Hardware startup Nothing is releasing its first wireless earbuds, the ear(1), on July 27, with advanced features like noise cancellation for the relatively modest price of $99.
Nothing Ear(1) review: Transparent earbuds!
There’s been no mystery surrounding the upcoming wireless earbuds (1), but thanks to a new TechCrunch interview with Nothing founder Cal Pei, we have a few more details. The plan was to release something with similar features to the AirPods Pro, but for a more consumer-friendly $99 price point.
According to Pei, the company will be able to keep the price of the earbuds (1) low largely by focusing on direct online sales (i.e., selling directly to consumers). As TechCrunch points out, there are currently wireless earbuds available for even less than $99, but they don’t offer advanced features like noise cancellation. In contrast, the earbuds (1) will use three high-definition microphones to offer active noise cancellation.
Despite the intended high-end features, Pei says making the earbuds (1) translucent has been the biggest hurdle of all. “It turns out there’s a reason there aren’t a lot of transparent consumer tech products on the market,” Pei told TechCrunch. “You have to make sure that everything looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside.”