Nothing has introduced the Ear (3a) true wireless earbuds alongside the Nothing Phone (4b), expanding its audio lineup.
The Ear (3a) features a new rounded design with an ergonomic fit and comes with four ear tip sizes, including a new XS option. It carries an IP54 rating for resistance to dust, sweat, and light rain. The charging case now includes a 1×3 status light that indicates battery level, charging, pairing, firmware updates, factory reset, and error notifications.
The Ear (3a) uses a 12mm dynamic driver that delivers up to 5dB more bass than the Ear (a), along with improved sound detail. It also supports Static Spatial Audio for a more immersive listening experience.
Audio features include:
- Wideband Active Noise Cancellation with up to 45dB noise reduction and up to 6dB better suppression in the human voice frequency range
- Adaptive ANC that automatically adjusts to ambient noise
- Transparency Mode for hearing surrounding sounds
- Three microphones per earbud with AI-based noise reduction for clearer voice calls
The Ear (3a) includes 32MB of built-in flash storage and supports several smart audio features.
- Audio Snapshot: Captures up to one minute of audio, including up to 30 seconds played before activation. Recordings can be replayed, edited, transcribed, and converted into shareable quote cards through the Nothing X app.
- Call recording: Starts directly from the earbuds using a pinch gesture. Recordings are stored on the earbuds and synced to the Nothing X app for replay, editing, playback speed adjustment, transcripts, and summaries. A privacy notification alerts other participants during calls or meetings.
The Ear (3a) supports Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connectivity, customizable touch controls, and AI features through the Nothing X app, including four EQ presets, a customizable 8-band equalizer, QR code sharing for sound profiles, ChatGPT integration, and a personalized daily news audio digest.
Battery life is rated at up to 6 hours with ANC enabled and up to 10 hours with ANC disabled. The charging case extends total playback to up to 25 hours with ANC on and up to 42 hours with ANC off, while a five-minute charge provides up to one hour of playback.
Quick Specifications: Nothing Ear (3a)
- Design: In-ear, IP54 dust and water resistance
- Driver: 12mm dynamic driver, 32Ω, PMI+TPU diaphragm
- Frequency response: 20Hz–40,000Hz
- Audio: LDAC, SBC, AAC codecs, Hi-Res Wireless certification, Static Spatial Audio
- Noise cancellation: Adaptive ANC up to 45dB, Transparency Mode
- Microphones: Six microphones (three per earbud)
- Storage: 32MB built-in storage
- Recording: Audio Snapshot, on-device call recording
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connectivity, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair
- App features: Custom EQ, 8-band equalizer, ChatGPT integration, AI news digest
- Battery: 55mAh (each earbud), 500mAh charging case; up to 10 hours playback (ANC off), up to 6 hours (ANC on); up to 42 hours total with case (ANC off), up to 25 hours (ANC on)
- Charging: USB Type-C, 70-minute full charge, 5-minute charge for up to 1 hour of playback
- Dimensions: Earbud – 31.2 × 21.7 × 24mm; Charging case – 64.8 × 48.95 × 22.8mm
- Weight: Earbud – 4.53g; Charging case – 40.92g
- Compatibility: Android 8.0 or later, iOS 13 or later
Pricing and availability
The Nothing Ear (3a) is priced at USD 99 (Rs. 9,390 approx.). It is available in Pink, Yellow, Black, and White, with sales starting July 7 through Nothing’s official website. No details about the India launch yet.