The Nothing ear (1) headphones managed to impress at launch with an out-of-the-ordinary design, above-average performance and a very aggressive price in the market, offering pretty much everything you need from a pair of true wireless headphones without going into the “premium” zone. These are responsible for the start of Carl Pei’s new company, which already includes a smartphone in its portfolio, and a new generation seems to be on the horizon, with images of them already leaked on the internet. At first glance, however, we don’t see many changes.
Nothing ear (2) will be a relatively minor hardware revision
The past year has seen a wave of price hikes in many areas of the technology industry, and Nothing’s ear (1) headphones have increased in price by 50% to €150. In their place, at the €100 threshold, Nothing has introduced a pair of headphones called ear (stick), with no ANC and a different housing. However, it seems that the next generation ear (2) will not adopt the same tubular shaped case design, but will return to the square case with transparent elements.
And the Nothing ear (2) will be in-ear, and more than likely will integrate background noise cancellation technology. Apparently the external microphone that picks up the sound for this capability has been moved from the bottom to the top, and the components have been moved inside. Being a transparent housing, these things can be easily seen.
Given that we already have high-resolution images of Nothing ear (2), it’s very likely that the official announcement isn’t very far away. Still, we’re talking about a minor upgrade, both in design and functionality. Already ear (1) were good headphones in their price category, and ear (2) will improve on what was already at an acceptable level.
Improvements could come on the software side, as capabilities such as custom ANC, an improved transparency mode, and the ability to have the earphones connected to two devices simultaneously are rumored. The setup app should also include an advanced equalizer.
If the Nothing ear (1) price is kept for the ear (2) model, these headphones will enter the market at €150, an area where there is already competition from well-known brands such as Samsung or Huawei.
The information comes from OnLeaks, a leaker with “seniority” in the technology area, and the Smartprix website, where these images were published.