Nothing has launched the “Nothing Ear Stick,” its second wireless earbuds in India. The new earphones are essentially what the AirPods are to Apple, even as the Ear 1 –Nothing’s first wireless earbuds— go up against the AirPods Pro. Nothing is undercutting Apple, in both cases, when it comes to pricing and yet, offering a stand-out design with some likeable specs and features that make the Ear 1 and Ear Stick good value for money— at least on paper.
Interestingly, though, both Ear 1 and Ear Stick cost very nearly the same in India. This makes the Ear Stick, in particular, tad confusing to fathom considering that all things said and done, they’re still a stripped-down version of the Ear 1. With exclusive features like active noise cancellation and wireless charging, the Ear 1 remains Nothing’s higher-tier product even after Ear Stick launch. So, it is only obvious to pit the two against each other to see how the Ear 1 and Ear Stick stack up, in a broader sense.
Design: Nothing says the Ear Stick earphones have an “ultra-comfortable, lightweight and ergonomic” design, its marquee design trait being its unique cylindrical case. The Ear 1s have a squared-out case. The Ear Sticks are lighter than Ear 1s, overall. The earbuds have a semi-in-ear design, like the AirPods, which is different from the silicon in-ear styling of the Ear 1s.
Audio: The Ear Stick earbuds come with “custom audio technology,” Nothing says. The Ear Sticks boast of 12.6mm drivers, up from 11.6mm in the Ear 1. You also get some new software tweaks, like Bass Lock –and a new equaliser— to ensure minimum sound leaking for a seemingly more immersive audio experience.
Controls: Nothing has swapped touch controls in the Ear 1 with press controls in the Ear Stick so as to cut down on accidental triggers.
Voice calling: The Ear Stick earbuds come with three high-definition mics, same as the Ear 1, but Nothing says it is using updated algorithms to “filter out louder background noises, amplifying your voice for wind-proof and crowd-proof calls.” There is no active noise cancellation or ANC though, like the Ear 1.
Battery: The Ear Stick wireless earbuds are rated to deliver up to 7 hours of music playback (or up to 3 hours of talk time) while the case packs another 22 hours of charge. The Ear 1s are claimed to offer up to 5.7 hours of listening time and up to 34 hours with the case with ANC off (this drops to 4 and 24 hours with ANC on)— they support wireless charging which is missing in the Ear Stick.
Prices in India: In India, the Ear Stick will sell for Rs 8,499 which is same as the Ear 1 black variant (the white version sells for Rs 7,299).
Also Read | Nothing Phone 1 review: Lights out for competition?
