Panasonic has introduced its new lineup of headphones, including four over-ear, or monitor styles, and two in-ear, or earbud, models. In-ear has become quite popular after the success of the iPod and now many smartphones even come with an included pair, albeit generally of questionable quality.
My Galaxy Nexus included a set that has proven to be quite a bit better than average, even featuring a remote button on the cord that allows for play and pause -- well, most of the time anyway.
In a market filled with solid competitors like Bose, Skullcandy and Klipsch, to name only three, Panasonic hopes its new lineup can compete on price, bringing in two models, the RP-TCM190 and RP-TCM25, at $34.99 and $19.99 respectively.
The company touts the features of each -- "RP-TCM190 headphones in-ear headphones produce deep bass sound quality due to Neodymium magnet and an extended long sound support port. An ErgoFit design provides ultimate comfort and fit for hours of wear. The Panasonic RP-TCM190 headphones will be available in a metallic finish in purple, blue, black and silver". Meanwhile, "the RP-TCM25 Headphones feature an ErgoFit design for ultimate comfort and fit and are available in black, white, red, purple and blue".
The new models are up for sale now, and target perhaps a lower-end market, while still providing a quality advantage over the typical big box store versions that many use.
There is an obvious drawback, in that Android is not included -- the earbuds will work just fine, only the remote button will fail to function. That may lead to the new products being a non-starter for some, but those with a compatible device and thinner wallet will certainly want to take a look. Both models are available for immediate sale.