Sony isn’t just upgrading its wireless earbuds with eco-friendly plastic. The company now promises that its LinkBuds, LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM4 models will receive multipoint audio support this fall. As with some rival buds, this lets you juggle the audio between two Bluetooth devices. You can switch to a call on your phone while you’re watching video on your tablet, for instance.
The improvement requires new firmware available through Sony’s Headphones Connect app. The LinkBuds family will get the multipoint update by November, while the WF-1000XM4 should make the leap sometime this winter.
As The Vergepointed out, the WF-1000XM4 upgrade is somewhat unexpected. Sony started selling that model in mid-2021, and hadn’t even teased the prospect of a multipoint update. While the news still won’t be much consolation if you own budget buds like the WF-C500, this at least ensures that you won’t feel left out if you splurged on wireless audio in the past year.
The upgrade gives Sony an edge over some of the competition, at least. While you’ll get seamless audio switching on challengers like Apple’s AirPods lineup, you’re frequently limited to one brand’s ecosystem. Sony’s multipoint functionality could make more sense if you don’t want to be tied to certain platforms or products just to avoid wading through Bluetooth device menus.