Looks like Nothing’s really stepping up its game in the earbud department, as the London-based company just announced the
priced at $149 and $99, respectively.
The Nothing Ear and Ear (a) keep that sleek transparent design from the original Ear (1) that caught everyone’s eye in 2021. The Ear is the shiny new flagship, following up last year’s Ear (2), while the Ear (a) is all about affordability.
The latest earbuds come with upgrades geared toward everyday use. For instance, Nothing revealed ChatGPT integration for the new earbuds, enabling you to call up the AI assistant with a simple pinch gesture on the earbuds.
You can use your voice to access ChatGPT on Ear and Ear (a), wherever you are (Image Credit–Nothing)
Let’s take a look at some of the enhancements in the new Nothing Ear
As previously mentioned, Nothing is focusing on internal enhancements while sticking to the familiar design. Like before, the Nothing Ear is available in black and white color options.
The top-tier Earbuds got some sound profile tweaks and now offer new personalization options. Plus, they’ve got 25% more battery life. And now, there’s a new Bass Enhance setting for when you want that extra boom in the lows.
The Nothing Ear introduces a robust new ceramic diaphragm, promising clearer sound and accuracy than before. Plus, it sports new talk microphones with Clear Voice Technology, improving voice clarity and call quality.
Plus, the earbuds automatically sense any noise leakage between the earbud and your ear canal, adjusting the noise cancellation accordingly. You can manually switch between three levels of noise cancellation or opt for the ‘Adaptive’ mode in the Nothing X app, letting the earbuds adjust dynamically.
You can use the Nothing X app to customize your listening experience (Image Credit–Nothing)
Nothing is also enhancing sound control with an Advanced Equalizer feature on the Nothing X companion app, allowing you to fine-tune audio settings and share customized profiles with friends. The Nothing Ear buds connect via Bluetooth 5.3, supporting dual device pairing, Google Fast Pair, and Microsoft Swift Pair for seamless connectivity.
You can charge your Nothing Ear by using reverse charging ((Image Credit–Nothing)
How about the Nothing Ear (a)?
The more budget-friendly Nothing Ear (a) spices things up with a pop of color, offering yellow alongside the classic black and white options. Despite the lower price, these earbuds keep the same sleek design as the pricier Ears, including the see-through stem that shows off the internal components.
Nothing Ear (a) in yellow in its case (Image Credit–Nothing)
The specs of the more affordable Nothing Ear (a) are pretty much on par with its pricier counterpart, except for the custom EQs and the fancy ceramic diaphragm. Battery-wise, you’re looking at 9.5 hours of playback with ANC off (5.5 hours with ANC) and up to 42.5 hours total with the charging case. However, it only supports wired charging via USB-C.
The Nothing Ear (a) boasts the same level of active noise cancellation, capable of muffling out up to 45dB of noise. This is twice the capability of the Ear (2) and matches the performance of the new Ear.
As it appears, both of Nothing’s new earbuds offer excellent value for money, at least on paper. Pre-orders start today, and open sales are set for April 22.
