Nothing released its first Ear 1 earbuds in late summer 2021 with a partially transparent design, a cool transparent case, good sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and wireless charging. Now the company’s rolling out the new Ear 1 “Black Edition,” which retains the interesting design and tech elements in a cool new look.
And Nothing, created by OnePlus founder Carl Pei, added the product is now carbon neutral and you can buy the product — still $99 — with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. So there’s that.
Transparent earbuds, only black this time
Like the original white Ear 1 buds, the Ear 1 Black Edition features ANC, a wireless charging case and a transparent design that brings to mind the late 1990s iMac.
The buds get their sound from an 11.6mm driver paired with software and hardware from Teenage Engineering. They generate clear sound, especially in mid-range frequencies. However, they lack spatial options, though that’s not surprising at this price point.
The buds pause play when you remove them from your ears. They get 5 hours of play time on their own and add 34 hours more with the wireless charging case (which is also transparent).
Photo: Nothing
More to come from Nothing
The Ear 1 buds are Nothing’s first product. Carl Pei launched the company after acquiring the branding and logos from Essential, the smartphone company founded by Andy Rubin. But Nothing said it plans to launch “an ecosystem of smart devices” in the future.
Nothing said it will offer 100 individually engraved versions of the Ear 1 Black Edition earbuds at a London popup store. But you can also buy them at nothing.tech starting at 6AM ET on December 13 for the same price as the original set — $99. You can sign up on the site for release updates. In addition to cash or credit, the company said it will accept Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC) and Dogecoin (DOGE).
Price: $99
Where to buy: Nothing (as of December 13 at 3 a.m. PT)
