LG’s new true wireless earbuds have an elite feature rivals don't

LG's latest earbuds offer all kinds of goodies that other true wireless earbuds don't

LG T90 true wireless earbuds in white and black colourways on white background
(Image credit: LG)

LG has announced its best true wireless earbuds yet, and there are some seriously clever features here. The new Tone Free T90 buds, the firm's latest flagship, have improved audio, better bass, Dolby Head Tracking support and a case unlike most rivals: not only does it kill bacteria via UV light, but it also doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter from wired audio sources – so you can simply connect a cable to the 3.5mm audio jack to listen wirelessly to devices that don't have Bluetooth such as gym treadmills and some hi-fi kit.

According to LG, the T90s "are the first wireless earbuds to feature an audio virtualizer designed by Dolby specifically for earbuds", with similar positional audio capabilities to Apple's AirPods Pro, Beats Studio Buds and Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro. There are larger drivers than in the previous FP9 earbuds to deliver deeper, crisper bass, and you can expect 9 hours of battery life with ANC switched off and another 18 hours via the case.

If you're looking for the best running headphones, LG may have just the pair for you too.

LG Tone Free Fit TF8 earbuds: the perfect fit for fitness fans?

LG's second new set of true wireless earbuds, the LG TF8, are IPX7 waterproof, have hybrid ANC and last long enough for even the most epic run: 10 hours from a single charge. Once again there's UVnano to kill bacteria, but this time you get special fins for a tight, shock-proof fit. The fins have multiple gaps for better airflow and therefore comfort.

These are both good-looking true wireless earbuds with great specifications. What about the price? LG US is listing the T90s at $229.99 and the TF8 at $199.99 (although there's currently no details of when you'll be able to buy them), but we don't have UK pricing yet. The going UK price for current-gen LG flagships is £179-£199, though, so I'd expect something similar here. That puts these buds firmly in medium to premium, the same place Apple's AirPods and similarly specced earbuds live. 

I haven't tested these particular buds but our very own Yasmine Crossland tested the LG Tone Free FN7s and gave them four stars: as she wrote, "If you are pulled in by the UVnano case and AirPod-esque design, the LG Tone Free FN7 are a fantastic pair of true wireless earbuds which sound good and have a comprehensive app to go with them." Bluetooth transmission, better bass and spatial audio could make these new buds even better.

Carrie Marshall

Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series. When she’s not scribbling, she’s the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR (havrmusic.com).