Nothing announced a pair of refreshes to its headphone lineup today. The naming conventions are a bit convoluted here, but the Nothing Ear is an update to the Nothing Ear (2), while the Nothing Ear (a) is more of a spiritual successor to the Nothing Ear Stick.
However, probably the most notable news today is Nothing’s adoption of ChatGPT this time around. As the world’s “AI smartphones” battle with devices like Humane’s Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 for mind sharing, the London-based mobile phone company appears to have skipped a step by integrating the technology into his new headphones.
Specifically, if you have the ChatGPT app installed on a connected Nothing handset, you’ll be able to ask the generative AI program questions by pinching the headset’s stem. Think Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa style access on a pair of headphones, only this one directly accesses OpenAI’s very popular platform.
“Nothing will also improve the Nothing smartphone user experience in Nothing OS by integrating system-level entry points into ChatGPT, including screenshot sharing and Nothing-style widgets,” the company notes. The feature will be available exclusively for the two new earbuds.
Pre-orders for both buds begin today. There’s no telling that the headphones offer improved sound over their predecessors, thanks to a new driver system. This now frees up more space for the battery, with up to 25% longer life than the Ear (2). A “smart” active noise cancellation system adapts accordingly to ambient noise and checks for “leaks” between the headphones and the ear canal.
The Ear(a) also brings improvements in noise cancellation, but what Nothing really seems to be pushing is the bright yellow colorway, which goes against the black and white aesthetic that has defined its devices.
The Ear and Ear(a) are both reasonably priced at $149 and $99, respectively. Shipping begins April 22.
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