Nothing’s latest earbuds come in two styles and price points: the €99/$99/99 Nothing Ear (a) and the €149/$149/129 Nothing Ear. Nothing Ear is the new flagship offering that comes as a direct successor to last year’s Ear (2), while Ear (a) aims to fill the gap as the more affordable entry. Nix also announced ChatGPT integration for the new earbuds that allows you to summon the AI assistant with a pinch gesture on the earbuds.
Nothing Ear
Nothing Ear features refined 11mm dynamic drivers with a ceramic diaphragm for richer and sharper highs, along with two additional vents to improve airflow for a clearer sound signature. Nothing offers LHDC 5.0 and LDAC codec support for high-bitrate streaming, and an improved Smart ANC algorithm that automatically checks for noise leakage and adjusts the ANC accordingly.
Nothing Ear
Nothing also brings more audio control with an Advanced Equalizer option on the Nothing X companion app where you can customize what you share with friends.
Nothing Ear connects via Bluetooth 5.3 with dual device pairing, Google Fast Pair, and Microsoft Swift Pair. Nothing has also added new speaker microphones with Clear Voice technology for better voice recording and clearer calls. Battery life is rated at 8.5 hours from the earbuds without ANC (5.2 hours with ANC) and 40.5 hours with the charging case. You get support for wired charging via USB-C and wireless charging up to 2.5W on compatible Qi chargers.
Nothing Ear in White and Black
Note: Ear comes in black and white colors. Pre-orders start today while open sales are scheduled for April 22.
Nothing Ear (a)
Nothing Ear (a) retains most of the key features of the more expensive Nothing Ear, with 11mm dynamic drivers, ANC, and LDAC support. Ear (a) has a slightly modified design with a rectangular casing and comes in a bright yellow color alongside the white and black versions.
Nothing Ear (a)
The rest of the specs match the more expensive Nothing Ear, apart from the custom EQs and finer ceramic diaphragm. Battery life is rated at 9.5 hours of playback with ANC off (5.5 hours with ANC) and up to 42.5 hours including charging. You only get wired charging via USB-C here.