Sony has been a renowned name in the audio space for years, initially with its Walkman lineup of players and, more recently, with its line of wireless earbuds and headphones. In our review of the Sony WF-1000XM4, we found that they're among the best earbuds you can get, with fantastic sound quality and top-notch noise cancellation. With the more recent launch of the LinkBuds, though, Sony has taken a more unconventional approach to earbuds, with an open design that's meant to let sound in and let you hear the world around you. But if you didn't like those, it looks like there are new LinkBuds on the horizon that might be a better fit for you.

Images of what Sony might launch as the "LinkBuds S" were shared by tipster SnoopyTech, with additional shots published by TheWalkmanBlog. You'd be wrong if you're expecting these earbuds to be similar to the already-launched LinkBuds. Instead, these seem to be more similar to the Sony WF-1000XM4 or the midrange WF-C500 design, ditching the open ring design and going for a traditional design with silicone tips. These will apparently still be able to switch from ambient sound to advanced noise-canceling, though, perhaps by using an array of microphones instead.

Aside from their design and those minimal specifications, though, there's a lot we don't yet know about them, like battery life or pricing. However, it shouldn't be much longer before we know — given how this product's FCC confidentiality expires on June 21, that should mean we're a few weeks away from an announcement by Sony. As for pricing, reports expect these to be priced lower than the high-end WF-1000XM4. That's not to say they'll be cheap, though — if the standard LinkBuds are any indication, we can expect these to be priced between $150 and $200. Then again, nothing is official until Sony announces them.