Sony WH-1000XM5 and LinkBuds S LE Audio Update coming soon?

Both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and LinkBuds S have been re-certified on Bluetooth SIG. This time with the Isochronous Adaptation Layer which is required for LE Audio. The listings can be found here (LinkBuds S) and here (WH-1000XM5).

The old listing for the WH-1000XM5 lacks this layer. To see the supported layers, click the supported layers section lower down on the page. Sony has an event on May 8th, whether this is related to this, is unknown. 

I personally was not expecting the WH-1000XM5 to get LE Audio, since a smaller set of earbuds would have more benefits with the update than a larger headset. But of course there is the Auracast functionality. For those unfamiliar with Auracast, this is where a device like smartphone can send out multiple independent audio streams to multiple devices at once. This would allow a person to share the music or audio from their device to a couple of headsets, allowing sharing of music or when watching a movie on a tablet for example. More information about Auracast can be found here. But it is unknown if Auracast will be part of the update.

It will be a few years before this technology is mainstream, but it would be great if the WH-1000XM5 did get the LE Audio update. We know the LinkBuds S will get the update this Spring, so hopefully the WH-1000XM5 will follow shortly after. Both models use the same Bluetooth chip, meaning technically the WH-1000XM5 can get the update. 

Here is a screenshot of the Bluetooth SIG listing for the WH-1000XM5.

The new WH-CH720N unfortunately lacks this new Isochronous Adaptation Layer, so there will not be any LE Audio support in the near term. Sony can always re-certify it like the WH-1000XM5 and LinkBuds. The WH-CH720N uses the same Mediatek chip, the MT2822 as the LinkBuds S and WH-1000XM5, so there are no technical restrictions.

But the cheaper WH-CH520 was certified with this new layer, so it should technically get an LE Audio update in the future, perhaps later on this summer or fall?

Anyway, re-certification is a good sign, as it shows Sony wants to keep their devices up to date with the latest tech. For those wondering, yes the WF-1000XM5 has the new LE Audio layer support.