Sony may be planning to relaunch a version of the WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones, despite the erstwhile classics being succeeded twice in the last six years.
According to a new leak, Sony may choose to bring back the WM4 cans next month. They would maintain the hardware within the original 2020 model, but contain slightly smaller battery. That would shave four hours off the original lifespan of 38 hours. The word comes from the highly reliable Roland Quandt of WinFuture, who also claimed the refreshed headphones would include a new Lavender colour.
It’s not immediately clear why Sony would countenance placing the WH-1000XM4 earphones back in a crowded field at this stage. However, price might be the main factor. According to the report, Sony plans to sell the re-released model for around €250 / £220 in Europe and the UK, which is likely to equal $250 in the United States.
A little cursory research confirmed my suspicious that the XM4s had been as low as $180 during sales events like Black Friday after the successive XM5 and XM6 editions of the headphones rocked up. So this wouldn’t exactly be an amazing deal.
However, the current generation Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, which went on sale in May 2025, started at £400 / $450 / €450. So, in that respect, it would represent an opportunity to pick up a pair of five-star headphones and the best in class just a couple of years ago, at a much more affordable price.
Given the price of tech is only going one way right now, might this be the beginning of a new tech trend, where high-quality products make a comeback to sit underneath the flagship models? In the mobile world it may be a reality due to the RAM and storage crisis. And, while the crisis isn’t so pronounced for categories like headphones, it may help to ease the burden for those seeking a trusty replacement pair.
Quandt reckons they’ll be released on September 7, which is a month away for all you non-maths nerds out there.
Read the full article here
