Nothing’s new Ear (stick) earphones promise up to 29 hours of battery life, but there’s a catch

After teasing its next earbuds last month, pictures of the Ear (stick) along with their release date leaked online three weeks ago, so today’s announcement isn’t really a surprise. Although they look premium, these are far from being the most advanced earbuds available on the market.

However, the Ear (stick) could be Nothing’s most advanced audio product to date. The main highlights of the earbuds are the 29 hours battery life and 12.6 mm custom driver. On top of that, Nothing’s Ear (stick) seem comfortable to wear thanks to the half-in ear design.

According to Nothing, the earbuds have been ergonomically shaped and tested on over 100 people, which is probably why “design” has become one of the buzz words for the marketing campaign. Beyond that, the Nothing Ear (stick) are very light at just 4.4g per earbud, so you might not even notice when they drop from your ears.

But the best thing about the Nothing Ear (stick) is the 12.6 mm custom dynamic driver, which is one of the most sensitive in the market. Because it uses the highest-grade driver magnets which strengthen the diaphragm, the sound quality remains consistent even at the highest and lowest frequencies.

Furthermore, the earbuds feature Bass Lock Technology, a piece of smart software that measures the user’s unique ear canal shape and the fit of the earbuds and detects how much bass is lost during wear. Then, the equalizer curve is automatically tuned to the optimal level for the user.

As far as connectivity goes, the Ear (stick) come with a redesigned antenna that sits further away from the face to minimize signal blockage. This is something that Nothing probably learned after releasing the Ear (1), its first-ever audio product.

For those who also own the company’s smartphone, the Ear (stick) will automatically switch to low lag mode while gaming to offer a more accurate sound experience that matches the graphics. Just like every other respectable earbuds available on the market, the Ear (stick) connects easily to any Android device with Fast Pair. Of course, you can pair Nothing’s Ear (stick) with an iOS device too.

The Ear (stick) are also capable of interpreting the user’s gestures and act accordingly. Controls are located on each earbud and work even when your fingers are wet. For instance, you can press on the earbud to play, pause, skip tracks, activate voice assistance and change volume. This is definitely not out of the ordinary, but a very nice feature to have nonetheless.

Finally, with the next generation of Nothing’s Clear Voice Technology, three high-definition mics work together with updated algorithms to filter out louder background noises, amplifying the user’s voice for wind-proof and crowd-proof calls. Even though it sounds great on paper, this is not the same as active noise cancellation, which these earbuds lack.

Although Nothing does say that the Ear (stick) lasts up to 29 hours, the high battery life is mostly owed to the uniquely ergonomic case that packs about 22 hours of charge. Without the case, the earbuds only offer up to 7 hours of listening time and up to 3 hours of talk time.

Nothing’s Ear (stick) will be available for purchase starting November 4 for just $100 / €120 / £100. The earbuds will be released in over 40 countries, including the UK, US and Europe.

To thank its early supporters and community, Nothing is offering an exclusive 10% off the purchase of Ear (stick) on the company’s online store applicable from 4 November to 30 November 2022. This discount will be available only to the users that have purchased in the past the Phone (1), Ear (1) and for each Black Dot holder.