These are the first images of the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headset; the long-awaited follow-up of the company’s beloved WH-1000XM3 on-ear cans because of their noise reduction, comfort and extraordinary battery life.
The M4s were first identified by Everton Favretto in photos published by Anatel, the Brazilian version of the FCC. This helps explain the lack of artistic talent. The most striking thing you will notice is how similar (identical?) They are to today’s M3s.
Fortunately, the Anatel folder also includes a user manual that hints at the changes inside. However, we must be careful not to rely too much on the included manual as most of the specifications, including the weight and hours of wireless operation, have been replaced with placeholders “XX” instead of the actual values. It is clearly a draft document.
However, here is how the M4 improves the M3 according to the draft manual:
- Bluetooth v5 (updated from v4.2)
- 2 W nominal energy consumption (instead of 8 W)
- 40 hours of operation when connected via a headphone cable and noise cancellation on max (up to 36 hours)
- Something new called “talking to the cat”, which can perhaps facilitate collaboration with Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa (they now require the press of a button)
Bluetooth 5 and this lower power consumption should allow M4s to operate even longer in wireless mode – much longer if they really only consume 1/4 of the power of M3s. It might not be a reason to upgrade last year’s Sonys which already have a long battery life, but it could make the M4 a very attractive purchase if they keep the list price of $ 349.99. .
