The first product from ex-OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's new startup Nothing was officially unveiled today, putting an end to the anticipation. These TWS earbuds, dubbed the Nothing ear (1), come with several premium features, including ANC, in-ear detection, a unique transparent design, and more.
Nothing ear (1): Price and Availability
The TWS Nothing ear (1) earbuds have been released worldwide. In the United States, they cost $99 each.
The Nothing ear (1) will exclusively be available for purchase in India through Flipkart.
Nothing ear (1): Key Specs and Features
Design
The transparent case design leaked (or was officially revealed) ahead of the launch today, but the earbud design remains a mystery. And there's a good reason for that. Take a look at it, for example. Nothing ear (1) stands out in a world where everyone wants to be an AirPods clone.
In an official statement, Carl Pei, the CEO and Co-founder of Nothing, said, "Nothing ear (1) is a breath of fresh air in a cluttered and indifferent market, setting the tone for our connected digital world to come" The transparent design extends beyond the "funny" fish-eye lens-style cavity that secures the earbuds in the case, according to the company.
The transparent case has the advantage of allowing you to easily see if you are missing an earbud before leaving the house. The microphone, magnets, and circuit boards are visible through the transparent body of the earbuds. The design of the Nothing ear (1) is one of my favourites.
Earbuds and Audio Quality
When it came to the earbuds, Nothing didn't sacrifice the user's comfort or sound quality in the name of a transparent design. Each earbud weighs only 4.7 grams and has an in-ear design with silicone tips for a perfect seal. To control various features, the earbuds support touch gestures such as double-tap, triple-tap, and slide up/down. It uses Bluetooth 5.2 to connect and supports the AAC and SBC codecs.
The 11.6mm dynamic drivers in the Nothing ear (1) have been tuned by Teenage Engineering to deliver rich and immersive sound. A red color signal has also been added to make it easier to identify the right earbud. IPX4 water and dust resistance, in-ear detection, and three microphones are all features of the earbuds. The microphones enable both "Clear Voice technology" and Active Noise Cancellation for a better calling experience (ANC).
Nothing ear (1) Mobile App
The Nothing ear (1) can be connected to the eponymous mobile app, which allows you to update the earbuds and tweak some features on Android and iOS. The app includes a useful Find My Earbuds feature, transparency mode, and two levels of active noise cancellation (light and maximum). You can see an example of the app here:
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, the earbuds can play music for up to 4 hours with ANC enabled and up to 5.7 hours without it. You can use the case for up to 24 hours (ANC on) and 34 hours (ANC off). According to the company, a quick 10-minute charge will give you 1.2 hours of playback through the earbuds and 8 hours through the case. Qi-enabled wireless charging is also supported by the Nothing ear (1).
So, will you buy the Nothing ear (1) TWS earbuds or will you look for something else? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.