Andrew Heinzman
After months of hype, leaks, and weird manifestos, Nothing is finally doing something. Its $100 Ear 1 buds go on sale August 17th, backed by the intense media coverage you would expect for a Samsung or Google product.
While we’re still working on our Nothing Ear 1 review, we can confirm that the Ear 1 buds live up to at least some of their hype. Maybe that’s to be expected—with both ANC and Transparency features, the Nothing buds are a bit more advanced than some other products in its price bracket. It may also help that Nothing targets a “balanced” sound profile (similar to AirPods), which is somewhat uncommon at this price.
The Ear 1 design is also incredibly unique, with a transparent plastic case and earbud stems. If you’re big on fashion, then the earbuds’ design may be enough to justify a purchase.
It’s worth mentioning that several earbuds from Sony, Soundcore, and Samsung match the Ear 1 buds’ pricing and feature-set. I suggest looking into these alternatives before buying the Ear 1 buds to get a good sense of your options—who knows, maybe you’ll prefer the shape of a different wireless earbud. But if you’re set on the Ear 1, now’s the time to pull the trigger … or you could wait for our review.
Nothing Ear 1
Nothing’s Ear 1 buds go on sale August 17th. With ANC and Transparency modes, plus a cool design and 36-hour battery life, they seem like a good deal at $100.
