After more than a few leaks in recent weeks, the Nothing Ear (2) wireless earbuds are now here, and they promise a lot. The earbuds claim improvements almost across the board when compared to the previous Ear (1) offering. All while maintaining the same price.
Externally, you'd be hard-pressed to tell which of the earbuds is which from a distance. The Nothing Ear (2) look very similar to the Ear (1) complete with the black and white look that also includes a transparent element that somehow makes the earbuds look classy and cheap at the same time. Personal taste will likely dictate what you see.
In terms of features, there are some tangible improvements. Nothing has added the ability to connect to two devices at once for easy switching, so those who want to connect to their computer and phone can do so quickly. There's also a new ear fit test to make sure you're getting the perfect seal.
Those hoping for big battery life upgrades are going to be left wanting, but the real improvement is to the listening experience. Early reviews suggest that the earbuds simply sound better than the previous Ear (1) including a more capable active noise cancellation feature. All in all, it sounds promising.
But for those who already own the Nothing Ear (1) earbuds, there might not be enough here to force the upgrade especially if you don't connect to multiple devices very frequently. It's unfortunate that Nothing hasn't followed its own lead with the Ear (1) by launching the earbuds at just $99 initially - that could well have been enough to tip some upgraders over the edge.