- Nothing has officially unveiled its latest TWS earbuds, the Ear (a) and Ear, globally at a starting price of $99/ Rs 7,999.
- The Ear (a) brings improvements over the Ear (2), while the Ear is being marketed as a premium audiophile offering.
- The Ear (a) will be available in three colors, namely Yellow, Black, and White, while the Ear doesn't come in Yellow.
After much teasing, rumors, and leaks, Nothing’s new audio products are finally out of the bag. The Carl Pei-led company has officially launched the Nothing Ear (a) and the Nothing Ear globally. The former caters to budget audiences while the latter is geared toward audiophiles. Here’s everything you need to know about the Nothing Ear (a) and Nothing Ear truly wireless earphones.
Nothing Ear (a) Specifications
The overall design of the Ear (a) is unlike what we’ve seen with the Ear (1) and (2). It’s got a much more traditional TWS look while still retaining the transparent design language. The star of the show is indeed the Yellow colorway, which looks quite mesmerizing and playful.
As per the official press release, it’s clear that Nothing is marketing the Ear (a) as an improvement over the Ear (2)’s. The Ear (a) includes an 11mm driver and a new internal chamber design and layout, which, according to the company, delivers 2.5 times more power. The internal chamber now has more space (0.55mm vs 0.26mm) to make the audio sound much fuller and wider.
Nothing Ear (a) is Hi-Res-certified and supports LDAC, AAC, and SBC codecs. This implies you should be able to play lossless music over Bluetooth if your smartphone supports LDAC.
The Ear (a) has a bigger battery than the Ear (2). Nothing claims 42.5 hours of music playback with the case and ANC turned off, thanks to the 500 mAh battery in the case and 46 mAh each in the buds. As for the battery life with ANC turned on, Nothing claims 24.5 hours of battery life with the case and 5.5 hours with buds.
Nothing claims it has improved its bass enhance algorithm to deliver richer lows while preserving the high frequencies for thumping bass without making the earbuds sound muddy.
The ANC has been bumped from the Nothing Ear (2) to 45db, and Nothing claims the 13% increase in ANC can block external noise 1.8x stronger. The company is also marketing its improved smart ANC algorithm for better noise cancellation and seamless switching between ANC modes. Similarly, the firm is also banking on its Clear Voice technology, which uses the three mics on the Ear (a) and AI to reduce noise and enhance voice.
The Ear (a) is IP54-rated while the buds are IPX2-rated. These earbuds also support Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, pinch controls, dual connection, and a low-latency mode. Well, it lacks wireless charging, though.
Nothing Ear Specifications
The Nothing Ear, on the other hand, retains the design from the original Ear (1) and (2). Nothing’s targeting audiophiles with this one, claiming it’s “Our best audio experience ever.”
The pricier Ear boasts 11mm ceramic drivers as opposed to the TPU+PMI drivers in the Ear (a). Nothing claims the rigid ceramic material leads to clearer sound with crisp highs.
The Nothing Ear too is Hi-Res certified and supports LHDC 5.0 and LDAC. LHDC 5.0 could ensure it delivers more details, up to 24-bit/192 kHz to be specific, while LDAC can deliver 990 kbps at 24-bit/96 kHz.
There’s ANC which can block noises of up to 45db, and like the Ear (a), there’s support for smart and adaptive ANC.
The battery life is a bit lower than Ear (a) at 40.5 hours with the case in one full charge, but it’s still a 25% improvement over the Ear (2). And unlike the Ear (a)’s, there’s support for wireless charging at 2.5W. The Earbuds are IP54-rated whereas the case is IP55-rated.
Some of the other notable features include a low lag mode, dual connection, clear voice technology, pinch controls, and all the features available in Ear (a) such as Fast Pair and Swift Pair.
Nothing Ear and Ear (a): Colors and Pricing
The Nothing Ear (a) will be available in three colors — Yellow, White, and Black, whereas the Ear will be available in the usual White and Black.
The Ear (a) will be available to buy for Rs 7,999 in India. As for the global pricing, we are looking at $99, 99 euros, £99, and 14,800 Yen. The Nothing Ear will be available for Rs 11,999 in India. As for the global pricing, we are looking at $149, 149 euros, £129, and 22,800 Yen. Both earbuds are up for pre-order today on the official Nothing website.
What are your thoughts on the Nothing Ear (a) and Ear’s pricing? Have you ever used Nothing’s audio products? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
