Sony WH-1000XM5 takes a trip to the FCC with a revised design, larger battery and fast charging support

Sony is preparing to release a new pair of high-end earbuds, currently thought of as the Linkbuds WF-L900. However, the FCC hints that the company could have another over-ear set in the latter stages of development, too. Discovered by The Walkman Blog, the FCC listing reveals that Sony has assigned the model number YY2954.

For reference, the WF-1000XM4 carries the model number YY2948. By contrast, the FCC did not publish the WH-1000XM4’s model number last year. While the FCC does not reveal much about the YY2954, The Walkman Blog believes that it could be the WH-1000XM5. As the screenshot below shows, Sony has printed the FCC ID, IC and model number within the headband, unlike the WH-1000XM4.

Potentially, this could point towards a redesign; there is no space for these details on the current WH-1000X. The FCC reports that the YY2954 also has a 3.8 V-rated battery, up from the 3.7 V that the WH-1000XM4 has. Additionally, the headphones support 5 V / 9 V charging, which implies that fast charging could be on the table for the next WH-1000X.

Separately, The Walkman Blog has found import listings showing the YY2954 being brought into Hong Kong and India. The listings do not contain much information about the YY2954, but Sony has created prototypes in black and silver. Currently, it is unknown when Sony will release the WH-1000XM5, although we imagine that the headphones will leak plenty of times before their release, as was the case with the WH-1000XM4.

Purchase the Sony WH-1000XM4 on Amazon