Nothing Ear (Stick) is a great choice for those looking for a set of earbuds that is fashionable, comfortable for the ears and practical in terms of performance.
‘Nothing’ is the brainchild of Carl Pei, a young Swedish entrepreneur. With this brand, he wanted to incorporate innovation, seamless integration, and convenience as its core values. Pei’s company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. He co-founded OnePlus in 2013 with Pete Lau. Nine years later, Pei decided to focus on a new venture, as he realised that the smartphone and accessories market had slowed down rapidly.
Before its first product the Nothing Phone 1 was launched, the brand had already released Nothing Ear 1, the ANC in-ear buds in mid-2021. The aesthetic philosophy of the company was clear with the Ear 1 having semi-transparent design, showing the internal components of the earbuds.
The new “half in-ear” style Nothing Ear (Stick) Wireless Buds sit just outside the ear canal. At the same time, the Ear 1 consists of in-ear earbuds with silicon tips that go inside the canal, resembling the AirPods Pro. The super light earbuds weigh just 4.4 grams each and has a dimension of 30 x 19 x 18 mm. The designer style cylindrical charging case that looks like a lipstick case.
Nothing Ear (Stick) is a New-Age Rig that Calls for Attention
The top portion of the case houses a USB-C input and a Bluetooth pairing button. The cap rotates the earbuds in the barrel in order to make them accessible. The buds are well protected with IP54-rated for dust, water and sweat resistance. It has physical controls to enable playback, skip tracks, adjust volume, and call management. Customization is possible with the app integrated for Nothing Phone 1 owners, or downloadable for Android and iOS devices.
Upgrades with respect to software include Bass Lock to minimize sound leakage thereby to enhance listening experience. Touch sensors are replaced with press controls to cut down unexpected triggering of any action. Background noises are filtered using upgraded algorithms for 3 microphones, amplifying your voice for wind-proof and crowd-proof calls.
There is no active noise cancellation like that of the Ear 1 but, your voice will be amplified to avoid wind noise and distractions from crowd. The 12.6mm dynamic drivers produce a dynamic sound that’s having plenty of detail, and the soundstage feel pleasant with half in-ear design.
The Ear Stick earbuds work seamlessly with the Phone 1 availing automatic pairing and lag mode. Other devices will have to install an app called Nothing X and the earbuds can be paired with both Android and iPhones.
At $99, the Nothing Ear (Stick) is a Great Pick
The repositioned antenna ensures more stable connectivity, compared to the Ear 1. The Ear Stick operates on Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC and AAC audio codec support. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are available for compatible devices.
The company offers 7 hours of battery life and the charging case holds power up to 29 hours, depending on the usage pattern. A 10-minute quick charge can generate around 2 hours of battery life.
A USB-C charging cable is included in the package. But, the absence of wireless charging is quite disappointing. Still, at a price point of $99, the Nothing Ear (Stick) is a great choice for those who are searching for a set of earbuds that is fashionable, comfortable for the ears and practical in terms of performance.
To do the unconventional, to disrupt or to shake up… as announced by the company on its launch, no doubt, ‘Nothing’ is making its steps in the direction.
