Consumers cast doubt about price competitiveness of LG's new cordless earphone

By Park Sae-jin Posted : October 1, 2019, 13:35 Updated : October 1, 2019, 13:35

[Courtesy of LG Electronics]


SEOUL -- LG Electronics has ambitiously introduced a new pair of cordless earphones to compete with market leaders like Samsung Electronics and Apple. However, consumers cast doubt over the price competitiveness of LG's new gadget.

On Tuesday, LG introduced "TONE+ Free" as its first totally wireless earphones embedded with the audio technology of British sound company Meridian Audio. The new product will hit the shelves with a price tag of 259,000 won ($216) in November.

Because of their convenience, cordless earphones were favored over conventional earphones with a communication and battery unit connected to a pair of earphones by cable. 

While Chinese companies such as QCY and Xiaomi sell products priced between $20  and $60, Samsung and Apple target the premium market with their devices carrying a price tag of $100 to $200.

Tech-savvy consumers in South Korea showed an irritated response to the price of LG's new cordless earphones. "259,000 won? could buy two Samsung Galaxy Buds earphone sets or buy an Apple Airpods set and would still have about 70,000 won in my hands…" said "mr Chumo", a user from South Korean online IT community Clien. Another user nicknamed "CRAZYho" said: "I would rather go for a high-end brand one like Bang & Olufsen."

Some users pointed out that TONE+ Free is not actually LG's first cordless earphones. The company released HBS-F110, a wireless headset neckband with a pair of detachable cordless earphones. HBS-F110 received negative feedback from consumers for its poor sound quality. 
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