Sony has confirmed the launch of its latest TWS earbuds in India, called the WF-1000XM5. These earbuds have already debuted globally, so we know what they will offer. Apart from that, here’s when they launch in the country and their potential competitors.
Sony WF-1000XM5: India launch date, Expected Price
As confirmed by Sony India via a post on X (formerly Twitter), the WF-1000XM5 is all set to debut in India on September 27 at 2 PM IST. The event will be live-streamed on the company’s official YouTube channel. The brand also dropped a teaser image that points towards the design of WF-1000XM5.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 debuted in the US in July for $299 (approx Rs 24,800). The predecessor of these earbuds debuted in India for Rs 19,990, so we can expect a similar price range for the XM5s, if not pricier. However, these are just speculations and not has been confirmed by Sony so far.
Sony WF-1000XM5: Features
The Sony WF-1000XM5 sport an in-ear design with a Dynamic Driver X. They support Sony’s Proprietary LDAC codec for high-quality wireless audio streaming and DSEE Extreme. The TWS earphones feature 360-degree audio for an immersive experience, paired with head-tracking technology to adjust the sound based on the user’s head movements.
The audio device offers up to 8 hours of usage and up to 16 hours when coupled with the charging case. Sony claims a 3-minute quick charge will give you up to 60 minutes of play. The Sony Headphones Connect App will notify you when your charging case drops below 30%.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 features active noise cancellation via a three-mic setup on each earbud. There is an AI-based noise reduction algorithm and bone conduction sensor for clear and natural sound on calls, even in noisy places. Additionally, there is wind noise reduction for reduced wind sound during calls outdoors.
Further, it employs a Proximity Sensor for wear detection and head gestures. One can operate the earbuds using natural head gestures, like receiving or declining calls or operating Auto Play by nodding or shaking their head.
Then there’s multipoint connection support, speak-to-chat, and support for Spotify Tap, Headphones Connect app, Google Fast Pair and Sony’s Headphones Connect app.
Sony WF-1000XM5: Potential Competitors
At it’s price, the new Sony earbuds have a lot of competition to overcome. Firstly, in terms of features and price, they’ll be competing with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 that was launched by Apple earlier last year. They are priced at Rs 24,990 in India and are the best earbuds Apple users can consider in their ecosystem. Sony has to make people feel the WF-1000XM5s over the AirPods Pro 2, which is quite difficult.
Then, they’ll also be going up against the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro from Samsung, launched last year. Same as Apple, these offer a vast amount of features for Samsung smartphone users. They often retail at a highly discounted price on Amazon, with the current price being Rs 15,990 and can be effectively bought for Rs 10,000 when clubbed with a bank card discount. Other major competitors include OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and Jabra Elite 5.