Nothing unveiled the new fully wireless Ear (3a) earbuds alongside the Phone (4b). The model stays in the affordable lineup and keeps its predecessor’s price, but the list of upgrades is surprisingly solid: built-in storage, the Audio Snapshot feature, call recording and stronger active noise cancellation.
Audio Snapshot lets users save short snippets of whatever they are listening to at that moment. The feature uses 32 MB of built-in flash storage and is triggered with a squeeze gesture on the earbud. Recordings appear in the Nothing X app, where they can be played back, edited, shared and transcribed into text. Ear (3a) can also record calls and meetings up to two hours long, with all participants hearing a notification when recording starts.
Sound is handled by 12 mm dynamic drivers with Hi-Res Audio Wireless and LDAC support. A more advanced 8-band equalizer is available for tuning the sound. Active noise cancellation now cuts noise by up to 45 dB across a wider frequency range and, according to Nothing, is about 17% more effective than the previous generation.
The earbuds also get Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connection, IP54 dust and splash resistance, and extra XS ear tips for a better fit. Battery life reaches up to 10 hours on a single charge, or up to 42 hours with the case when ANC is off. With noise cancellation enabled, total battery life drops to 25 hours. A five-minute quick charge gives up to one hour of listening, and the case includes a three-stage LED battery indicator.
Nothing Ear (3a) cost $99 and come in black, white, yellow and a new pink color. For the money, the model offers LDAC, improved ANC, long battery life and unusual recording features that are still rare in budget TWS earbuds.