We can’t wait for Sony’s fourth try at flagship cans.
In the world of active noise-canceling headphones, Sony has established itself as one of the market leaders. Unveiled in 2018 and released in early-2019, the Sony WH-1000XM3 may not have the catchiest name, but they are easily some of the best headphones you can buy in this niche.
However, while the company may have proven its ANC prowess with the WH-1000XM3, that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested to see where it goes from here.
Premature or not, we’re eagerly looking forward to what Sony will offer with its inevitable WH-1000XM4. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming headphones so far!
Rock on
Sony WH-1000XM3
$278 at Amazon
$278 at Best Buy
$278 at Walmart
Sony’s current ANC headphones continue to impress.
While we’re excited to see what Sony has in store for the WH-1000XM4, the existing 1000XM3 are still a fantastic purchase. With a clean design, powerful noise-cancellation, booming sound, and a long-lasting battery that charges via USB-C, there’s a ton being offered.
Jump to:
- Guessing the price and release date
- There are some rumored features
- Not much has changed with the design
- The WH-1000XM3 are still great!
How much will the Sony WH-1000XM4 cost and when will they be released?
Right off the bat, let’s talk about the two most important things — pricing and a release date for the Sony WH-1000XM4.
A leaked product page from Dell Canada revealed that the WH-1000XM4 could cost $499.99 CAD, which is more expensive than the $449 price the WH-1000XM3 have. This means a price increase is quite likely, though it’s unclear how that’ll translate to the U.S. Sony could go all the way up to $399, which would put it in the same price bracket as the Bose 700 headphones. Higher prices are never fun, but that seems to be where we’re headed.
That same product page also hinted at a June 23 release date for the WH-1000XM4, but obviously, that never happened. It’s possible Sony had to push the release date back given the ongoing pandemic, but as for what the new launch date is, we don’t know.
We have to imagine that the XM4 will be available at some point before the year is over, so stay tuned.
What features will the Sony WH-1000XM4 have?
As far as wireless headphones go, the WH-1000XM3 are pretty full-featured. They have active noise-canceling, an audio passthrough function, Alexa and Google Assistant are built-in, and you get an impressive 30-hour battery life.
Looking ahead to the WH-1000XM4, what could Sony possibly do to make the successor stand out?
On March 6, we got our first good look at the WH-1000XM4 and an idea of what it’ll bring to the table. According to a user manual included in some of the photos, the XM4 will offer Bluetooth 5.0, less power consumption, and improved battery life. There’s also mention of a “speak to chat” feature, suggesting that you might be able to use Google Assistant and Alexa entirely hands-free. On the subject of talking, the XM4 should also be able to enable Ambient Sound when it detects that you’re speaking.
Another leak from May 21 revealed that the headphones will be able to change some setings automatically based on your current location, thanks to the use of the Google Maps API.
What will the Sony WH-1000XM4 look like?
Sony’s last three generations of WH-1000XM headphones have retained a similar design ever since the XM1 debuted in 2016. It’s nothing especially noteworthy, but it’s a simple, proven design that gets the job done.
For the XM4, it looks like that policy will continue for another generation.
Based on the leaked photos shown here, the WH-1000XM4 look nearly identical to the XM3 headphones. Again, it’s a good design, but here’s to hoping you weren’t betting on a major revamp.
Should you still buy the Sony WH-1000XM3?
It’s easy to get excited thinking about what we’ll get with the WH-1000XM4, but if you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones right now, you shouldn’t dismiss the existing WH-1000XM3.
The 1000XM3 may not be the newest headphones these days, having been released in January 2019, but they’re still an outstanding package. As you’d expect, noise-cancellation and sound quality is top-notch, with the headphones making your music and podcasts sound outstanding while simultaneously blocking out the outside noise around you. Should you find yourself needing to talk to someone or hear an airport announcement, you can quickly cover the right ear cup to briefly enhance ambient noise.
On top of all that, the WH-1000XM3 are also equipped with 30-hour battery life, charge via USB-C, and offer quick access to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Rock on
Sony WH-1000XM3
$278 at Amazon
$278 at Best Buy
$278 at Walmart
Sony’s current ANC headphones continue to impress.
While we’re excited to see what Sony has in store for the WH-1000XM4, the existing 1000XM3 are still a fantastic purchase. With a clean design, powerful noise-cancellation, booming sound, and a long-lasting battery that charges via USB-C, there’s a ton being offered.
