The Nothing Ear series is a line of true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds produced by Nothing. The series began with the company’s first released product, the Ear (1), and is characterised by the brand’s signature transparent aesthetic and minimalist design language. The series has since expanded through multiple models and specifications, offering additional or improved features such as new codec support, bigger drivers, enhanced ANC (active noise cancellation), and design refinements.

The first generation of the series, and Nothing’s first publicly released product, the Ear (1) laid the foundation for the transparent design, premium ambition and core features for the product line.

Launched in July 2021, Ear (1) were initially priced at £99 / $99 / €99 / INR 5,999 and were available in 45 countries, including the UK, Europe, India and the US. Initially available in limited quantities, wider availability began in August.^[1] In October 2022, Nothing announced a 50% price hike to $149, citing a rise in costs.^[2]

Ear (1) was succeeded by Ear (2).

Both the case and earbuds featured clear plastic, paving the way for future design iterations of the series. The Ear (1) buds weigh 4.7g per bud, with a 0.34cc chamber and a 11.6mm dynamic driver. The buds support Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC and AAC codecs.

The Ear (1) allowed for playback control, volume adjustment and other functions via touch controls such as single tap, double tap and sliding on the stem.

The buds could be featured with the Ear (1) Companion App which featured customisation to the touch gestures, ANC and EQ adjustments and firmware updates.^[1] There were also a number of easter eggs available in the app, such as customising the case light and displaying a prototype “Ear (0)”.^[3]

The second product in Nothing’s TWS audio range was the Ear (stick). Similar in size and shape to the Ear (1), the main difference was a “half in-ear” design with no silicone tips, and a long cylindrical case with a twisting mechanism.

The product was first unveiled at London’s Fashion Week SS23 in September 2022, as part of a collaboration with Chet Lo, which also showcased the Phone (1) glyphs shining through translucent clothing and bags.^[4]

Ear (stick) was available from November 2022, priced at £99 / $99 / €119 and sold in over 40 countries.^[5] Despite demand from users and the community, there has not yet been a successor to Ear (stick). The closest option for non in-ear buds by Nothing is Ear (open).

A half in-ear design with no silicone tips, the Ear (stick) features 12.6mm drivers with 7 hours of constant blackback, extending up to 29 hours the charging case. The buds feature an IP54 water and dust resistance, Bluetooth 5.2 and SBC and AAC codecs, but lack ANC due to having no silicone tips.^[6]

In 2024, there was a silent design refresh of the Ear (stick) which saw the mesh inset into the body of the bud, rather than being at surface level. Nothing didn’t communicate this change, or update any of their promotional images, leading to some confusion between customers.^[7,8,9]

The first of Nothing’s TWS to introduce pinch controls, a mechanism which has since stuck around through future generations. With all of the same playback and volume controls as the Ear (1) instead with a squeeze of the stem instead of a touch. Examples included a single pinch, double pinch and a pinch & hold.

The buds connected to the Ear (1) Companion App, which was shortly after rebranded to Nothing X. Pairing with the app introduced customisation for gesture controls, EQ settings and a find my buds function.^[5]

The natural upgrade to the Ear (1), the Ear (2) featured a familiar case and buds design, but with enhancements to ANC, additional codec support and introduced personalised sound profiles.

Nothing partnered with CASETiFY in October 2022 to bring an exclusive “Nothing Mini Pouch” for the Ear (2), alongside Nothing styled phone cases for select iPhones.^[10]

Ear (2) was available for pre-order on nothing.tech from 22 March 2023, priced at £129 / $149 / €149. There were also in-person drops at the Nothing Store Soho in London, as well as select Kith stores around the world on 23 March. Online sales began 28 March, including nothing.tech and retail partners such as Stock X, Kith, JUICESTORE & HBX.

Ear (2) was succeeded by Ear.

Much the same as Ear (1) in terms of design and dimensions, with upgraded specs such as LHDC 5.0 audio codec support, allowing for high-res audio, and Bluetooth 5.3. The 11.6mm drivers remained, with upgrades to the materials. The case on Ear (2) is IP55 rated against dust and water splashes while the buds offer an IP54 rating. The battery life is rated as up to 36 hours with the charging case. Ear (2) has an active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 40 dB.^[11]

The Ear (2) use the same pinch controls introduced with Ear (stick), allowing users to squeeze the buds to perform actions such as play/pause, skip/rewind, volume and voice assistant, all customisable within Nothing X.

Connection to and customisations within the Nothing X app. Ear (2) introduced new features such as dual pairing (connecting to more than one device simultaneously), custom EQ including Advanced Equaliser with a fully customisable 8-band EQ, an ear tip fit test and personalised sound profile options.^[12,13]

In a controversial move, Nothing dropped the product numbering for the Ear range, and introduced the Ear, citing simplification of “the process of finding earbuds right for you”^[14]. Some users referred to this generation as Ear (2024) or Ear (3), though this incurred more confusion with the release of the Ear (3) in 2025.

Ear launched at a price of £129 / $149 / €149, matching Ear (2)’s launch price. Pre-orders began 18 April 2024, with online sales starting from 22 April.^[15] There was a limited drop of both Ear and Ear (a) at Nothing Store Soho on 20 April.^[16]

Ear was succeeded by Ear (3).

The buds feature high-res streaming with LDAC and LHDC 5.0 codec support and Bluetooth 5.3. The case has a built-in 500 mAh battery, while each bud has a 46 mAh battery, boasting up to 8.5 hours listening time, and up to 40.5 hours with the case. It has USB C fast charging, and 2.5 W wireless charging. The case is IP55 dust and splash resistant. The buds feature active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 45 dB.

