This Sony WF-1000XM5 rumour has me reaching for my wallet

Our favourite wireless earbuds are rumoured to get a neat upgrade soon

A leaked render of the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds, on a white background
(Image credit: WinFuture)

A good pair of wireless earbuds is a great investment. Even better is a pair of the best noise-cancelling earbuds – perfect for keeping out the hubbub of the world around you.

Fortunately, one pair of earbuds has dominated both of those categories. Since it launched in 2021, the Sony WF-1000XM4 has been the top pick for an all-round choice, offering a solid balance of sound quality, battery life and appearance.

Now, rumours about it's successor – the Sony WF-1000XM5 – have emerged. While there isn't a great deal of difference in the leak, there are a couple of upgrades which should make the new model even more appealing.

The information comes from popular tech insider, Roland Quandt, via WinFuture. Quandt enjoys a brilliant reputation for leaking information, putting a good degree of kudos on these claims.

So, what's new? First, the buds themselves are said to be shaving off a few grams. The buds for the XM5 are listed at 5.9g, down from 7.3g on the XM4. That should help the buds to feel even more comfortable in use – perfect for longer listening sessions.

There's also an update in the charging department. No, the battery life doesn't look to have changed – that's still rated at 24 hours for the case, with no information about the buds on their own. That might be a bit disappointing, but we do get a useful change to compensate.

According to the leak, a three minute burst of charge will provide enough power to run the buds for an hour of listening. That's down from five minutes on the XM4, and should make it easy to get a quick bit of use out of them in a pinch.

There's no word yet on price or a launch date, though they are expected to drop soon. Keep your eyes peeled for more information in the coming weeks and months, then.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.