It feels like every day a new set of earbuds are launching and Nothing's already on its third of the year with its Nothing Ear (open), a new concept designed for runners and athletes alike.
As the name suggests, Nothing's newest release are among the swath of open-ear earbuds that are designed to fit around the ear while leaving enough room over the ear canal so wearer's can hear what's around them — hence why these come without ANC, unlike this year's Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a).
Packed within is one of the largest custom drivers built by Nothing yet on a 14.2mm size, which sits right behind the Nothing Ear (stick) and its 12.6mm custom driver. All the latest features — including pinch controls, low lag mode and advanced EQ — are present on the new design.
Nothing claims the new buds are rated for up to eight hours of charge and its accompanying case adds an additional 30 hours on top. Both are also rated IP54 durability, perfect against sweat and light puddles. The Nothing Ear (open) is launching at $149 USD / $199 CAD / £129 GBP in the US, Canada, and UK come October 1.
An open look with Nothing's pizzazz
There's something to be said about Nothing's bespoke design language and chic. While the new Nothing Ear (open) doesn't quite have that same transparent look as its two predecessors from earlier in the year, it's still a looker and sports a bulging metallic tip on the end of its ear flap for dual comfort and stability.
Although ANC might be absent on the Nothing Ear (open), it still comes resplendent with a slew of assorted features like Nothing's AI-enhanced Clear Voice technology, which aims to reduce background noise and isolate your voice when on calls. Akin to many among the best wireless earbuds, pinch controls make a return on this new design.
As the name implies, the Nothing Ear (open) also leverages Open Sound Technology. Nothing explains this as a "more immersive audio experience" without losing the sounds around you. That's perfect for runners who face traffic and pedestrians in the midst of a morning trot — which I must say, after trying myself, works quite well.
Open-ear earbuds are somewhat similar to bone conduction headphones, which literally use the wearer's facial bones to transmit sound. While the Nothing Ear (open) won't be among the best bone conduction headphones, they certainly deliver where it counts on an 8-hour total charge and an IP54 durability rating.
While the fit is a bit awkward and loose to a degree, I never found the Nothing Ear (open) to fall out of my ears, which is the case on several alternative earbuds, like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. These stayed firmly in my ear and the music was crisp and punchy despite not being fully set within my ear canal.
We'll have to fully test these buds but they could land on our list of the best cheap wireless earbuds thanks to their $149 price. That sits at the same rate as the Nothing Ear launched earlier in the year and are just about $30 less than the newly announced Bose QuietComfort Buds.
And similar to their predecessors, the Nothing Ear (open) will also come equipped with ChatGPT, furthering the AI-fueled world of 2024 and beyond. Stick to Tom's Guide for a full review of the Nothing Ear (open) as well as a deeper look into its AI chops as we did with the Nothing Ear ChatGPT integration.
The Nothing Ear (open) preorders are set to launch today on Nothing's storefront. You can scoop up a pair in stores come October 1 for US, Canada, and UK regions with European availability starting on October 7.
