Sony today announced a trio of new products in its LinkBuds telephone circuit . ( One of which really is n’t what you ’d consider when you hear “ buds , ” but we ’ll get to that in a hour . ) build on the 2022’sLinkBudsandLinkBuds S , the raw LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open are still of the earbud variety , matching scene and style with design and purpose . Sony ’s add the LinkBuds Speaker , too , which have some special pairing with the new bud , as well as a couple other Sony headphones .

And , yes , after asuccessful collaboration with the LinkBuds S in 2023 , Olivia Rodrigo ( who must always be referred to by both name , my teenage daughter tell me ) is back for more .

Still call for more ? Say goodbye to the old Sony Headphones Connect app , and say hello to the new Sound Connect app .

Let ’s get into it .

The LinkBuds Fit

The new LinkBuds Fit ( néeLinkBuds S ) are all about comfort . “ Unrivaled comfort , ” Sony says . That ’s in part due to the intent themselves , which Sony says “ combines a shape that dead matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit . ” It also said it ’s used “ extended ear anatomy information ” — which is something we ’ve heard from pretty much every earbud manufacture this yr — “ as well as the sensitiveness of various types of ears to secure an ideal chassis and consolation . ” And they count in at 4.9 gram , same as the LinkBuds S.

All that comfort also has to do with the new “ Air Fitting Supporters . ” As Sony order it , “ the Air Fitting Supporters have a tail that is soft and hollow to reduce ear contact and imperativeness , and to forbid inadvertent dislodging . ” They also total in different colors so if you do n’t like what comes with your LinkBuds Fit — which themselves are available in black , whitened , green , and Olivia Rodrigo ’s favorite , violet — you’re able to replace them with another color . Same go for the extra “ Case Covers , ” which also set aside you to personalise things .

Sony also says they sound good . An automatic ambient style automatically adjusts the ambient sound to your environment . And the LinkBuds Fit have the “ Integrated Processor V2 , ” same as is in theSony WF-1000XM5 earbuds . The LinkBuds Fit supportMultipointso you’re able to connect them to more than one equipment at a fourth dimension . And Bluetooth 5.3 gets you LDAC , SBC , AAC , and LC3Bluetooth codecs .

You still get a plethora of ascendancy , too . Instant play and motorcar - interruption are on board , as are young head gestures . Nod to pick up a call , stir your point side to side to decline . ( Yes , that sounds familiar — Apple ’s AirPods 4have head gestures too . ) Same goes for and voice control . They also support Spotify Tap and Amazon Music Play Now , as well as “ all-embracing domain Tap , ” so you’re able to double or triple tap to stumble all the functions beyond the bud themselves — yes , we entail on your typeface . It ’s unearthly at first , but it works .

Battery life on paper is 5.5 time of day in the buds themselves , with up to 21 hours of total playback after three more top - ups from the case . Sony read 5 minutes of charge will get you another hour of playback , which is pretty par for the course these years .

And while you wo n’t desire to take these swimming , you should be good with sweat and maybe a light rain , thanks to theIPX4 evaluation .

The LinkBuds Open

Then we have the LinkBuds Open , whichfollow their predecessorsby keep the sameopen - eardesign ( which stay more like an open pinna - hole design than , say , what Shokz does ) and adjusts the name to fit . There ’s an 11 millimetre golf hole in the center of these bud , so you may still learn what ’s go on around you while listen to , say , Olivia Rodrigo . And you’re able to listen to Olivia Rodrigo with Adaptive Volume Control , which automatically adjusts things depending on how loud it is around you .

Sony look at these to be all - day earbuds thanks to their open design and Air Fitting Supporters . You do n’t get quite as many colours , though — just black , bloodless , and Olivia Rodrigo Violet . Optional Case Covers are available here , too .

Like the LinkBuds Fit , the LinkBuds Open also are powered by the Integrated Processor V2 . The hoop - shaped driver features a “ gamey - deference diaphragm and powerful Nd attraction ” for the mids and highs . And they support a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine for clean phone calls .

Battery life is a piece better than the LinkBuds Fit — Sony says to expect 8 minute before recharging , and up to 22 minute after depleting the case a couple times . You get the same IPX4 - ish water resistance as the LinkBuds Fit .

The LinkBuds Speaker

The LinkBuds Speaker is , well , a speaker . Its claim to renown is Auto Switch , which somehow “ swap playback between LinkBuds earbuds and the LinkBuds Speaker mechanically , depending on the post . ” And you should be able to switch back and forth all daylight long with up to 25 hour of electric battery life sentence and the ability to warm commission . Obvious power , gambling / pause and volume push make for beneficial controls .

There ’s a detachable strap ( that looks more like a ring - type handle ) that makes the LinkBuds Speaker easy to carry around , and a consecrated charging place of origin with pogo pins , so you may pick it up and go , if you want . Or plug in . Your call . ( But cogitate about what Olivia Rodrigo would do . And whether she ’d go for the white-haired or black-market good example . )

How does it voice ? We ’ll have to see . ( Erm , hear . ) But chances are the “ X - Balanced Speaker Unit ” with a tweeter and passive radiator should keep thing rifle nicely . There ’s also a five - band counterbalance so you may tweak affair that room .

And , yes , this is one you may use by the pool . Keep the pumped charging flap closed and it ’s IPX4 water resistant .

Pricing

Everything is available for preorder now from Sony . Here ’s how it fracture down :

The new Sound Connect app

And , finally , the older Sony Headphones Connect app is become a much - needed refresh . ( It ’s long been a drag on the overall Sony phone experience , functional as it may be . ) Starting today , the Headphones Connect app should update to become Sound Connect .

Sony says all headphones that are currently compatible with the honest-to-goodness app will be compatible with the new app . And ULT Speakers / Headphones and the new LinkBuds Speaker will be , too .