Featuring the familiar pinch gestures for play/pause, skip/rewind, volume control and more - customisable via the Nothing X app.

Connects to the Nothing X app for customisations. As well as the simple equaliser options, Ear now features an 8-band equaliser you can tweak to your desire, and keeps the personal sound profile option from the Ear (2).^[15]

Launched alongside the Nothing Ear, Ear (a) was a more affordable product with lower specifications, aimed at the budget market. The Ear (a) also came in a new colour for Nothing’s TWS range - yellow. The case was also smaller and more “bubble-shaped” than its predecessors, owing to the lack of wireless charging.

Ear (a) was the first of Nothing’s TWS to drop below the £100 price mark, after the price hike of the Ear (1) and retailed at £99 / $99 / €99. Availability was the same as the Ear - pre-orders from 18 April and regular sales starting 22 April 2024.^[15] There was a limited drop of both Ear and Ear (a) at Nothing Store Soho on 20 April.^[16]

Unlike the Ear, Ear (a) doesn’t support LHDC 5.0, but they do support the LDAC codec and Bluetooth 5.3. The case has a built-in 500 mAh battery, while each bud has a 46 mAh battery. There is no wireless charging compatibility, instead opting for USB C fast charging only. The Ear (a) can run for up to 9.5 hours continuously, extended to 42.5 hours with the charging case. As with Ear, the buds feature active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 45 dB.

As with the Ear, Ear (a) kept the same pinch controls, customisable via the Nothing X app.

Utilises the Nothing X app for pairing and customisations, featuring a basic equaliser, where you can choose between the presets Balanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice, or create a custom profile by adjusting sliders for Mids, Bass and Treble.^[15]

Nothing departed from its standard in-ear TWS for the first time since the Ear (stick) in 2022, releasing over-ear, open-fit earbuds called Ear (open). Traditionally aimed more at the fitness market, open ear buds allow users to listen to audio while remaining aware of their surroundings, owing to the fact that the buds don’t block the ear canal like traditional TWS.^[17]

At release, Ear (open) were only available in white. However, over a year and a half later on 11 May 2026, Nothing released a new blue variant, with no difference in features or specs.^[18] Pre-orders for the Ear (open) started 24 September 2024, with general sale beginning 1 October, at a price of £129 / $149 / €129.^[19] There was also a limited drop at Nothing Store Soho on 28 September.^[20]

An open ear design, the buds feature soft plastic hooks that go over the users’ ears and no silicone tips. The buds are on the weightier side at 8.1 g, but don’t feel overly heavy due to the fact the weight is distributed over the top of the user’s ear. They contain 14.2 mm drivers, an IP54 dust and water protection for both buds and case, and up to 8 hours of playback, boosted to 30 with the charging case. The case is also unique in Nothing’s line-up, an oblong shape at 125.9 mm long and 19 mm thick. Charging is via USB C - there is no wireless charging.

Ear (open) supports Bluetooth 5.3 and the generic AAC and SBC codecs, so no higher resolution bit rate. The buds also have an optional low latency mode for gaming.

The Ear (open) buds join the existing range of Nothing TWS using pinch controls on each bud, which can be remapped with double, triple, pinch and hold, and double pinch and hold options.

Compatible with the Nothing X app for pairing and customisation, users can choose between four pre-set equaliser options and an Advanced Equaliser with a fully customisable 8-band EQ.^[17]

Returning to the numbering system, in a slightly confusing move, Nothing announced “Ear (3)” as the fourth generation in the standard TWS line. This product included the biggest design refinement we’ve seen in the series, as well as a new button on the case to enable “Super Mic” - a mic on the case aimed at cutting out the background noise during calls.

Ear (3) was announced and available for pre-order as of 18 September 2025 with global availability from 25 September, priced at £179 / €179 / $179.^[21] There was also a limited drop in the Nothing Store Soho, where the first 50 people received a limited edition engraved Ear (3).^[22]

Both the case and the buds incorporate recycled aluminium - the base in the case and in part of the buds’ stem introducing a more premium feel. As a result, the buds and case now weigh 71 g total, which is 10 g more than Ear. The transparent plastic stem and case lid still remain. The drivers have been upgraded to 12 mm dynamic drivers with a 20 Hz - 40 kHz frequency response range, and adaptive noise cancellation up to 45 dB. With Bluetooth 5.4, and AAC, SBC and LDAC codecs for streaming. Nothing also added 3 directional MEMS microphones in each bud, alongside a bone-conduction voice pickup unit (VPU). The buds and case remain IP54 dust and water resistant and boast up to 10 hours playback, boosted to 38 hours with the charging case owing to the 55 mAh batteries in each bud and 500 mAh case battery.

Ear (3) introduced the Talk button on the case, to introduce the Super Mic feature, cutting background noise during calls and voice recordings, as well as enabling another method to talk to a voice assistant. Super Mic can be enabled either by pressing and holding or double-clicking the Talk button to lock-on.^[21,23]

As with previous generations, Ear (3) retain the pinch gesture controls for single, double and triple pinch gestures, as well as single and double pinch and hold, some of which are customisable.

Connection and pairing compatible with the Nothing X app enables Advanced Equaliser with a fully customisable 8-band EQ and additional frequency and Q factor selections. Nothing Phone users with Nothing OS can have voice recordings automatically uploaded and transcribed in Essential Space by pressing the Talk button. For non-Nothing OS devices, pressing and holding the Talk button will activate the voice asistant.^[23]