Cubed3 sat down with TOZO to explore how the brand has grown from its early audio products into a wider lifestyle‑tech ecosystem spanning earbuds, wearables, speakers and AR Smart Glasses. The company’s reputation for accessible innovation has been shaped by milestone releases such as the NC9 and by a development approach that places user feedback at the centre of refinement. This interview examines TOZO’s evolution, its criteria for new product categories and the ambitions guiding its future direction.
Adam Riley, Director at Cubed3: TOZO has evolved considerably since its early days. What have been the most important milestones in shaping the brand into what it is today?
Merle, TOZO Marketing Team: One of the most important milestones in TOZO’s journey came in 2020, when we launched the TOZO NC9. After releasing our first TWS earphones in 2017, the NC9 became our first noise-cancelling TWS product. It combined strong sound performance with effective noise cancellation, and since its launch, it has remained one of TOZO’s most popular products. In 2024, the NC9 was upgraded, and even now, with the launch of the more powerful NC20 series, the NC9 still remains one of TOZO’s signature products.
Adam: When someone buys a TOZO product, what experience or values do you hope they immediately associate with the brand?
Merle: TOZO’s core idea is “Tech Around You.” We focus on making breakthroughs through technology and innovation, and we want customers to feel a strong sense of technology whenever they use our products. At the same time, we aim to create products that are intuitive, practical, and genuinely enhance everyday life.
Adam: Many people still know TOZO primarily for its earbuds, but the portfolio has expanded into smartwatches, speakers and other connected devices. What drove that broader lifestyle-tech vision?
Merle: As we have said before, TOZO’s core idea is “Tech Around You,” and we are committed to providing customers with a complete experience across different aspects of daily life. This is also the thinking behind our latest AR Smart Glasses (like the VIZO Z1 Pro). Rather than limiting ourselves to a single product category, we want to build a connected experience that brings technology closer to users in a natural and meaningful way.
Adam: How much influence does customer feedback have on your development process, and can you share an example where user input led to a meaningful change or improvement?
Merle: Customer feedback plays a major role in our development process. Improvements in fit comfort and battery optimisation in newer earbuds, for example, were directly influenced by user feedback. We also adjusted UI elements on smart devices based on usability comments from early users.
Adam: TOZO has built a reputation for delivering a strong feature set at accessible prices. How do you balance innovation with affordability?
Merle: We optimise by controlling the supply chain, focusing on in-house acoustic tuning, and prioritising features that deliver real user value rather than unnecessary complexity. This allows us to integrate innovation without significantly increasing cost.
Adam: When evaluating new product categories or concepts, what criteria determine whether an idea becomes a TOZO product?
Merle: We evaluate based on three key factors: user demand, technological feasibility, and long-term product ecosystem fit. If a concept cannot provide meaningful daily value or integrate into our existing ecosystem, it is usually not pursued.
Adam: Consumer tech is one of the most competitive industries today. What do you believe genuinely differentiates TOZO from other brands competing for the same customers?
Merle: TOZO differentiates itself by focusing on high-value feature sets at accessible price points. We also emphasise practical innovation rather than purely spec-driven competition, ensuring our products are usable and not just technically impressive.
Adam: Which current trends in personal audio, wearables or smart technology excite the team most, and which do you think are receiving more attention than they deserve?
Merle: What excites us most right now is bringing AI features into Bluetooth earbuds and developing our latest AR Smart Glasses. We value every product category we work on, and we do not believe any one area has received too much attention. That said, priorities do shift, and at the moment we may slow the pace of smartwatch development slightly so we can place more focus on innovation in AR Glasses and earbuds.
Adam: Without revealing anything confidential, what areas of innovation or product categories are generating the most excitement within TOZO right now?
Merle: Right now, we are focusing on integrating AI features into earbuds and other smart devices to improve usability and enhance the overall user experience. Wireless earbuds remain the most important part of our portfolio, but we are also very excited by the innovation and progress we are seeing in the AR Glasses category.
Adam: If we were having this conversation again five years from now, what would success look like for TOZO as a brand?
Merle: Success would mean TOZO being recognised as a global lifestyle tech brand that consistently delivers accessible innovation across multiple categories, with a strong and loyal user base and a well-integrated ecosystem of devices.
