Nothing Ear (2) India launch todayHow to watch livestream, expected price and specs

By Abhik SenguptaNothing is set to launch new TWS earbuds, dubbed Ear (2). As the name suggests, the Ear (2) will succeed the Nothing Ear (1), which also happen to be the company’s first product launch in 2021. Nothing, co-founded by former OnePlus executive Carl Pei, will host a virtual event tonight, March 22, at 8:30 PM IST. The Nothing Ear (2) will be presented by Pei and popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD). Fans can watch the live stream for free on YouTube.

Nothing has not revealed any official specifications, but a few posters hint that the upcoming earbuds will again rock a transparent design. The original Nothing Ear (1) received positive reviews for their distinct and lightweight design. The Ear (1) earbuds come with a transparent body, as the brand believes this would force customers to appreciate the internal components essential to the earbuds.

Although the specifications have not been revealed, we can expect some upgrades. Nothing may consider improving the ANC (active noise cancellation) feature, which is also available on the original Ear (1). Nothing may also extend support for high-bitrate Bluetooth codecs to allow a richer music experience with supported apps. The original Ear (1) last 4 hours, 30 minutes with ANC turned on, and 6 hours with ANC off. The Carl Pei-run company may also want to improve on that feature.

Design-wise, there could be subtle changes, but it is unlikely we’ll see anything substantial. However, Nothing may consider improving the build quality as the original Nothing Ear (1) and the charging case is highly scratch-prone. The charging case may continue to support wireless charging, which is still uncommon among earbuds in the Rs 8,000 range. It will be interesting to see if the new Ear (2) are offered in more colour options as Ear (1) come in only white and black shades.

The biggest challenge for Nothing would be the pricing. The original Ear (1) are priced at Rs 6,999 (currently unavailable on Flipkart) while the audio and wearable segments are being dominated by Indian manufacturers with their devices under Rs 5,000. Given the state of the economy, Nothing may find it difficult to convince customers to buy Ear (2) earbuds from a relatively new company for such a premium price.

If Nothing Ear 2 come with notable upgrades, the price will definitely increase. Nothing’s second-gen Ear (stick) are currently available on Flipkart for Rs 8,499. Ear (stick) do not even support ANC.