Within the admittedly limited reach of high-end noise canceling cans, Sony and Bose are locked in a bitter fight. The consensus seems to be that Sony has had a slight edge over the past few years, but Bose is eager to return. Today we see its next-generation Quiet Comfort design, courtesy of the FCC.

Originally posted on / Leaks, the design of the documentation photos is more or less identical to Bose’s current flagship, the QuietComfort 35 II. The QC 45, as described in the FCC filing, appears to be an off-white or mother-of-pearl color, and you may see slightly modified grilles (instead of standard holes) for the external microphones. It also looks like Bose is ready to switch to USB-C charging, upgrading the MicroUSB port from the previous model. Other than that, the physical design seems largely unchanged from its predecessor around 2016. But of course, the quality of the ANC largely depends on less obvious things including software.

Oddly enough, the current FCC database omits the leaked photo and includes a letter from Bose asking that the claim be withdrawn. It is dated Friday of last week. This indicates that Bose is far from preparing the QC 45 for a commercial release.