LG Tone Platinum SE headphones brings Google Assistant to the party

The Berlin tech expo that is IFA 2018 doesn't officially kick off for another week, but LG is getting an early start with its announcements with the unveiling of its next generation LG Tone headphones.

There's two new models on the way and the one that interests us the most is the LG Tone Platinum SE. With that now signature neckband-style look, the SE's will be available in black, blue and gold. They'll also be the first in the range to include a dedicated Google Assistant button. So instead of saying, "OK Google", you can hit the button to access the smart assistant, which LG claims will give users quicker access.

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LG is also talking up the potential it has to be used for smart features like Google Translate to make communicating in another language faster and more natural. We sincerely hope it fares a whole lot better than the Google Pixel Buds for real-time translation skills.

Joining the Platinum SE is the LG Tone Ultra SE, which features an external mono speaker to make calls and listen to music when you don't want to entirely clock out all of that ambient sound. There's no signs of connected smarts, so it's all about the music here.

There's no news on pricing or when the new headphones will be available to buy, but we should find out more details when IFA kicks off and we can get our hands on a pair.