Ear (3)

The Nothing Ear (3) marked Nothing's return to numbered naming for its standard true wireless audio range after the company removed product numbers from the main Ear line in 2024. Despite the name, Ear (3) is the fourth generation of Nothing's standard in-ear TWS line, following Ear (2) and Ear. The product introduced a refined transparent design with recycled aluminium components and a new Talk button on the charging case, which activates the Super Mic system for calls and voice recordings.^[1]

Ear (3)'s model number is B173 and Pokémon codename is Feraligatr.

Nothing announced Ear (3) on 18 September 2025, with pre-orders beginning on the same day and global sales starting on 25 September. The product launched in Black and White at £179 / $179 / €179.^[2] A limited drop was also held at the Nothing Store Soho, where the first 50 customers received an Ear (3) with a limited-edition engraving.^[3]

Regional availability followed shortly afterwards. In India, Ear (3) was priced at ₹19,999, with sales beginning on 25 September through Flipkart and selected retail partners. In Japan, Ear (3) was priced at ¥25,800, with pre-orders beginning on 18 September and sales beginning on 25 September through nothing.tech and selected partners.^[4] In Indonesia, Ear (3) was priced at Rp2,999,000, with availability beginning on 29 October 2025 through the Erajaya Group's retail network.^[5]

Ear (3) introduced a more refined construction combining transparent plastic with recycled aluminium. The charging case uses 100% recycled aluminium for its structural base, while the earbuds incorporate aluminium components into their stems. Each earbud measures 28.9 mm × 21.5 mm × 23.5 mm and weighs 4.7 g, while the charging case measures 58.6 mm × 58.6 mm × 23.7 mm and weighs 71.4 g. Each earbud uses a 12 mm dynamic driver with a patterned PMI + TPU diaphragm and supports a frequency response range of 20 Hz–40 kHz. Ear (3) features active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 45 dB and Transparency Mode. The earbuds contain three microphones and a voice pickup unit (VPU) for voice detection and call processing. The earbuds are rated IP54 for resistance to dust and water splashes, while the charging case is not waterproof. Each earbud contains a 55 mAh battery and provides up to 10 hours of playback with ANC disabled. Combined with the charging case, playback is rated at up to 38 hours. With ANC enabled, playback is rated at up to 5.5 hours on a single charge or 22 hours with the charging case. A 10-minute charge provides up to 10 hours of combined playback. The charging case supports USB-C charging and wireless charging. Ear (3) introduced the Super Mic system, which is built into the charging case and uses two MEMS microphones with beamforming to focus on the user's voice while reducing surrounding noise. The system is activated using the Talk button on the case and can be used for calls and voice recordings.^[6]

Ear (3) retains the pressure-based pinch controls used by previous generations. Users can perform functions such as play or pause playback, skip or return to previous tracks and adjust other functions through single, double and triple pinch gestures, as well as pinch-and-hold combinations. The available controls can be customised through the Nothing X.

The Talk button on the charging case provides a separate control for Super Mic. Pressing and holding the button activates Super Mic, while double-pressing the button locks Super Mic on for longer conversations.^[6]

Ear (3) can be connected to and customised through the Nothing X. The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs and are Hi-Res Audio certified. Ear (3) also supports Dual Connection, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. The earbuds also support Low Lag Mode, Static Spatial Audio and Dynamic Bass Enhancement.^[6]

The Nothing X app provides an Advanced Equaliser with eight-band frequency control, including adjustable frequency and Q Factor settings. It also provides customisable controls, Find My Earbuds, firmware updates and other device settings.^[6]

On compatible Nothing phones, Super Mic can be used to record voice notes from the charging case, which can then be automatically transcribed in Essential Space. Ear (3) also supports ChatGPT integration on compatible Nothing phones, allowing users to access ChatGPT through supported controls.^[6]