Sony Headphones Get My Device Performance, Which I Really Need

As reported by Mishaal Rahman (via 9to5Google), Sony is rolling out new firmware updates for its WH-1000XM5 headphones (version 2.3.1), WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds (version 4.0. 2), and LinkBuds S (version 4.2.1). These updates bless the devices with Google’s Find My Phone feature and Auto Switch. The buds also get Fast Pair functionality.

With Apple’s AirPods supporting iOS’ Find My functionality and the AirPods Pro case and AirPods 4 (with ANC) including a speaker to play alerts, it was time for Google to extend its support to other headphones and The best earbuds on the market. Hopefully, it will be much easier to find your earbuds if you misplace them between the sofa cushions.

Automatic switching also comes on all three devices. Sony recently introduced this feature to the recently released LinkBuds line, which includes the LinkBuds Open, the LinkBuds Fit wireless buds, and the LinkBuds portable speaker. Auto Switch allows you to easily switch playback between different devices. If you are listening to music on Sony headphones and turn them off at any time, the sound will be automatically transferred to the speaker with Auto Switch enabled. And if you decide to put your headphones back on, it will return to your ears.

It reminds me of the sound modification feature that Sonos tried on their over-ear headphones, Sonos Aceand its soundbar, the Sonos Arc. Sony takes a much smarter approach for not limiting integration to a $900 soundbar, where Sonos has received a fair amount of criticism.

The WF-1000XM5s are the only device of the three to get Fast Pair functionality with Bluetooth LE Audio, the latest Bluetooth. generation introduces Auracast. Fast Pair support means that Android users on Sony buds will see a small pop-up from their phones when they bring the two devices close together. This similar to what Apple offers in its AirPods to encourage users to stay within its ecosystem.

Sony has also renamed its app from Headphones Connect to Sound Connect and given the app icon a complete makeover. 9to5Google lists three changes within the app. First, the My Phone tab now has a settings and shortcut option so you can quickly navigate to the functions you use most. The Discover tab will be able to notify you of features to enable using data on how you use the device. Finally, the Auto Play function, which had a dedicated app, is now integrated with the Sound Connect app.