The Sony WF-1000XM4 are rated extremely highly by users and reviewers everywhere. Now, almost two years after their release it looks like Sony is getting ready to release a new version, with a new design for both the buds and the charging case — and they could present stiff competition for Apple’s AirPods Pro 2.

In a leak from The Walkman Blog (opens in new tab), there are now pictures of what appears to be the new WF-1000XM5 in pre-production forms. It looks like Sony is still sticking with that incredibly confusing naming convention, seeing the in-ear flagships only a letter away from the over-ear flagships, the WH-1000XM5.

New Sony WF-1000XM5

The leak doesn’t just show us the new earbuds, but also the internals of the new buds. The earbuds themselves look very different from the strangely shaped previous model, this time coming in a gloss finish rather than a matte one. They also have changed shape, this time with more pronounced ends for the ear tips to slip over. It’s hard to say now, but the design does look like it could be more comfortable than the previous model.

The case too will look a little different, gaining a more pill-like shape. Unlike the earbuds, it retains its matte finish. Compared to the case of the AirPods Pro 2, the Sony case looks a little fatter across the middle, and a little longer as well. If the leak proves to be real, and as soon as we have it in hand, we’ll know how the case compares with rival options a little better. But until then it still looks a little more clumsy than that which comes with the AirPods Pro.