Nothing was announced today regarding two updates to its earbud lineup. The naming rules are a little confusing here, but the Nothing Ear is an upgrade to the Nothing Ear (2), while the Nothing Ear (a) is more of a spiritual successor to the Nothing Ear Stick.
The most important aspect of today’s announcement, however, is likely Nothing’s adoption of ChatGPT this time around. As the world’s “AI smartphones” compete for mindshare with gadgets such as Humane’s Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1, the London-based mobile startup seems to have skipped a step by incorporating the technology into its new earphones.
In particular, if you have the ChatGPT app loaded on a linked Nothing smartphone, you may ask the generative AI program questions by pinching the headphones’ stem. Imagine Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa-style access via a set of headphones, except this one connects directly to OpenAI’s massively popular platform.
“Nothing will also improve the Nothing smartphone user experience in Nothing OS by embedding system-level entry points to ChatGPT, including screenshot sharing and Nothing-styled widgets,” according to the firm. Only the two new earphones will have access to the functionality.
Preorders for both buds begin today. Nothing claims the Ear Buds provide better sound than their predecessors, thanks to redesigned driver technology. Meanwhile, the battery now has greater area and can last up to 25% longer than the ear (2). A “smart” active noise-canceling technology adjusts to ambient noise and detects “leakage” between the buds and the ear canal.
The Ear (a) also improves noise cancellation, but nothing seems to be promoting the bright yellow coloring, which deviates from the black and white style that has distinguished its gadgets.
The ear and ear (a) are fairly priced, costing $149 and $99, respectively. Shipping begins on April 22.
