A few months back we reported that Sony was rumored to be developing new versions of its popular Linkbuds true wireless earbuds. And now a new report says we can expect not one but two new versions: LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit.
The report comes from The Walkman Blog (via What Hi-Fi?), which says that the two previously rumored YY2964 and YY2975 models will launch very soon – and the new names rather than letter/number combinations are part of a new naming strategy that'll hopefully make its way to other Sony products, whose (to consumers) largely meaningless names are often a pain to research when you're looking for reviews and comparisons. We love the Sony WF-C510, but would you really know that they're a totally different and newer product than the Sony WH-C520?
As yet, we don't have any concrete information on a launch date, and as the same blog recently reported at least one of the models has been put back a bit: Sony has asked the FCC regulator to dismiss its application for certification of the LinkBuds Open. But a late 2024 release for both buds still seems likely.
What to expect from the next generation of Sony Linkbuds
We described the original 2022 Sony Linkbuds as "the weirdest true wireless earbuds we've ever seen" due to their open-ear design, but praised their spacious soundstage, ingenious controls and impressive sound quality. The Linkbuds S released later that year are more traditional but again, deliver good sound and are compact, light and comfortable for long listening sessions – we rate them among the best earbuds for smaller ears.
From the name alone, it seems likely that the Linkbuds Fit will be a fitness-focused pair, so water and sweat resistance is likely to be a key selling point.
What we don't yet know is how the two models will differ, although prevous leaks suggest that sound quality won't be too far from the superb Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, most likely because they'll share the same chipset. The Walkman Blog suggested earlier this year that the new Linkbuds will "push the boundaries of audio innovation" with some form of noise cancellation as well as an upgraded audio system.
Sony makes some superb earbuds, but the newly upgraded AirPods Pro 2 and the new AirPods 4 have both raised the bar – and at $179 / £179 / AU$299 for the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation version, the AirPods 4 are exceptionally good value for ANC earbuds, and . However, new Linkbuds with improved specifications but a similarly low price to the current versions could mean Sony has another hit on its hands, especially for Android users.
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