Nothing launches its first product, the aggressively priced Ear (1) earbuds with one-of-its-kind transparent design

Nothing is eyeing the AirPods audience with the Ear (1)s banking heavily on both form and function.

Carl Pei’s new consumer tech brand Nothing has officially launched its first product, the Ear (1) truly wireless earbuds. As expected, the product is launching in India at the same time (as global markets) reiterating Nothing’s commitment to this market. The Ear (1)s will also go on sale in India at the same time, likewise, which is to say you can buy them starting August 17. Priced at Rs 5,999, India will be one of the most affordable markets to get the Ear (1) earbuds. Nothing has tied-up with Walmart-owned Flipkart for distribution and after-sales support.

Nothing is eyeing the AirPods audience with the Ear (1)s banking heavily on both form and function – and aggressive pricing – to make a selling. Their biggest selling point will be their “transparent” design scheme. Pei calls it “a breath of fresh air in a cluttered and indifferent market,” going on to highlight Nothing’s bigger, more ambitious plans which is to build a “connected digital world” through a myriad of devices. Those plans remain a mystery for now, but it goes without saying, the Ear (1)s will set the tone for that future.

The Ear (1) earbuds will cost Rs 5,999 in India.

Coming to that design bit again, while it is surely one-of-its-kind, the fact that Nothing is following the “no detail is too small” saying quite literally here is another highlight of its first product. Everything from the casing to the earbuds themselves, to even the retail packaging, has been meticulously crafted. It’s the work of Swedish electronics house Teenage Engineering. Their work extends beyond design and into the tuning as well.

Speaking of which, the Ear (1) earbuds pack a 11.6mm driver and three microphones on each earbud. These earbuds support both strong and light active noise cancellation and throw in a handy transparency mode as well. Bluetooth 5.2-compliant, these work with both Android and iOS devices and feature Qi wireless charging. They are claimed to offer up to 5.7 hours of listening time and up to 34 hours with the case with ANC off (this drops to 4 and 24 hours with ANC on). Rounding off the package is IPX4 rating.

You can buy them starting August 17.

Nothing is also launching a companion app for the Ear (1) earbuds on both Android and iOS. In addition to customising gestures and control EQ levels and ANC, the app also supports Find my Earbud functionality.

Watch this space for out full review of the Nothing Ear (1) earbuds in the days to come.