When it comes to the best wireless earbuds, the 2021 Sony WF-1000XM4 was unmatched, and soon the much-anticipated sequel — the WF-1000XM5 come to the rumor mill floor. The Walkman Blog has discovered certification images for the upcoming earbuds, and there are hints Sony may address the comfort issues we have with the current model.
The images leaked suggest the WF-1000XM5 design may be curvier — you could listen for longer periods without a flat side digging into your ear. It’s not clear if the buds are smaller.
The case of the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM5 also hints at potentially faster wireless charging times. And yes, the charging status light should finally be on the outside of the case. Don’t read too much into the plain, sometimes-glossy looks. The wireless earbuds you see here appear to be prototypes and likely won’t reflect what you can purchase at launch.
It’s too soon to say if the WF-1000XM5 will sound any better or introduce features, but if the XM4 is anything to go by we expect several improvements from Sony. A release may come soon, though. An FCC filing appeared in late February, with short-term confidentiality expiring in August. Given that the XM4 reached the FCC in February 2021 and debuted that June, it won’t be surprising if its follow-up is weeks away.
The XM4 has been one of the best wireless earbuds and for good reason. While the buds are on the large side, they provide excellent sound quality, strong active noise cancellation, and healthy battery life in a platform-agnostic design. If Sony spices up things on the XM5a, they may be the obvious pick if you’d rather not spring for Bose or AirPods.
