A new leak suggests that the Nothing ear (1) earbuds might soon be available to buy in black. These earbuds are the first product from Nothing, the company founded by Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus. The Nothing ear (1) launched this year at a competitive price, but are currently only available to buy in one color. However, that might change soon.
It is a common trend for manufacturers to announce new colors for existing products. While these new colors are sometimes only available in select markets or in limited quantities, the option to have more choice is usually appealing to buyers. Announcing a new color can also be a useful tactic for manufacturers, and especially for products that are not due a successor yet. For example, rather than a new HomePod mini this year, Apple announced three new colors to take the overall number to five.
The Nothing ear (1) tries to stand out from the multitude of earbuds with its unique transparent design that allows one to see some of the internals. Nothing also applies this design to the case, so owners can still see the earbuds even when safely stored. However, only some parts of the earbuds and case are covered in this transparent veneer. The head and the silicone ear tips are white, as is a significant portion of the carry case. A few weeks ago, Nothing hinted at a black version of the earbuds in a Quote Tweet on Twitter. Nothing used the original Tweet by Casey Neistat as an opportunity to ask if people would want the earbuds in black. Now, frequent leaker, Evan Blass (@evleaks) has provided a first look at the black versions of the earbuds.
Black, But Still See-Through
The black version of Nothing's earbuds shown in the leak still feature a see-through design, seemingly making the color the only difference. Besides the image, there is currently no firm information yet on when the new colorway will be announced, although it wouldn't be surprising if the black earbuds became available to buy soon.
Color aside, the Nothing ear (1) cost $99, and for that price, users get a pair of earbuds with 11.6mm drivers, Active Noise Cancellation with a transparent mode, and IPX4 sweat and water resistance. The earbuds also feature Google's Fast Pair, in-ear detection, a companion app for Android and iOS, up to five hours of battery life (34 hours with the case), as well as support for USB-C wired charging and Qi wireless charging.
Source: Evan Blass/Twitter, Nothing/Twitter