Rumor: Sony will launch new LinkBuds headphones this year, WH-1000XM6 next year

There is some good news for fans of Sony headphones, but also some bad news. Good news first – Sony might introduce the second generation of LinkBuds and LinkBuds S later this year.

Bad news – the next generation of flagship buds and over-ear headphones, the Sony WF-1000XM6 and the WH-1000XM6, will not be out in 2024. Instead, Sony may be targeting the first six months of next year.

Sony announced the WH-1000XM4 in mid 2020, the XM5 came in mid-2022. This suggests a two-year gap for the XM6 successor, but as @INSIDERSONY points out, there has been no news from the FCC, which will have to test and certify the headphones before launch. In conclusion, a launch this year is unlikely.

Despite their similar names, the LinkBuds and LinkBuds S are quite different. Both are TWS buds, yes, but the original model is an open design that doesn’t block ambient sound, while the S is a more traditional design focused on noise canceling.

Sony bundled the WH-1000XM5 headphones with its new Android flagship, the Xperia 1 VI, as a pre-order bonus. Who knows, maybe the Mark 7 next year will get the XM6 headphones as the Xperia flagships tend to get announced towards the middle of the year. But for now, the best Sony over-ear and in-ear wireless headphones remain the XM5 models.

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