The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds could land sooner than the AirPods Pro 3, according to a new leak

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Sony WF-1000XM5
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, launched in 2023 (Image credit: Sony)
  • A new leak suggests the Sony WF-1000XM6 are arriving soon
  • There might be a slight tweak in terms of the dimensions
  • It's been two years since the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds launched

We've recently seen the flagship Sony WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones launched, but what of the wireless earbud equivalents? Well, a new leak suggests the Sony WF-1000XM6 aren't far away from being made official either.

As per The Walkman Blog (via Notebookcheck), import documentation has surfaced that mentions the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds by name – describing them, somewhat strangely, as "headphones without a frame".

We don't get too much in the way of detail here, but there is a reference to the charging case in the documentation, and we get the dimensions of the earbuds: it looks as though the new pair will be a little smaller overall than the Sony WF-1000XM5.

The dimensions listed in the leak are 84mm x 70mm x 55mm for the Sony WF-1000XM6, which compare to 99mm x 66.4mm x 53mm for the Sony WF-1000XM5, but we don't get any hints of a redesign here.

Will the price be right?

Sony WH-1000XM6 with earcups pointed towards the camera

Sony just launched the WH-1000XM6 headphones (Image credit: Future)

Our list of what we want to see from the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds mentions better noise cancellation, improved connectivity, better battery life, an upgraded IP rating, more color options, and (of course) a cheaper price.

Head to our Sony WF-1000XM5 review and you'll see those earbuds launched at a starting price of $299.99 / £259 / AU$499. That was back in July 2023 though, and the tech industry and the world in general has changed quite substantially since then.

It doesn't look as though another July launch is likely for 2025, but based on the manufacturing stages mentioned in these import filings, the earbuds should break cover in the coming months – so most probably before the end of the year.

Whenever the Sony WF-1000XM6 make an appearance, they're going to face stiff competition in what is one of the most crowded categories in tech. We're still waiting for the AirPods Pro 3, for example, but they may not show up until next year.

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David Nield
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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