Sony WF-1000XM4 Earbuds Leak With AirPods Implications

Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds leaked this week with features that look to compete with AirPods on several fronts. Most compelling is the wireless earbuds ability to charge wirelessly, using the case they come in and a new Sony Android smartphone as a charging pad. These earbuds will likely roll with Hi-Res audio support and 6 hours* of battery life.

These earbuds were leaked via internal company document posted by The Walkman Blog. It is hypothesized there that the case and the earbuds indicate the ability to charge wirelessly, complete with Xperia smartphone battery sharing action.

*Early retail packaging suggests that the earbuds will have 9 hours of battery life AND that the battery case will supply 9 hours MORE battery life. This is after the battery case is charged fully. Packaging also confirmed Bluetooth connectivity and IPX4 water resistance.

These earbuds will very likely work with noise canceling technology and voice assistant abilities. This would require connectivity with a compatible smartphone. It would seem that there are spaces for two different microphones, indicating there'll be both noise cancellation tech and voice assistant support.

These earbuds show simple replaceable comfort earbud tips for users to switch at their leisure. The buds look like they'll have one SONY logo in gold while the rest of the device is black, save a gold metal accent piece. This accent piece MAY be the part that confirms noise cancellation abilities.

It's likely these earbuds will be released in June of 2021. At that time, they'll likely be paired with a new Sony Xperia smartphone with wireless charging support and battery sharing support. This being the first time Sony Xperia phones recorded a profit in many seasons, it might be the best possible time to take a crack at a wider audience, complete with earbuds and smartphones that can capture the audience that's tired of Apple and Samsung.