The Ear Stick just got bested, by the very company that made it. On September 25, 2024—almost two years after the Ear Stick broke cover—Nothing released a sequel, the Ear Open, hands down the quirkiest wireless earphones it has ever made. They take everything to a whole new level, both in design and in price.
Launched globally through a video stream, the Ear Open are technically Nothing’s second TWS earphones with open-ear design. The first being the Ear Stick from late 2022. There is no evidence to suggest that they are a direct sequel, though, even if the underlying thought is largely the same. The focus, as with the Stick, is to let listeners be more aware of their surroundings and not cut them out entirely. There is no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
The Open however have a brand new design with silicone hooks that wrap around your ears while retaining Nothing’s signature translucent look. Directional speakers positioned outside your ear keep sound from leaking while ensuring privacy through a system that Nothing calls the Sound Seal.
The earbuds are lightweight. Each weighs only 8.1 grams. They are IP54 rated. (The case is also dust and splash resistance similarly.) Nothing has put 14.2mm titanium-coated drivers inside them. Pairing happens over Bluetooth 5.3. There is fast pairing with Windows and Android devices. You can connect them with two devices simultaneously. Dual mics and Clear Voice 3.0 technology are available for voice pickup while controls like media playback, volume, and calls are handled through a pinch mechanism.
Like with other recent Nothing earphones, the Opens support ChatGPT right out of the gate. More granular settings are accessed through the Nothing X app.
The earbuds are rated for 8 hours of playback while with the case, it amounts to a total of 30 hours. Charging happens over USB Type-C. There is no wireless charging.
The Nothing Ear Opens are priced at Rs 17,999 in India. There is no word on availability at the time of writing.