Nothing has officially unveiled two of its latest TWS products this evening via a live stream hosted on its social media channels. The first, simply known as the Ear, is the new flagship option and direct successor to last year’s Ear (2), whereas the Ear (a) is marketed to be the more affordable entry of the two.
As you may have noticed, Nothing has decided to change up the naming conventions for its TWS products. It now appears that its flagship offerings no longer come with numberings, while the budget-friendly options get small letters instead. For now, it is unclear how the company will name the former’s successor, as using numbers again may confuse consumers with the existing Ear (2).
Anyway, I digress.
Both newly announced Nothing TWS products offer 11mm dynamic drivers, active noise cancelling (ANC), LDAC support, Hi-Res Wireless Audio certification, and USB-C charging. The company adds that both models come integrated with ChatGPT, allowing users to easily bring up the AI assistant with a pinch gesture.
What sets the Nothing Ear apart from the budget-friendly option are the ceramic diaphragms for its drivers. According to the company, these allow for richer and crisper highs, while two additional vents improve airflow for a clearer sound signature.
Besides LDAC support, this particular model also supports LHDC 5.0 and features an improved Smart ANC algorithm that automatically checks for noise leakage and adjusts noise cancelling accordingly. The Ear also gets an exclusive Advanced Equaliser option via the Nothing X compassion app, which provides you with more sound control and even the ability to share your settings with friends.
Connectivity-wise, the flagship model utilises Bluetooth 5.3 with dual device pairing, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair support. There are also new talk microphones with Clear Voice Technology for better voice pickup and clearer calls.
The Nothing Ear’s battery life is rated at 8.5 hours on a single charge without ANC, 5.2 hours with ANC, and a total of 40.5 hours with the charging case. Apart from USB-C charging, this model also features 2.5W wireless charging support via compatible Qi chargers.
Meanwhile, the Nothing Ear (a) retains most of the key features from the flagship model, sans the custom EQs and ceramic diaphragm. It also comes with a differently designed charging case, and is offered in either bright yellow, white, or black colour options. On that note, the flagship Ear model is only available in white or black.
Battery-wise, the budget-friendly model is rated at 9.5 hours on a single charge with ANC off, 5.5 hours with ANC activated, and a total of up to 42.5 hours when used together with the charging case. Unlike the Nothing Ear, it only features USB-C charging support.
According to Nothing Malaysia’s official website, the Ear is set to retail at RM659 while the Ear (a) is priced at RM479. However, the local availability for both products have yet to be confirmed at this time.
(Source: Nothing Malaysia [1] [2])
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