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Sony WH-1000XM4: Leaked product listing confirms design changes, Bluetooth 5.0, and 40 mm drivers; no support for aptX or aptX HD expected though

The WH-1000XM4 will retail for US$349.99. (Image source: Best Buy)
The WH-1000XM4 will retail for US$349.99. (Image source: Best Buy)
Costing US$349.99 at launch, the WH-1000XM4 include several design changes from the WH-1000XM3, along with Bluetooth 5.0 and 40 mm drivers. Battery life should be improved too, but do not get your hopes up for aptX or aptX HD support.

After almost eighteen months since the release of the WH-1000XM3, it seems that the wait for a successor is almost over. Having been spotted at certification agencies in recent months, pricing details and pictures of the WH-1000XM4 have now appeared online.

Firstly, a picture published on Reddit shows alleged Walmart pricing for the upcoming headphones. Posted by someone who claims to work for the company, the photo shows the WH-1000XM4 priced at US$348.00.

While not much evidence in its own right, the price correlates with a product listing that Best Buy briefly made public. According to a cached version of the page, Best Buy will sell the WH-1000XM4 for US$349.99, the same price for which it currently sells the WH-1000XM3. The latter has dropped to under US$250 on retailers like Amazon, though. 

The cached webpage also contains links to high-resolution images of the WH-1000XM4, confirming several subtle design changes from the WH-1000XM3. Based on our observations, the WH-1000XM4 differs from the WH-1000XM3 in the following ways:

  • Thicker headband
  • Thicker and/or more rounded arms
  • Redesigned hinge mechanism around earcups
  • No silver/colour contrasting trim below headband area
  • NFC logo black on both colours
  • "Custom" button instead of NC/AMBIENT button

The black and silver colours of previous generations of the WH-1000XM series are returning, too. Although the Best Buy listing does not offer much in the way of specifications, it does confirm that the WH-1000XM4 has 40 mm drivers and supports Bluetooth 5.0.

The latter is line with Anatel Certification documents published earlier this year, which also revealed that the WH-1000XM4 would be powered by a MediaTek chip. On the one hand, this means that the WH-1000XM4 will be considerably more efficient than the WH-1000XM3, possibly resulting in up to 10 hours better battery life with noise cancelling on. On the other hand, the presence of a MediaTek chip means that the WH-1000XM4 will not support aptX or aptXHD. Instead, the WH-1000XM4 will support SBC, AAC and LDAC. While the latter is a high-resolution codec, past WH-1000XM headphones have been unable to use Sony's EQ when set to LDAC.

Crucially, Best Buy did not include a release date for the WH-1000XM4 on its product page. However, the fact that Best Buy briefly published the listing suggests that Sony must be on the verge of making an announcement.

Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise canceling Stereo Headset - Buy it now on Amazon

(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: Best Buy)
(Image source: @insaneandmundane)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 04 > Sony WH-1000XM4: Leaked product listing confirms design changes, Bluetooth 5.0, and 40 mm drivers; no support for aptX or aptX HD expected though
Alex Alderson, 2020-04-30 (Update: 2020-05- 1)