The Nothing Ear 1 is the name for a set of earbuds that will launch this June, and they're the first product to come from the newly-formed company founded by ex-OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei.
However, this announcement also comes with a warning from Nothing.
Nothing's mission statement is "to remove barriers between people and technology to create a seamless digital future that looks, lives, and feels like nothing", but those hoping to see that vision fulfilled by the firm's first device may be left disappointed.
The blog post from Carl Pei that confirms the Ear 1 name and June launch goes on to say "for those hoping for a disappearing act overnight, Ear 1 falls short."
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It continues; "The greatest visions are not realized with the flip of a switch, but instead through countless small successes. Ear 1 is just the start."
While the Ear 1 earbuds aren't confirmed to be true wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods in the press release (they're just referred to as "earbuds"), previous confirmation from the firm that it will launch a set of wireless earbuds in 2021 and the unveiling of its Concept 1 true wireless earbuds suggests there will be no wires present here.
Nothing Ear 2 already in the works?
While the Nothing Ear 1 are yet to even launch – that'll happen in June – let alone be available to actually buy, it appears their successors are already being considered.
The statement from Nothing cheekily reads; "can you guess what the sequel will be called? Good. Us too." That's a pretty heavy hint that we will see the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds at some point in the future.
Not much else has been revealed about the Ear 1 buds, but Nothing does mention they'll have a "stripped-down aesthetic" which, if the silhouette in the image at the top of this article is anything to go by, could see them borrow design elements from both the Sony WF-1000XM3 and the Apple AirPods' ear stems.
Nothing will have its work cut out too, as the Ear 1 earbuds will enter a highly congested and competitive wireless headphones market where a number of established names already have strong offerings. For the Ear 1's to standout and attract customers they'll need to offer something radically different – likely in more than one area when considering design, price, audio quality and functionality.
The good news is June is not far off, meaning we're possibly just weeks away from the Nothing Ear 1 launch event and learning all about the firm's first device.
