Nothing's next earbuds may look nothing like previous models

Nothing’s smartphones haven’t really exploded in the same way OnePlus models did during their early years, but before Carl Pei and company were even selling phones under this new brand, they got their start with earbuds: the Nothing Ear 1. That’s been joined by a stream of new models, and the Nothing Ear and Ear A we got earlier this year quickly emerged as some of our favorite, reasonably affordable options. Now we’re looking into what’s next from the company as we’re alerted to a regulatory listing that seems to reveal a new pair of Nothing earbuds.

We’re not talking about the FCC today, and instead turn to the other side of the globe where Singapore’s IMDA has updated its database to include a previously unknown Nothing earbud model, identified here as the “Ear Open” (via 91Mobiles). Assigned model B182, we don’t learn a ton about this hardware from its regulatory filing, other than it uses Bluetooth and will be supplied by iFactory Asia, which has also distributed Nothing’s previous earbuds.

Based on the name alone, we can easily assume we’re talking about some kind of open-ear construction, but that still leaves open a lot of design options — some manufacturers, like Sony, effectively poke a hole in the middle of an earbud for a ring-like design, while others are more like a tiny speaker perched on the edge of your ear. Right now, we don’t yet have any strong sense for which direction Nothing might end up heading.

A slightly more certain prediction would be that the Nothing Ear Open will arrive with some AI integration, following the company’s adoption of ChatGPT for its existing earbuds earlier this year. As for launch plans, we do have IFA 2024 right around the corner, but that feels like it might be a little soon. Sometime in early fall might make more sense, while still allowing Nothing to capitalize on holiday season sales.