Images of the Sony WF-1000XM5 in-ear true wireless earbuds have leaked and they are a massive departure from their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM4.
First discovered by The Walkman Blog, the image of the earbuds show a shrunken chassis and a longer nozzle that could, in theory, help the earbuds fit more comfortably in smaller ears.
Getting a proper fit has been one of the biggest challenges with Sony’s flagship in-ear earbuds and, if the leaked images are anything to go by, it looks like Sony is finally tackling that problem head-on in the upcoming generation.
Corroborating the leaked images is an FCC filing that we reported on two weeks ago that pointed to a potential release date of August 22, 2023. Given how far along the product is at this point, though, we could see the Sony WF-1000XM5 in just another month or two.
A new case with fast charging? Nice
The other new addition that you’ll notice in the leaked image is the power rating of 5 V = 230mAh, compared to 5 V = 140mAh with the WF-1000XM4.
For those who didn’t study electrical engineering, the voltage to milliamp ratio is how much charge (measured in Watt hour) is produced.
The takeaway? Fast charging very much looks to be on the table for this generation.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 case looks to be a bit thinner than previous generations and sports what we assume is the model number for the earbuds, “YY2963” — which, as I pointed out in a story about the FCC filing on the earbuds, is just a few numbers away from the Sony WF-1000XM4 that used the name “YY2948”.
The fact that the model numbers line up and that it’s been nearly two years since the launch of the WF-1000XM4 there's a very good chance that these are the real deal; however it's still worth taking this leak with the slightest grain of salt.
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