Nothing has launched the Nothing Ear (3) wireless headphones, the successor to last year’s Nothing Ear. The new model, which comes with a higher price tag of $179, stands out with its “Super Mic” feature and changes to the sound profile. Here are the details.

Nothing Ear (3) Announced with New Features

While the Nothing Ear (3) retains the familiar transparent structure of previous models, some key changes have been made. The lower half of the charging case uses recycled metal. The earbuds themselves also feature metallic accents, and the shape of the earbuds has been tweaked for improved comfort.

Technical specifications don’t reveal any significant changes. The earbuds’ battery life has been slightly increased; thanks to a 55 mAh battery, they offer 5.5 hours of use with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The charging case’s battery capacity (500 mAh) and charging speed remain the same. However, there is a change in the drivers: larger 12mm drivers instead of 11mm. ANC performance remains constant at 45dB.

The most important new feature of the Nothing Ear (3) is the “Super Mic” located in the charging case. Thanks to the addition of a “Talk” button and two microphones, Nothing claims this microphone offers significantly better noise cancellation up to 95dB. This is especially ideal for calls in noisy environments.

This feature works when the earbuds are on your ear, allowing the charging case to act as an alternative microphone for phone calls, voice memos, or using an assistant like Gemini. Pressing the “Talk” button during a call switches the microphone from the earbuds to the case. By moving the case closer to your mouth, you can achieve better voice clarity and noise cancellation performance.

The new feature can also be used to take voice notes with the Essential Space app on the Nothing Phone (3) and Phone (3a). However, there are some compatibility restrictions. Nothing states that this feature will work with phone calls and most major apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and WhatsApp.

With all these innovations, the Nothing Ear (3) comes at a higher price of $179 compared to the previous model’s $149.

So, what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.