Nothing ear (1)

Source

Tech Spurt

Key Takeaways

• Plagued by ridiculous firmware bugs: phantom volume imbalances and frequent failure of one earbud to wake up out of the case.
• Shockingly fragile Bluetooth connection drops and skips violently when phone is placed in a rear jeans pocket near busy streets.
• The iconic transparent charging case is a scratch magnet; gets completely scuffed within days and traps unreachable lint in internal crevices.
• Weak, superficial ANC barely attenuates low rumble while doing essentially zero to block human speech or transit squeals.

✅ Pros

• Bold, refreshing transparent industrial design turns heads
• Ultralight 4.7g earbud chassis feels airy in ears
• Supports both Qi wireless charging and USB-C wired charging

❌ Cons

• Endless firmware glitches and chronic single-bud connection failures
• Flimsy Bluetooth link stutters when phone is kept in pocket
• Transparent plastic case scratches at the speed of light
• Underwhelming, shallow ANC fails to suppress environmental racket

📝 Verdict

"All show and no go: a gorgeous transparent conversation starter crippled by amateur firmware bugs."

Source

• Video: Nothing Ear 1 review: nothing special
• Channel: The Verge | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• US$100 active noise cancelling wireless earbuds, and the first product from Carl Pei's startup Nothing; apart from the translucent look, they fit the "neither exciting nor risky" narrative all too well
• The most eye-catching thing is the transparent design; the case supports Qi wireless charging and can recharge the earbuds about 6 times; it's the same width as the AirPods Pro case but about a third longer, so it's less pocketable
• After a week of testing the transparent case had many fine scratches, and she guesses it won't look good after a few months without a separate case
• 4.7 grams per earbud and comfortable enough to wear for the full battery life (4 hours with ANC on, 5.7 hours with it off), with the case providing another 24/34 hours
• Touch controls respond about 80% of the time; the other 20% they don't register or don't execute; ANC is average, and sound quality is enough for most people, but far behind the Sony WF-1000XM4 or Bose that cost three times as much

✅ Pros

• Unique transparent design
• Comfortable
• Wireless charging case

❌ Cons

• Transparent case scratches easily
• Unreliable touch controls, many software bugs
• Average ANC
• Launched too late

📝 Verdict

It's a safe choice without many surprises, and apart from the design, there's little reason for her to recommend it to most people; "they're not nothing, but they're not quite something yet."

Source

• Video: Nothing Ear(1) Review: Transparent Buds!
• Channel: Marques Brownlee | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He deliberately ignored Carl Pei's months of hype and judged only the product itself: US$99 with active noise cancellation and wireless charging; he used them for about four days, for music and workouts
• The biggest highlight is the transparent design made in collaboration with Teenage Engineering; because the insides are visible, the battery, PCB, microphones and glue all had to be laid out neatly
• Silicone ear tips and light weight give a comfortable passive seal; the 11.6mm drivers deliver fuller bass with ANC on; ANC is rare at this price
• IPX4 splash resistance, and touch controls still work well when sweating during workouts; but he ran into connection problems where the right earbud connected and the left didn't (beta software)
• Battery life is just OK: about 4 hours with ANC on and 5–6 hours off, 24–34 hours with the case; the app has no EQ, and you can't long-press to summon a voice assistant

✅ Pros

• Excellent transparent design
• ANC and wireless charging for US$99
• Comfortable
• IPX4

❌ Cons

• Short-ish battery life
• Occasional connection issues (beta)
• No EQ

📝 Verdict

A great package for US$99; don't expect them to beat US$300 flagships, and as for the rest of the hype, it's "much ado about Nothing."

Source

• Video: Nothing Ear 1 Review - The Problem with Hype.
• Channel: Mrwhosetheboss | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Carl Pei spent nine months building hype; this is Nothing's first product and will set the company's direction; the unboxing experience is unlike any other
• At US$99 it still has splash resistance, wireless charging, auto-pause when removed, Bluetooth 5.2 and a find-my-earbuds feature; compare the AirPods Pro at 249 and the Galaxy Buds Pro at about US$200
• He compared them repeatedly in front of a fan for 15 minutes: ANC is roughly on par with the AirPods Pro, earning 8/10; isolation is good with no sound leakage; transparency mode has quite a bit of white noise
• Very comfortable and doesn't loosen while lifting weights, though he felt them bob up and down when sprinting; the charging case was dropped three times (twice on purpose) without a mark
• Battery life with the case is 20–35 hours; he thinks the design feels less novel because it launched so late, and is essentially "a solid product with a flashy shell"

✅ Pros

• Great value
• ANC roughly on par with the AirPods Pro
• Good build quality
• Full feature set

❌ Cons

• White noise in transparency mode
• Limited design novelty
• Essentially not much different from ordinary earbuds

📝 Verdict

Stepping away from the hype and judging purely on value, they're very easy to recommend: the design is a matter of taste, but they're fully featured, sound great and are surprisingly affordable.