Nothing ear (1) earbuds have arrived — featuring ANC and a 34-hour playtime for $99

Nothing ear (1) earbuds
(Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing has unveiled its first-ever product, the Nothing Ear (1) earbuds, and not only do they offer features rivalling Apple's AirPods Pro, but they're priced at a highly competitive $99/£99.

The first batch of Nothing ear (1) true wireless earbuds are set to arrive on Saturday, July 31, and pack an 11.6mm driver, a claimed 34-hour battery life with the included transparent case, along with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a few other perks — not bad for an affordable pair of buds. Read on for a better look at CEO Carl Pei's first product after OnePlus

Nothing ear (1) earbuds

The Nothing ear (1) earbuds will be available in limited supply on July 31 at 2pm BST / 8am CT / 9am EST over at nothing.tech. The earbuds will then officially go on sale in 45 countries and regions, including the US and UK, on the main website and at select retailers such as Selfridges.

(Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing's first product have been heavily teased over the past few months, with the company focusing on a "stripped down aesthetic" for its upcoming products. This can clearly be seen (no pun intended) in the transparent design of the ear (1) buds and its case.   

The earbud's microphones, magnets, and circuit board are in full view, with the right earbuds featuring a "red color symbol" along with the black steam while the left features white. You'll also find the "NOTHING ear (1)" logo on each stem, and white tips reminiscent of the Beats Studio Buds in the same color. Each earbud weighs 4.7g (0.16 ounces). 

(Image credit: Nothing)

As for features, expect big 11.6mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, along with  "Clear Voice Technology" to reduce background noise when on calls. Impressively, the ear (1) buds also offer different levels of ANC, including Light mode and Maximum mode, plus transparency mode.

Nothing claims the earbuds boast a 5.7 hour listening time and up to 34 hours with the case.  The company also states a 10-minute charge in the case delivers up to 8 hours of listening. The ear (1) earbuds charge wirelessly and are compatible with all Qi chargers, too.

Nothing also has an ear (1) companion app featuring different functions including "Find My Earbud", EQ, gesture control customisation, in-ear detection and fast pairing. The company states the earbuds are also sweat and water splash resistant, but doesn't state the IP rating.

Compared to the best wireless earbuds on the market today, Nothing ear (1) earbuds sound impressive. Stay tuned for our thoughts on how well they perform, as they may give Apple a run for their money. 

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.