First look: Sony’s premium earbuds are getting a major makeover

Sony’s next-generation premium wireless earbuds are on their way, and a leak suggests the launch could be just around the corner. Despite that leak, Sony remained tight-lipped about the WF-1000XM6 and its launch date. To add even more credence to the fact that a launch is imminent, a new leak has emerged, giving us our first glimpse of the earbuds.

Unlike the launch date leak, this information did not come from a tipster. Instead, this leak comes directly from a Thai retailer. Spotted by Mr_Slak10 from Reddit, the website Buy electricity briefly had a mention for the WF-1000XM6. Although the page has been removed, The Walkman Blog managed to take screenshots before the listing became inaccessible.

Apart from minor details like active noise cancellation, ambient sound mode and an IPX4 rating, there were no specs to be found on the page. However, this list did include a collection of images showing the WF-1000XM6 for the first time.

What is immediately noticeable is that Sony has redesigned the earbuds. The sixth version of the WF-1000XM line gets a pill-shaped design, as opposed to the more rounded design of its predecessor. Another notable design change is the charging case, which adopts a less rounded shape than before.

It’s also worth pointing out that these earbuds appear to have three external microphones. The Walkman Blog suggests there may be a fourth microphone hidden inside, bringing the total to four. The outlet also points out that the foam tips may not have an internal silicone layer like the tips for the XM5.

Last week we learned that the WF-1000XM6 could come with a sand pink color option. It appears the only colors available in this listing were Black and Platinum Silver. Taking this into consideration, it seems like if we get a Sand Pink version, that color may not be available at launch.