Nothing ear (1) is a true wireless stereo pair of earbuds featuring hybrid active noise cancellation and wireless charging adding it to the premium earbuds category. Nothing ear (1) is the first product from the company Nothing Tech by the person named Carl Pei, the same guy who co-founded OnePlus. He left OnePlus and started his new venture called Nothing.
Nothing ear (1) Specifications
- Driver: 11.6 mm Dynamic Graphene (0.34 cc chamber size)
- Connectivity & Ports: Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C, ear (1) app
- Protection: IPX4 Splash & Sweat Proof
- Features: Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, 3 High Definition Microphones, AI-Powered Environmental Noise Cancellation, touch and slide gesture controls, in-ear detection, ear (1) app for pairing and customization
- Battery Runtime & Charging: 34 hours (ANC Off), 24 hours (ANC On), Wireless Charging (Qi), USB Type-C
- Colors: White
- Weight: 57.4 grams (case), 4.7 grams (each bud)
- Dimensions: 28.9 mm x 21.5 mm x 23.5 mm (buds), 58.6 mm x 58.6 mm x 23.7 mm (case)
- Price: ₹5,999
- Availability: Flipkart.com
Design & Build Quality
The Nothing ear (1) is slightly on the premium category side with a unique looking design, and premium features like active noise canceling and wireless charging. The most important aspect of the earbuds is that it stands out from the crowd, the transparent see-through casing as well as the earbuds, half-transparent, you can clearly see the tech inside, now that’s something unique.
The casing isn’t a matte finish, it has a glossy plastic build that will attract scratches and fingerprints. The case has about 57.4 grams of weight and is slightly on the larger side but that doesn’t mean it isn’t easy to carry. The top side comes with a thumb space that lets you hold the case comfortably and can be used for makeshift fidget spinning.
You will find a USB Type-C port on the backside for charging and a button for pairing and reset, the LED indicator is inside the case. Opening the case and you will see the earbuds with a half-transparent design, the inside tech is visible due to the stems being covered with a see-through design.
The earbuds offer 3 microphones (total 6), one at the touch area, one at the bottom, and one at the top. You will see two pins on the buds used for charging and gesture control on the outer side of the stem for controlling the music and calls. The earbuds offer soft silicone eartips that can be changed with the provided different sizes of earcups.
The earbuds weigh about 4.7 grams and offer a premium, sleek, and compact design. They also come with IPX4 water-resistant design meaning they can resist water splashes and sweats. The earbuds are highly comfortable to wear and don’t fall off easily, thanks to the ergonomic design.
Performance, Features & Connectivity
The Nothing ear (1) comes with 11.6 mm dynamic drivers combined with the Teenage Engineering tech to offer an impressive audio experience, the earbuds come with a capacious air chamber, the content expands to deliver high-quality sound. The sound has a balance of advanced bass, mid, and treble to achieve exceptional audio performance.
The main highlights of the Nothing ear (1) earbuds are is hybrid active noise cancellation, triple high definition microphones, transparent mode, and wireless charging along with some customization features that are provided in the ear (1) app.
The earbuds use Clear Voice Technology, the Active Noise Cancellation will cancel any background or ambient noise using its three mics so that you can hear the voice clearly even in crowded areas and noisy places. As per Nothing, the advanced algorithms reference a million voice and sound combinations even with winds up to 40 km/h to isolate and amplify your voice for remarkable accuracy.
The Transparency mode is just the opposite, it won’t isolate, but in fact, it will amplify the ambiance and surroundings so that you don’t miss the outside environment while listening to the music. We didn’t find any Latency mode which might be a question for gamers who play multiplayer games for lag-free wireless audio.
The touch gesture controls can be customized using the app, triple Tap on the earbud will change the song whereas Tap and hold will cycle the noise cancellation modes (ANC, Transparent mode, Normal). You can swipe on the earbuds to increase or decrease the volume levels, swiping up will increase while swiping down will decrease the volumes.
The Nothing ear (1) uses Bluetooth 5.2 to pair instantly, just open the case and the buds are connected, it can be quickly paired with the Google Fast Pair compatible devices. It comes with an app called ear (1) (available for Android and iOS) that lets you pair and customize the earbuds. You can check battery levels, toggle Active Noise Cancellation mode, customize gesture controls, toggle in-ear detection, find earbuds, equalize, and update its firmware.
Battery Runtime & Charging
On the battery side, the Nothing ear (1) offers excellent battery life for its segment, the earbuds can last up to 34 hours without ANC and 24 hours with ANC turned on. The earbuds themselves can offer you 5 hours of battery life (without ANC) in a single charge which varies according to your usage and volume levels. The case can charge the earbuds at least six times which is pretty good in my opinion.
The Nothing ear (1) earbuds can be charged either wired with the USB Type-C or wirelessly. A quick 10-minute charge via USB Type-C can offer you a stunning 8 hours of battery life (without ANC) and 6 hours of battery life (with ANC On). To charge wirelessly, you will have to use a Qi-compatible charger.
Verdict
There’s nothing like the Nothing ear (1) when it comes to the design, the see-through casing and earbuds look unique, stylish, and stands out from the crowd. Aside from its design, the premium features make the earbuds reliable in the segment, features such as hybrid active noise cancellation, 3 high definition microphones, and wireless charging.
The Nothing ear (1) delivers exceptional sound quality, the audio performance is great in its class. The battery runs an impressive 34 hours at max and 24 hours with ANC enabled. If you are looking for a pair of premium earbuds with a unique design, active noise canceling feature, commendable audio performance, and wireless charging, the Nothing ear (1) is recommended, the price starts at Rs 5,999.
