Today, Nothing launched its newest audio device. The start up, led by ex-OnePlus man, Carl Pei, has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with a wide range of Android phones and earbuds.
The brands current crop includes devices like the Nothing Ear and the Nothing Phone (2). Both of those are highly regarded products, fusing great specs with cool, industrial design language – and all at an impressive price point.
Now, the brand has unveiled a new product in the earbuds category. Dubbed the Nothing Ear (open), these use a slightly different design to sit on the ear, rather than in it.
I've been using the Nothing Ear (open) for the last week or so, to get a feel for what they can do. Let's dive in and take a closer look.
Nothing Ear (open): key specs
Let's kick off with some key specs. These buds feature a single 14.2mm driver in each bud. That's much larger than you'd expect to find in a pair of in-ears, which should offer a boost on the low-end. Those feature a titanium-coated diaphragm, too, allowing it to move quickly – good for high-end frequencies – without bending or distorting.
Users will find a 64mAh battery in each earbud, with a 635mAh cell in the case. That should be good for eight hours of playback from the buds alone, and up to 30 hours with the case and buds.
Elsewhere, you'll find the expected pinch controls for music playback options, while the Nothing X app acts as a brilliant one-stop shop for all of your deeper editing needs. IP54 water resistance for both the buds and case should be good enough to get through sweaty workouts and great British rainfall, too.
3 things I like
1. Impeccable sound quality
As someone who isn't a fan of open earbuds – sometimes known as half-ins – I'll admit I was skeptical on first glance. Traditionally, those kinds of earbuds have lacked the sonic fidelity found in other, in-ear compatriots.
When I first tried on the Nothing Ear (open) buds, I was afraid these might be more of the same. Take the time to really get them seated in the proper place, though, and the results will surprise you.
That larger driver is simply magnificent, offering a phenomenal low-end response. It pretty much defies the laws of physics, actually, but I'm certainly not complaining!
The result is an audio profile which is more than capable of reproducing your favourite audio on the go. Sure, it's not perfect – I do think the high-end frequencies still suffer somewhat, but that was always likely to be the case.
For many, this profile will me more than capable of impressing.
2. Charging case
When I first saw the charging case for the Nothing Ear (open), I was quite shocked. It's much broader than most others, opting for a long, slim design, rather than the bullet cases and square boxes we see from other manufacturers.
Fortunately, the word 'slim' does a lot of heavy lifting here. It sits just 19mm thick, which is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. The result is a case which should be even more portable than more traditional designs from other manufacturers.
3. Open ear listening
As part of the core feature-set of this kind of device, users can enjoy a fantastic natural transparency mode. It stands to reason – your ear canal is still exposed, and thus you should be capable of hearing what's happening around you.
Still, I was impressed with how good this was. They're perfect for working in the office, allowing you to still be on hand for any in-person queries, but also immersed in your own audio at will.
2 things I don't like
1. Uncomfortable for glasses wearers
While I did enjoy the sound quality of the Nothing Ear (open), I couldn't enjoy it for long. That's because the design is really uncomfortable for anyone who also happens to wear glasses.
It makes sense – the stems of your eyewear will have to sit on top of these buds, which loop over the same spot on top of your ears. For me, that meant I couldn't really muster more than an hour of listening before they became too uncomfortable to carry on.
2. Strange looking design
While we're talking about the design, it's also fair to say it's a little... weird. Again, it's a criticism which could likely be levelled at most of this industry, but they're not exactly an under-the-radar choice.
I think of them in a similar manner to VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro – great tech, and arguably quite recognisable for what they are, but still too weird for the average Joe to remain blissfully unaware of.