Your Sony Headphones Have New Tricks In A Free Update - But There's A Catch

1 month ago

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Android expanded support for LE Audio to prime Sony headphones and earbuds.
Users tin entree nan caller audio features successful a firmware update successful nan Sony Headphones Connect app.
LE Audio support requires compatible Sony headphones and a compatible Android smartphone.

A caller Sony firmware update brings much-welcome functionality upgrades to Sony's flagship over-ear headphones and earbuds. Updating nan firmware of nan WH-1000XM5 aliases WH-1000XM6 unlocks Audio Sharing via Bluetooth LE Audio and provides compatibility pinch Google's Gemini Live AI assistant.

Last month, Google expanded LE Audio compatibility to much Android phones, arsenic good arsenic Sony's WF-1000XM5, WH-1000XM5, WH-1000XM6, InZone Buds, LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds S, LinkBuds Fit, and InZone H9 II.

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The Audio Sharing update allows users pinch a compatible Sony headphone exemplary and an Android telephone to stock their device's audio pinch different personification wearing compatible headphones while besides utilizing a compatible smartphone. All of nan broadcaster's instrumentality audio is shared, including music, YouTube and TikTok videos, arsenic good arsenic TV shows aliases movies from a streaming service. However, telephone calls are not broadcast to nan different listener.

Users tin either stock their audio pinch 1 personification aliases broadcast it to aggregate others via a QR code.

How to entree LE Audio pinch Sony headphones

To entree this feature, you'll request compatible Sony headphones and an Android telephone compatible pinch Bluetooth LE Audio. Samsung's Galaxy and Google's Pixel smartphones support nan feature, and definite Xiaomi phones support Bluetooth LE Audio, though they're not officially sold successful nan US.

Android 16 includes robust support for Bluetooth LE Audio; guarantee your compatible smartphone is updated to nan latest version. On Pixel, guarantee Audio Sharing is enabled successful settings.

You'll besides request to update your compatible Sony headphones to nan latest firmware version, which is disposable successful Sony's Sound Connect app.

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Once you've updated your Sony headphones, you'll request to reconnect them to your compatible Android telephone via Google Fast Pair. Once you've completed nan prompts, you tin alteration LE Audio and adhd your headphones to Google's Find Hub for instrumentality location tracking.

What is LE Audio?

Bluetooth LE Audio is simply a wireless audio exertion that builds connected nan Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity standard. Bluetooth LE Audio supports proceeding aids, Auracast audio broadcasting, and nan Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3), enabling higher-quality audio transmission pinch reduced powerfulness consumption.

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The astir breathtaking characteristic wrong LE Audio is Auracast, which allows users pinch compatible headphones and smartphones to either stock audio pinch others aliases subordinate and perceive to nationalist audio broadcasts.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) first announced LE Audio successful 2020, and nan audio specification was standardized successful 2022. Since then, wide take has been a slow but dependable process, pinch developers for illustration Android and brands specified arsenic JBL, Sony, Samsung, and LG releasing compatible package and products this year.