After turning off the Google assistant and the speak to talk feature the gap between the 2 buds is much closer. Currently sitting at R 79% and L 76% so those features definitely are right bud specific. I expect a bit of a gap between the buds as I find almost all TWS suffer from this to some degree.
Also noticing the gap between more recent TWS releases and the XM4. All my newer buds are more comfortable and have better Ambient modes than the XM4. I imagine these will be 2 areas addressed with the XM5 if / when it is released.
I hope they might increase the amount of sound let in when at full volume for ambient when they finally release the next firmware update. I like ambient for at home so I can hear my wife when she asks me something while I am wearing the buds and right now the ambient is so low at its highest setting it's almost like just passive mode.
Speaking of passive mode, these isolate so well I am hardly even using ANC so the battery life is very good. those percent above are after having the buds out of the case for 5hrs. I didn't always have them in my ears during that time and had them out long enough I the buds turned themselves off once. But this does mean I could very likely use these for an entire workday without having to put them in the case.
If the XM5 could be 10-15% smaller in diameter, have the same battery life, and ambient and microphones as good as the Linkbuds S with this good or better sound, I don't think I would hesitate to long to buy them... whereas is took 2 years before I finally was willing to give the XM4 a try. I will likely wait until early adopter prices drop, but other than that would jump on them.
EDIT: now sitting at 63% and 61% and have now had these out of the charger for 6-7hrs, again not always in my ears, so not always playing music. But a very good example of what a typical work day will look like for usage. I think I will dig up a little clam shell to hold the buds when not in ear, so I don't lose them and will start to take them out in the morning and not put them back into the case until the end of the day. Between that and consciously only charging the case when it gets low I might be able make these retain their charge for a good long time.