Sony could be about to announce a successor to 2021’s excellent WF-1000XM4 earbuds, which we rank as the best true wireless earbuds currently on the market. The Walkman Blog, typically a reliable source of Sony audio leaks, has published a spec sheet for the upcoming WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and today, WinFuture has followed up with new images offering a clear look at their design.

From the images, the XM5 earbuds seem to be more compact and lightweight than the XM4s. (The Walkman Blog has a neat image comparison of the new earbuds overlaid on top of the old ones.) A spec sheet suggests the XM5 earbuds will weigh 5.9 grams each, an improvement over the 7.3-gram weight of each of the XM4s. (For reference, the AirPods Pro weigh 5.3 grams each.) 

The XM5 earbuds also appear to use some glossy plastic in their construction versus the entirely matte XM4s. But the touch sensor areas on each earbud are still matte. That tallies with images of the earbuds that leaked earlier this year in March.

Other specs include multipoint support (this was also available for the XM4s, albeit in a post-release update) and support for wireless charging. Battery life (including the charging case) is rated at “up to 24 hours,” though it’s unclear if this is with or without noise cancellation enabled. For reference, the XM4s offered up to 36 hours of listening with ANC off or 24 hours with it on. According to the leaked spec sheet, a three-minute charge is enough for one hour of listening.

Pricing and an official release date are yet to be announced, but if rumors are to be believed, that could change soon.