Sony’s upcoming budget noise cancelling WF-C710N earbuds leak, with the upgrade we most want to see

(Image credit: The Walkman Blog)

WF-C710N could be everything we love about the WF-C700N, but better
Proximity sensing for auto play/pause
No pricing or release date just yet though

Regular readers will know that we really like the Sony WF-C700N earbuds, but we really don't like the lack of controls – and in particular, the lack of an auto-off feature on the earbuds themselves, when you remove them. So we're not so much pleased as ecstatic to see the leaked Sony WF-C710N earbuds and their proximity sensor.

Sony did update the WF-C700N buds after our review in order to add on-device volume controls (which initially they couldn't do), but the lack of wearer detection (aka auto-off) remains. And while I fully accept that that's not a huge deal, it's still really rather annoying – and it means the new generation is even more attractive than their five-star budget predecessors.

Sony WF-C700N earbuds worn by Becky Scarrott — We really rate the current model, the Sony WF-C700N. (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N: key features

The latest leak comes via The Walkman Blog, who in recent weeks has had stacks of Sony scoops. And that means we've got a very good picture of what these new earbuds will (probably) deliver, including:

Possible LE Audio
Proximity sensor for play/pause control
Noise cancellation
Four color options: black, white, pink and transparent blue
A 70mAh battery in the buds
A 500mAh battery in the case
USB charging, but not wireless charging

Some details are still a mystery, though. We don't know which codecs the buds will support, or how long those batteries will run for. And we don't know the mic or driver configurations – or the price.

But given that the WF-C700N were originally priced at $119 / £99 / AU$199 we'd expect these new earbuds to be similarly affordable.

I'm really looking forward to hearing these: in our review of the current model we said that "for features, design and most-importantly sound quality, these cannot be bettered for the money."

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Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.