Sony WF-1000XM4 render leak gives best look yet at new wireless earbuds

If you were in any doubt that Sony's next premium true wireless earbuds are nearly here, this latest leak should settle it. Reliable leaker Evan Blass has posted a series of very official-looking renders of the highly rumoured Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds. Following leaks earlier this month and in February, it suggests the  WF-1000XM3 successors are very close to becoming official.

• Sony WF-1000XM4 leaks and news round-up

These renders corroborate what we've already seen, lending them significant credence. It seems the pill shape of the WF-1000XM3 is gone, replaced by a rounded shape that should make the earbuds smaller. The Sony logo is no longer on the front but on the side, and they will come in black/copper and silver colour schemes.

There are no specs to go with the pics, but they do give us a very good look at the buds and charging case from all sorts of angles. You can see the curved case, left and right labels on the relevant earbud, the ear tips and more.

Previous leaks have provided more in the way of expected features to go on. We've previously seen images of the earbuds' box which included a "Hi-Res Audio" logo, suggesting the XM4 will be compatible with Sony's LDAC technology.

That same leak also seemed to confirm the buds' six-hour battery life, plus another 18 from the case, giving them an AirPods-equalling 24 hours of total run time before needing to be plugged in.

Wireless charging is a given, too, and the case should power up quicker than their predecessors. They might also have the same Speak to Chat feature as the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones, plus some form of water resistance, which was sadly lacking from their predecessors.

We're expecting an announcement in the coming weeks – sometime before 9th June, according to one leak. Not long now then!

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What other wireless earbuds are on the way? Apple AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 2 and Google Pixel Buds A-Series