Sony WH-1000XM6 launch confirmed for May 15 with major upgrades in tow – Phandroid

The Sony WH-1000XM6 launch is finally official. After three years of waiting, Sony has confirmed that its next-gen noise-canceling headphones will debut on May 15.

The company plans to reveal the WH-1000XM6 during a YouTube livestream next week. Sony Australia was the first to tease the date with a silhouette post on Instagram, pointing to a May 16, 2 AM AEST launch—which lines up to May 15 at 12 PM ET in the U.S.

If you’re curious, you can already bookmark the livestream link on Sony’s official YouTube page. It’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated audio launches of the year.

Sony hasn’t said much about the specs yet, but an early Amazon listing already did the talking. The WH-1000XM6 will reportedly come with a new QN3 processor, which is said to be 7x faster than the QN1 used in the XM5. That should mean even better active noise cancellation, smarter ambient detection, and more adaptive audio performance overall.

On the hardware side, new leaks from The Walkman Blog show off the most substantial redesign we’ve seen in the series in years. The leaked renders reveal, thicker, more padded ear cups, a wider and more cushioned headband, a folding hinge design (finally!), and possibly… water resistance.

Yes, the XM6 might be the first in the series to survive rain or sweat without worry. That alone could be worth the upgrade for many.

This reveal comes right after Sony unveiled the Xperia 1 VII, its latest flagship smartphone. With the WH-1000XM6 arriving in the same week, it’s clear Sony wants to make May count.

For now, all eyes are on May 15. If Sony’s track record is anything to go by, these headphones are going to be everywhere the moment they drop.