The TONE Free T90S is a pair of true wireless earbuds from LG Electronics, developed in collaboration with the British company Meridian Audio. It combines graphene drivers, adaptive noise cancellation and Dolby Atmos with head tracking. Its charging case includes LG's UVnano system to reduce bacteria and a Plug & Wireless function that turns the case into a transmitter.
Key specs that matter
Each earbud uses a 9.8 mm dynamic driver with a graphene diaphragm. Bluetooth 5.4 supports SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive, with Snapdragon Sound, multipoint and Google Fast Pair. Battery life is up to 9 hours from the earbuds and 36 hours in total with the case, with ANC off. Charging is by USB-C or Qi wireless charging. Each earbud weighs 5.7 g and the case 43 g. The earbuds are rated IPX4 for splashes and sweat.
Engineering and use context
Graphene is stiff and light, which reduces unwanted vibration in the diaphragm. Adaptive active noise cancellation uses three microphones plus a voice pickup unit in each earbud, adjusting cancellation to the surroundings, with an ambient mode and a talk-through mode for conversations. The earbuds are certified for Dolby Atmos and add Dolby Head Tracking, which keeps spatial sound anchored as the head turns, when used with the LG TONE Free app. Meridian's sound effects and EQ presets sit alongside LG's own EQ and a custom setting. The ear gels are medical-grade hypoallergenic silicone, and their shape was developed from 300 ear shapes. The UVnano case uses ultraviolet LEDs at 265 to 285 nm to kill 99.9% of bacteria on the speaker mesh and ear gels after ten minutes of charging, provided the lid is closed and the battery is above 40%. With Plug & Wireless, the case connects by cable to a device without Bluetooth, such as an in-flight system or gym equipment, and streams its audio to the earbuds. Touch controls and wear detection are built in. LG supplies an AUX 3.5 mm to USB cable for the Plug & Wireless function. The earbuds support voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Siri, and they measure 21.6 x 21.9 x 24.2 mm each, with the case at 65 x 29.9 x 32.6 mm.
Pairing
The aptX Adaptive codec works best with Android phones that support Snapdragon Sound, while AAC serves iPhones. Plug & Wireless extends use to sources without Bluetooth.
Alternatives
LG's TONE Free T90Q is the earlier model of the range with 11 mm drivers and the same UVnano case.