Don't buy those AirPods Pro 3 just yet — Sony is unveiling 'a new form of listening' next week

If 2026 is the year you upgrade to a pair of the best wireless earbuds, I'd suggest holding fire for a few days before investing in a set of AirPods Pro 3 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

Sony is primed to unveil a new pair of wireless earbuds in the coming days. The company shared a cryptic teaser video this week claiming a new audio product is set to be unveiled on January 21 at 11am ET / 8am PT.

The six-second video doesn't give much away. We just get a blurry image of the side of someone's head and the tagline, "Discover a new form of listening."

Something new is coming | Set your alarms 21st January ⏰ - YouTube

Watch On

Before we start getting excited that this is finally the arrival of the highly-anticipated Sony WF-1000XMs, there's been some suggestion that Sony will instead be showing off a pair of new LinkBuds earbuds.

That's according to leaker billbil_kun, who shared on Dealabs that Sony is announcing the LinkBuds Clip. These will be an alternative to open-earbuds with a hook that attaches behind the ear to keep them in place while moving around. The benefit to open-earbuds is you're still aware of the world around you while listening to your content.

According to the leak, Sony will price the new headphones at $229.99 in the U.S. and €199.99 in Europe. They will be available in four colors: Black, Cream, Green and Purple.

In addition, the earbuds will offer multipoint connectivity, touch controls for playback, adaptive volume, EQ and spatial sound support through the Sony Sound Connect app. Finally, the buds are believed to offer nine hours of battery life (28 additional hours with the case), IPX4 water resistance and dual microphones with a voice vibration sensor for making and receiving calls.

What are Sony's LinkBuds products?

Way back in 2022, Sony launched the first of its LinkBuds headphones, and when we reviewed the Sony LinkBuds WF-L900 we called them "innovative but ineffectual." The general consensus was that while the idea was cool and the level of tech impressive, the headphones fell down on basics: the sound quality was poor, the balance was wrong and the battery life was low.

Sony came back strong in 2024 with three new LinkBuds products: the LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds Fit, and LinkBuds Speaker. Things got a lot better with the LinkBuds Fit getting a 4-star review from my colleague Tammy Rogers who said they "improve the fit and look of the first model, while bringing some extra features to round out the package. There are some slight sound oversights, but it's a very solid pair of in-ear buds."

Hopefully, Sony will continue the improvement next week if this announcement does in fact turn out to be a new pair of LinkBuds headphones. And if the Japanese giant decides to unveil the WF-1000XMs after all, then our guide to the best wireless earbuds could look a lot different in a few weeks.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

• 'Hundreds of millions' of Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and speakers vulnerable to tracking and eavesdropping — what to do right now
• Spotify says it will hike prices for the third time in as many years ‘to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists’
• I had no idea my AirPods could do this — and it's perfect for group photos