LG bringing self-disinfecting wireless earbuds to the US

The new earbuds will get a dose of UV light in the case to zap them clean

26 Jun 2020

It turns out earbuds can be very dirty little things. They can collect bacteria and then, with prolonged use, trap that bacteria inside your ears. Some studies have shown earbud use can cause ear infections and even hearing loss.

LG is getting ready to launch a new product that can help with that. LG’s HBS-FN6 Tone Free are wireless earbuds that include a case with a UV light to clean and disinfect the earbuds every time you put them back in the case to recharge. The HBS-FN6 Tone Free took a test run in South Korea last year as Tone+ Free earbuds. Next month, LG plans to introduce the new, self-cleaning earbuds in the European and U.S. markets.

The HBS-FN6 earbuds have some other cool features as well. They use Meridian Audio technology for what LG calls “lifelike audio” and a phone app with an equalizer. You can use Siri or Google Assistant for voice control via the earbuds. They’re reported to last up to six hours per charge, and you can charge them three times in the battery case before needing to recharge the case.

LG hasn’t released an on-sale date or price yet, but the Tone+ Free in South Korea sold for 259,999 won, which converts to about $215. LG is having a big year, as it introduced the new LG Velvet smartphone, the heir apparent to the LG G-series, in May.