny earbuds could be worth the splurge.
Update, May 28 (3:10 p.m. ET) ― Leaked promo video shows off the Sony WF-1000XM4
Leaks appear to be ramping up for Sony's next earbuds, as a new promo video has just been unveiled on Reddit (via The Walkman Blog). The video shows the earbuds in action, listing off many of the features that have already been hinted at in yesterday's leak, including battery life and Hi-Res Audio support. There's also 360 Reality Audio on-board, audio adjustments for different environment types, and Speak-To-Chat which turns ANC off whenever your voice is detected.
There's even a cameo from what looks like the upcoming Xperia 1 III.
Given the increase in leaks, it would seem that Sony's next earbuds are well on their way.
