Nothing admits earbuds will ‘fall short’ of vision as name and launch date revealed
Nothing finally gives us something, the Ear 1
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The Nothing Ear 1 is the name for a set ofearbudsthat will launch this June, and they’re the first product to come from the newly-formed company founded by ex-OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei.
However, this announcement also comes with a warning from Nothing.
Nothing’s mission statement is “to remove barriers between people and technology to create a seamless digital future that looks, lives, and feels like nothing”, but those hoping to see that vision fulfilled by the firm’s first device may be left disappointed.
Theblog post from Carl Peithat confirms the Ear 1 name and June launch goes on to say “for those hoping for a disappearing act overnight, Ear 1 falls short.”
It continues; “The greatest visions are not realized with the flip of a switch, but instead through countless small successes. Ear 1 is just the start.”
While the Ear 1 earbuds aren’t confirmed to betrue wireless earbudslike theAppleAirPods in the press release (they’re just referred to as “earbuds”),previous confirmation from the firmthat it will launch a set ofwireless earbudsin 2021 and theunveiling of its Concept 1 true wireless earbudssuggests there will be no wires present here.
Nothing Ear 2 already in the works?
While the Nothing Ear 1 are yet to even launch – that’ll happen in June – let alone be available to actually buy, it appears their successors are already being considered.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
The statement from Nothing cheekily reads; “can you guess what the sequel will be called? Good. Us too.” That’s a pretty heavy hint that we will see the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds at some point in the future.
Not much else has been revealed about the Ear 1 buds, but Nothing does mention they’ll have a “stripped-down aesthetic” which, if the silhouette in the image at the top of this article is anything to go by, could see them borrow design elements from both theSony WF-1000XM3and theApple AirPods' ear stems.
Nothing will have its work cut out too, as the Ear 1 earbuds will enter a highly congested and competitivewireless headphonesmarket where a number of established names already have strong offerings. For the Ear 1’s to standout and attract customers they’ll need to offer something radically different – likely in more than one area when considering design, price, audio quality and functionality.
The good news is June is not far off, meaning we’re possibly just weeks away from the Nothing Ear 1 launch event and learning all about the firm’s first device.
John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar’s resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.
Our favorite budget audio brand just launched super-cheap planar earbuds with a lovely wood finish
OnePlus Buds Pro 3 vs OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro
Your doctor may have an AI assistant taking notes during your next Zoom call
