Update, May 12 (11:50 am ET): High-res renders of the Sony WF-1000XM4
What you need to know
- Another leak of the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds shows off the charging case.
- The case features a more compact design and will reportedly feature wireless charging.
- The Sony WF-1000XM4 are expected to launch in June.
The next-generation Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have leaked once again, giving a better look at not only the earbuds but also the charging case. The images surfaced from The Walkman Blog which showcase the earbuds and the case at various angles.
The design of the earbuds is unchanged from the previous leak, with a smaller, more compact fit than the previous Sony WF-1000XM3. This would bring it more in line with some of the best wireless earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro while retaining Sony's signature design language.
Source: The Walkman Blog
Not much is known about the specs, but we at least know that the upcoming Sony earbuds are expected to feature a 6-hour battery life, LDAC support, and active noise canceling.
We also get a look at the charging case for the first time. The case's design appears notably smaller than the one for Sony's last flagship earbuds, which was fairly large. It also appears much more rounded on the top sides, doing away with the flat design of the WF-1000XM3 charging case. Meanwhile, the bottom of the case looks much less rounded, which should hopefully help the case stand up independently.
As noted on the bottom of the charging case, the power output for the case is higher than previous models at 5V = 140mA, versus 5V = 120mA on the WF-1000XM3, which could point to faster-charging speeds. It is also likely that the case will feature wireless charging, which would complement the wireless battery share feature on the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 III. The Walkman Blog points out an image from the upcoming flagship that shows a similar-looking case charging from the device.
There's no set release date for the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, but the FCC confidentiality filing ends on Jun 9, so it may not be long until the earbuds are unveiled. This would also align with the expected release of Sony's next flagship smartphones slated for "summer 2021." There's also no word yet on expected pricing, but hopefully, they will be priced competitively against competing ANC earbuds.
In the meantime, Sony's currently flagship earbuds are still available at a fairly low price, which is no doubt to prepare for the launch of their successor.
Update, May 12 (11:50 pm ET) ― High-res renders of the Sony WF-1000XM4 emerge
How can you tell if a product might be launching soon? When you start getting live images and official-looking renders. After recently getting a first look at the former, leaker Roland Quandt has just provided us with the best look at the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM4 in two colors, along with their teenie-tiny case.
First up is the black colorway:
There's also a classy white/gold colorway:
The renders give a better idea of how much smaller the case is compared to the previous model. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to affect the battery capacity in any way. The first leak of the earbuds showed that the WF-1000XM4 would have a 6-hour battery life with an additional 18 hours from the charging case, numbers that match up with the previous model.
Still a great pair of earbuds
Sony launched the WF-1000XM3 back in 2019, but they continue to be some of the best wireless ANC earbuds that money can buy. That's thanks to the sleek design, intuitive touch controls, and great battery life.
