It goes without saying that we are big fans of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Not only are they fantastic five-star wireless earbuds, they’re also dual What Hi-Fi? Prize winners. But they are not perfect (there are very few products).
One of the minor issues we’ve had since launch is the lack of Multipoint Bluetooth. This handy feature allows you to be connected to two sources at the same time, for example a laptop and smartphone, and switch from watching a video on one to taking a call on another. When done right and working seamlessly, it can be a real game changer, especially if you spend a lot of time at a desk. And it’s been available on the company’s WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones since launch.
Well, it’s finally here. In October 2022, Sony announced that Multipoint Bluetooth would be making its way to the XM4s sometime in winter and while it seems a bit late, it actually has a few days left (winter officially ends on March 20).
The firmware version you’re looking for is version 2.0.0 and you should be prompted to download it the next time you fire up the earbuds and Sony’s Headphones Connect app.
Provided your smartphone has enough battery to handle the update and you’re connected to the internet, you should be up and running in about 35 minutes if you’re an Android user or 60 minutes if you’re using iOS. Remember that you have to go to the ‘system’ in the app and toggle the toggle for ‘Connect to 2 devices at once’.
We’ve updated and while it takes a while, especially on iOS devices, everything seems to be working fine with a voice prompt confirming that a second Bluetooth device is connected. We’ll be sure to report if we run into any major issues as we try it out over the next few days.
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