Sony has been one of the leaders in noise-cancelling headphones for a while now, and the company’s WH-1000XM4 headphones is still one of the best options for over-ear ANC headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones were just leaked, and images of the next Sony LinkBuds have appeared as well.
The images for the WH-1000XM5 published by TechnikNews reveal a design more similar to Apple AirPods Pro than the current generation of Sony Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) headphones. The extending sections on the sides for adjusting the size are thinner, and at least two colors will be available: black and silver. The silver color looks more white or sandstone than silver, but that’s besides the point. The on/off switch appears to be a sliding mechanism now, instead of a simple button, but we’ll have to wait for the final product to see how well that works.
Another leak from another source indicates Sony is also working on a new pair of LinkBuds-branded wireless earbuds. The first LinkBuds arrived back in February as a pair of open-back earbuds, designed for situations where you want to listen to music while still hearing your surroundings (like while riding a bike or walking outside).
According to images shared by reputable leaker ‘SnoopyTech,’ the upcoming Sony LinkBuds S/WF-LSN900 look like standard earbuds. It’s a bit strange that Sony is using the new branding for a completely different design, but perhaps ‘LinkBuds’ will just become Sony’s catch-all product name for any wireless earbuds. These earbuds will be available in at least two colors.
Pricing or availability for the upcoming headphones are still unknown, but we’ll probably find out soon enough. The current open-back Sony LinkBuds are priced at $178.00 in the United States.