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It might be a relatively new brand, but Nothing has been earning a reputation for its innovatively designed products. And one of its most talked of products in recent times has been its first pair of open-ear earbuds, the Nothing Ear (Open). Launched in 2024 for Rs 18,999, the buds were initially not available in India, but finally were released in the country in September 2025, at an official price of Rs 17,999. However, the Ear (Open) are often available at much lower prices at many outlets.
At the time of writing, they were available for about Rs 9,090 at Amazon India, and at Rs 9999 at some other portals, which is less than half of the official price. At Rs 18,999, they are definitely on the expensive side, but at Rs around Rs 9,000 – Rs 10,000, they are an absolute steal for those who want open ear buds with good sound and very good looks.
Those transparent-ish, premium looks
The Nothing Ear (Open) are easily the most distinct open ear buds in the market right now. They come in a case with a transparent cover and a glossy white base, a combination that looks incredibly premium, although it can pick up scratches and smudges.
Each bud weighs about 8 grams and the case itself weighs 63 grams. (Express Image)
The case opens and shuts on a single metallic hinge and in spite of its very glassy appearance, has a very solid feel to it. The buds themselves are made of plastic, with the earbud portion following the slightly transparent design that Nothing is famous for, and the earhooks to which they are attached being white with transparent tips at the end. There is a prominent red dot on the right earbuds and a white one on the left.
The case opens and shuts on a single metallic hinge. (Express Image)
Each bud weighs about 8 grams and the case itself weighs 63 grams. Although the case is a little on the long side, it should easily fit into most pockets. In a very neat touch, both the case as well as the buds come with an IP54 rating, so should be safe to take along to the gym or for a stroll in the rain. While most open ear buds tend to look very plain and professional, the Nothing Ear (Open) have a very clean and premium look to them. The challenge is keeping them in pristine condition as the ear hooks can get a little dirty and the case can pick up smudges.
Comfortable to wear and they sound surprisingly good (with a great app)
The Nothing Ear (Open) are very comfortable to wear, and thanks to the earhooks, stay firmly in place irrespective of what one does. They just do not fall out of your ears. The fit can vary a little as the ear hook is not flexible, but in most cases the buds will end up right over your canal or very close to it. The buds do not go into your ears, as they are designed to let in some ambient sounds, letting one be aware of the sounds around. They are thus perfect for those who wear earbuds outdoors, especially while taking strolls or running outdoors.
The Nothing Ear (Open) have a very clean and premium look to them. (Express Image)
And they sound surprisingly good too. One of the biggest challenges for open ear buds is audio quality. This is because unlike other earbuds which go inside our ear canal, these are basically like tiny speakers that lie on top of it, allowing some external sound to come in and letting you be aware of your surroundings. This often leads to relatively low volumes, and not the greatest audio quality. The Nothing Ear (Open) however, come with very good audio, with their 14.2 mm drivers delivering a superb amount of detail and generally balanced sound.
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As the design of the earbuds is open, bass is not as rumble-y and deep as in in-ear buds, but casual listeners should be more than content with the quality of the audio they get here, especially if they are fans of podcasts and audiobooks. They are good enough for most regular listening and even some gaming, provided your surroundings are relatively quiet, as sound does tend to leak in. Call quality is remarkably good too, although we would not recommend using them in very noisy conditions, as ambient sounds do get in. Being open ear buds, they do not come with ANC.
Battery life is of about 8 hours on the buds, with the case adding another 20 hours to them. (Express Image)
One of the highlights of all of Nothing’s audio products has been the Nothing X app that supports them on both Android and iOS. The Nothing Ear (Open) also work in sync with this app, getting updates, and also giving the user a number of options to adjust equaliser settings, all of which are actually effective.
Expensive at their original price, a terrific deal at fifty per cent off!
Round that off with battery life of about 8 hours on the buds, with the case adding another 20 hours to them and the Nothing Ear (Open) become staggeringly good value for money for anyone looking for premium quality open ear buds. Or even someone who just wants a pair of earbuds that lets them be aware of their surroundings, without compromising too heavily on audio quality.
They deliver good sound, have excellent battery life, and come with a design that stands out in the open ear bud crowd. At Rs 18,999, they are definitely way too expensive for what they bring to the audio tablet, but at half that price, they are very good value for money!
