Think of a cross between OnePlus and Apple. Have an image in your head? That’s probably quite close to a gadget that Nothing, Carl Pei’s high-end-yet-budget mobile tech brand, would make.

Last year’s Phone (1) was one of the most interesting and compelling new Android devices of the year, with more than a shade of iPhone styling and a very wallet-friendly price.

Now, the company has followed up with a new set of relatively affordable noise-cancelling buds, Ear (2).

The early prognosis – I’ve had them for around a week – is largely positive. Everything about Ear (2)’s design is clever and elegant, from the packaging to the charging box to the devices themselves.

Even though they look a lot like their predecessors, there’s been some fairly decent upgrades under the hood, including multipoint connectivity, allowing somewhat seamless switching between a phone and a laptop. 

Removing and replacing the buds from the charging box is helped by a magnet which all but snatches each bud from your hand and slots them into their space correctly.

The black and white gloss colour scheme is also a lot more handsome than most earbuds out there, while the clear plastic on the case and the buds – which is a signature Nothing design statement – is gorgeous when first opened. (After a while, I suspect the appeal of this might wear off as scuffs and smudges make it look a little wearier than non-transparent rival designs.)

True to form, the physical buds look more than a little like Apple’s AirPods Pro, with the same shape and contours around the head of the device.

The audio quality isn’t quite what you get from the AirPods Pro (which cost twice as much), but is very, very decent and supports high resolution streaming.

There’s noise-cancelling technology on board, too. While noticeable and effective, it’s not at the level of the top earbuds you can get. It can be toggled on and off by long-pressing the stalks of the buds, with a ‘transparent’ mode as the other option. Those controls are what you’d expect from a premium bud, allowing you to play, pause or skip tracks, as well as answer or hang up on calls.

Battery life is around what you’d expect, with four hours (give or take) per box-charge with noise-cancellation on, rising by half if you switch ANC off.

There is an accompanying app for the Ear (2) buds, which adds quite a lot to the audio experience. While we initially had a few issues connecting,  it’s well worth trying although, to be clear, you don’t need the app for them to work.

Finally, Ear (2) has an IP54 rating, meaning there’s no problem in light rain or a few splashes and dust also shouldn’t be a worry.

You can’t really go wrong here. Ear (2) have parlayed Nothing’s distinctive take on everyday tech into something well worth looking at.