Nothing’s Great Cheap Earbuds Just Got a Fresh Coat of Paint

Unless you spent most of 2021 in a cave—a alternative that nobody would decide you for—escaping information of former OnePlus cofounder Carl Pei’s startup Nothing and its first product was not possible. The Ear (1) wi-fi earbuds had been one of many most hyped devices of the previous few years, and in case you thought the hype practice had run out of steam, Nothing’s discovered a approach to make them newsworthy once more: This time, they arrive in black.

As is very often the case, hyping a brand new product with months of teases and random product photographs can backfire on an organization when it turns into not possible for the product to dwell as much as shoppers’ endlessly elevated expectations. But that wasn’t the case with the Ear (1) wi-fi earbuds. Despite being uninterested in the hype, we discovered the Ear (1) had been a few of the finest wi-fi earbuds launched in 2021, delivering helpful options, wonderful efficiency, and a premium design that rivaled different, far costlier choices.

Even the Ear (1)‘s boxy charging case was like nothing we’d seen earlier than, placing the earbuds on show via a clear lid. But the clear plastic aesthetic, borrowed from devices like corded telephones and cassette gamers born of the ‘80s and ‘90s, didn’t enchantment to everybody. So just a few months after the Ear (1)’s official debut, Nothing has revealed a brand new choice that’s just a little extra understated: the Ear (1) black version.

There’s nonetheless numerous clear plastic on the brand new Ear (1) earbuds and charging case, however the brand new model encompasses a smoky translucent end that makes the see-through impact much less apparent. The shiny white plastic components on the earbuds themselves at the moment are completed in matte black, and the identical goes for the white silicone ear suggestions. The white plastic contained in the charging case is gone, too, changed with black elements that, when paired with the smoky translucent outer shell, produce a satisfying mirror end that surprisingly isn’t a fingerprint magnet.

Functionally, the brand new Nothing Ear (1) Black Edition earbuds are precisely the identical because the originals, with 34 hours of battery life in complete, wi-fi charging, energetic noise cancellation, an IPX4 water-proof score, and 11.6-millimeter drivers that ship wonderful sound thanks partly to contributions by the oldsters at Teenage Engineering who collaborated on the design. The worth hasn’t modified both, with the brand new black version nonetheless promoting for $99.

To preserve the hype fires burning, the primary 100 pairs of the Ear (1) black version will likely be numbered and engraved and solely out there at a Nothing pop-up that formally opens on Dec. 4 at Seven Dials, Covent Garden in London, England. The remainder of the world must wait till Dec. 13 at 6 a.m. ET to buy the Ear (1) black edition through Nothing’s website.