Nothing Ear 1 earbuds unboxing and first look: No detail is too small

1/8

Nothing’s Ear 1s easily have to be one of the most hyped products to launch in recent times. A lot of this hype is justified. Some of it, well, not so much. But say what you will, one thing’s certain. The London-based startup, which has former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei at its helm has managed to do something, not many brands have been able to, in sometime. It has got people talking fondly about tech. It has got people excited about tech all over again. It’s really not so much about the product. With the kind of people behind it, we knew it would be something. But it’s what Nothing wants to do with it, that makes it something special. We will have more to say about the Ear 1s in our full review dropping soon, but for now, here’s a quick look at Nothing’s “transparent” engineering, feature set and everything that you wanted to know about these true wireless earbuds. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

2/8

Let’s start with the most obvious question. Who are these for? Nothing is targeting the tech enthusiast community as well as the trendsetters here, those who like to experience the latest and greatest in tech with an extra zing of uniqueness that would set them apart from others. It is no secret that it is going after Apple, but it is undercutting Cupertino with pricing. The Ear 1 isn’t a luxury product even though it might look like one. It is very, very aggressively priced. Even more so in India where they cost just Rs 5,999 (India is one of the most affordable markets to get them by the way). (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

3/8

The design may be a little polarising, and also not entirely brand new so to say, but it’s a unique proposition no doubt. Both the charging case and the earbuds themselves are almost entirely made out of see-through plastic. It goes without saying, making them wasn’t easy. And yet, Nothing has been able to put equal thought on the inside as on the outside. You can’t not look at them, and then not look at them some more. There’s something very satisfying about just being able to peek into a gadget’s insides. To see them glued in with such finesse, that’s just something else. This thing screams premium craftsmanship from every nook and cranny. The same attention to detail extends to the retail packaging as well. Clearly, no detail was too small for Nothing. Fun fact, that was also the marketing tagline for the OnePlus 8 series. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

4/8

The Ear 1s are not all form and no function though. Nothing claims the material that it is using is thirty times harder and more resistant to scratches versus competition, even the AirPods Pro. It has given special emphasis on ensuring these don’t get dirty easily or turn yellow. These are also IPX4-rated for splash resistance. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

5/8

The earbuds are very light at 4.7 grams so you can wear them for longer duration. The stem is flat so it’s easier for gesture control. You can also pick them up easily without fumbling and dropping them. The tips have liquid silicone rubber so it’s soft on your ear and still blocks a fair bit of ambient noise. The case is a slightly different story though. It needs some time getting used to and even when you do get used to it, putting in the earbuds in their respective spot will require your attention at all times. AirPods and the gazillion other copycats with a cradle-style casing are easier to manoeuvre. Since you’d be using them on a daily basis, Nothing could have made the case more ergonomic. It could also have made it smaller. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

6/8

Nothing is using an 11.6-millimeter driver in the Ear 1 with a big focus on offering balanced sound without compromising on ergonomics. The earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.2 and three high-definition microphones (one dedicated for the voice to be picked up optimally), and active noise cancellation. Fuelling the package is a 570mAh battery with fast (10 minutes charge gives you 1.2 hours of listening time) and Qi wireless charging support. There is a companion app for both Android and iOS that lets you customise gestures and control EQ levels and ANC. These also support Find my Earbud functionality. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

7/8

My first impressions of the Ear 1s’ audio quality are mostly positive. These sound warm with good stereo separation. They have a fair amount of bass but it’s not overpowering or anything. ANC and voice calling on the Ear 1s do leave a lot to be desired though. Battery life, while it’s more or less in the ballpark figure that Nothing claims, could be better as well. The Ear 1s aren’t completely smooth to use either. They are buggy, at least at this point of time. Like for instance, there are instances where one of the buds just stops working randomly. These tend to pause playback every now and then on their own as well. Hopefully, all of these issues are ironed out before shipping. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)

8/8

That said, their biggest highlight for me has been the fit and finish. They fit perfectly in my ears and remain largely concealed or hidden which is to say you can wear them almost everywhere. You can wear them at length and not be bothered about the weight weighing you down. I’ll go so far as to say, the Ear 1s offer best in class comfort, a lot like how the AirPods Pro do – but the Ear 1s do it at a fraction of the cost. Watch this space for our full review of the Nothing Ear 1 earbuds in the days to come. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)