Sony WH-1000XM5: Launch date confirmed as US pricing leaks with WH-1000XM4 set to remain at $349.99
Sony has announced the date of its next hardware launch event. Scheduled for May 12, the company has dubbed the event #YourWorldStartsHere, which it has clarified means as follows:
Delve into a whole new realm of enjoyment - a world where you can escape for a brief moment of respite with no interruption whatsoever. A world that is truly yours.
In other words, Sony will be announcing a new pair of headphones, as its teaser image implies. While the company has not mentioned the headphones' name, the design shown matches several leaks of the WH-1000XM5, discussed separately. For reference, Sony will offer the WH-1000XM5 in black and silver colourways, matching previous WF-1000X and WH-1000X releases. Based on previous leaks, this year's WH-1000X headphones will arrive with a redesigned look, albeit with the same 30-hour battery life that the WH-1000XM4 provides.
Incidentally, Jon Prosser correctly predicted that Sony would announce new hardware on May 12, or May 13 in Australia and Japan. According to Prosser, the WH-1000XM5 will launch for US$399.99, US$50 more than the WH-1000XM4. However, he also predicts that Sony will continue to sell the latter for US$349.99, thereby offering no discount on a two-year-old pair of headphones. Currently, it is unclear when Sony will begin shipping the WH-1000XM5. Presumably, the headphones will be available globally, given the volume of Sony subsidiaries that have shared links for the May 12 launch event.
Source(s)
Sony via The Walkman Blog & Jon Prosser, u/Chez5160 - Image credit