Sony WF-1000XM4: Latest firmware update may worsen battery life for some earbuds

The Walkman Blog has identified potential issues with the latest firmware update for the WF-1000XM4, Sony’s current pair of flagship earbuds. Only available for units sold in Asia so far, V1.6.1 was intended to address battery drain issues. Hence, it would seem likely that Sony intends to distribute the same update to other markets too, such as North America and Europe.

However, The Walkman Blog has discovered that Sony is warning people that V1.6.1 could worsen battery runtimes for some units. In fact, Sony has already published a help guide short you experience shorter battery life with your WF-1000XM4 earbuds after upgrading to V1.6.1. Currently, it is unclear why V1.6.1 would reduce battery life, particularly considering Sony’s claims that the update reduces battery capacity loss associated with long-term use and overall battery ‘burden’.

Either way, Sony states that WF-1000XM4 earbuds that deliver less than 3 hours of music playback may need servicing. To determine whether your earbuds meet this criteria, Sony advises applying the following settings within the Sony | Headphones Connect app:

• Volume: Middle
• CODEC: AAC
• DSEE Extreme: OFF
• Noise Canceling: ON
• Other settings: OFF

As The Walkman Blog notes, your mileage may vary with whether Sony will service your earbuds for free. It remains to be seen if Sony will service out-of-warranty earbuds, too. Ultimately, other markets may not receive firmware V1.6.1 if it causes battery life-related issues for too many pairs of WF-1000XM4 earbuds.

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