Is that the sound of a brand-new wireless earbud entering the market? This afternoon (Tuesday 24th September), the London-based consumer technology brand Nothing announced its latest product, Ear (open). These stylish wireless earphones offer Nothing's first venture into the Open Wearable Stereo (OWS) sphere.

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Here at RadioTimes.com, we've been fans of the capital city tech company for a while. Founded in 2020, Nothing is best known for creating an alternative ecosystem of tech products for creatives and young people, and it prioritises sustainability.

Back in 2022, we were lucky enough to get hands-on time with the Nothing Phone (1), and since then, we've seen Nothing go from strength to strength, winning Time Magazine’s Best Inventions for Innovative Smartphone Design award that same year, and making further announcements such as the Nothing Phone (2a) release date, Nothing Phone (1) release date, plus the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) release date.

In comparison to the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a), which has True Wireless Stereo (TWS), this new earbud offering is Open Wearable Stereo (OWS). But what does this mean? Let's check out the brand-new Nothing Ear (open).

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

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Nothing Ear (open) UK release date

Woman wearing the new Nothing Ear (open) earbuds
Nothing

This afternoon brought huge news for technology fans; the Nothing Ear (open) wireless earbuds were released today (Tuesday 24th September) at 2pm.

The Nothing Ear (open) earbuds are available to pre-order on the nothing.tech site from right now, and they will be available to buy outright on Tuesday 1st October, also on the official Nothing site.

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

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What is the Nothing Ear (open) UK price?

nothing ear (open) uk price
Nothing

With the Nothing Ear (a) setting listeners back £99 and the Nothing Ear costing £129, the RadioTimes.com team predicted that the Nothing Ear (open) would be priced in a similar ballpark.

The Nothing Ear (open) has an RRP of £129.

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

Nothing Ear (open) design

Close-up of the Nothing Ear (open) earbuds
Nothing

While the photos of the stylish Nothing Ear (open) are a huge giveaway on what the earbuds look like, the Technology team have dived into the Nothing product's design features, and just what separates the wireless earbuds from other devices in the market.

True to Nothing's signature design, the Nothing Ear (open) has a slim and transparent look which showcases the craftmanship behind the device. We've seen this transparent design on other devices, for example on the Nothing Ear (a) and Nothing Ear stems and the Glyph Interface on Nothing's smartphones.

These OWS earbuds are super lightweight and small — the Nothing Ear (open) earbuds weigh just 8.1g each, and the compact charging chase comes in a 19mm in thickness, making it one of the slimmest devices in the OWS category. A concise design means pocket-friendly appeal, too.

In terms of the actual earbud design, you'll find a three-point balance system, and the silicone ear hooks provide a secure fit which adapt to any ear shape. Plus, whether you're walking along listening to a podcast, or feeling the beat of your workout tracks when running or cycling, you can rest assured that the Nothing Ear (open) earbuds will stay secure in your ear.

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

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Nothing Ear (open) specs and AI capabilities

Back view of Nothing Ear (open) earbuds
Nothing

What do you mostly use your earphones for? Is it to get stuck into a Harlen Coben audiobook? Is it to listen to Radiohead's Karma Police for the 16th time on a long commute? Or perhaps it's to delve into The Radio Times Podcast? Whatever you use them for, you can rest assured that the Nothing Ear (open) earplugs have plenty of charge — eight hours of playback to be exact on a single charge, and up to 30 hours with the charging case. Plus, a quick 10-minute charge will provide two hours of listening time, for those of us who always find ourselves on the go.

The Nothing Ear (open) earplugs come with built-in Clear Voice Technology which maintains crystal-clear communication when having video calls, even in challenging environments. Other features include Dual Connection and Low Lag Mode; Dual Connection enables seamless switching between devices, while Low Lag Mode ensures an optimized gaming experience with minimal audio delay.

Plus, it's rare we can introduce a new device without talking about the new AI capabilities; through Nothing's ChatGPT integration, users can access real-time information directly from their earbuds. This feature is available through the Nothing X app.

Nothing Ear (open) audio performance

So, how does Nothing Ear (open)'s audio performance fare? Well, the wireless earbuds, offer Open Sound Technology, which creates an immersive audio experience yet maintains the user's awareness of their surroundings, such as traffic.

The '(open)' in Nothing Ear (open) represents Nothing's 'open' design; the design is engineered with a Sound Seal System and directional speakers to minimise sound leakage.

Put together, the custom diaphragm, titanium coating, ultra-light driver, and stepped design reduces distortion and enhances low frequencies. The titanium coating reproduces crisp high notes, the driver components boost mid and high frequencies, and the stepped driver moves the speaker closer to the ear without compromising on comfort. There's also an automatic Bass Enhance algorithm which optimises low frequencies for a richer bass experience.

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

For top comparison guides, such as the reMarkable Paper Pro vs Kindle Scribe guide, stay up to date with RadioTimes.com's Technology section.

Where to pre-order the new Nothing Ear (open) in the UK

Nothing Ear (open) earbuds
Nothing

The brand-new Nothing Ear (open) OWS earphones are available to pre-order on the official Nothing site right now.

You'll be able to purchase the earphones outright on Tuesday 1st October, also at the Nothing site.

Buy Nothing Ear (open) for £129 at Nothing

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