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Nothing has introduced the Ear Open, its first take on wireless earbuds that purposefully allow outside sounds — and they might perform better than you expect.
The previously-teased Ear Open melds Nothing’s signature transparent look with a hooked, fitness-friendly design. It’s billed as comfortable and lightweight (each earbud is 8.1g), making it potentially well-suited to cyclists and runners for whom weight is distracting and unstable. They’re some of the slimmest open wireless earbuds on the market, and even the charging case is 19mm (0.74in) thick. The case only charges over USB-C, however.
More importantly, they should last a full workday. Nothing claims eight hours of playback for the buds themselves, and up to 30 hours when including the charging case. A 10-minute recharge is enough to provide two hours of listening.
The audio quality might be better than usual in this category. Nothing says the Ear Open has a custom diaphragm, stepped internal design, and titanium coating that combine to lower distortion, improve bass, and provide “crisp” highs. That stepping moves the speakers closer to your ears.
You can expect Nothing’s in-house software perks along with the latest competitive features. You’ll have fast access to ChatGPT as well as call quality optimization through Clear Voice. Multipoint connection support can quickly switch audio between two devices, and a low lag mode is tailored for gaming.
Nothing is taking Ear Open pre-orders now at a price of $149 in the US, £129 in the UK, and €149 in the EU. They release on October 1st.
Nothing Ear Open vs. Sony LinkBuds and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
There’s little doubt that at least some would-be buyers will compare the Ear Open to the main competitors in this space, Sony’s LinkBuds and Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds.
On the surface, Nothing fares well. The LinkBuds not only start at $180 (though you can find them on sale), but last for a more modest 5.5 hours per charge and 17.5 hours with their case. They’re only IPX4 rated for water resistance, too, where the Ear Open adds dust resistance with its IP54 rating.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds do better with a seven-hour listening time and a wireless charging case. They’re still IPX4 rated, though. And they’re ultimately in a different class — they cost $300 and are known for their great sound quality.
We’ll have to review the Ear Open to see how well Nothing competes on that front against both Bose and Sony. As with all open-ear designs, you should also know what you’re getting into. These could be good if you’re worried about hearing oncoming cars, or just want to keep your buds in place during a face-to-face conversation. If you even occasionally want isolation, though, you’ll want to look at more conventional models like the standard Ear.
