Would you recommend Ear1?

arpan2308

My recent chat with a senior colleague at my office:

He: Hey, is this Nothing Ear1 you are wearing?

Me: Yup…oh you know about Nothing

He: Yes yes. I am confused between choosing Ear 1 & Oneplus Buds Pro. How is Ear1? Should I buy?

Me (after a 5sec pause, thinking even if I am an investor in Nothing, but also have some responsibility about correctly guiding a not that tech aware person): Design is good but lots of bugs/issues. You may not have peace of mind. Better avoid ☹️

What will do you in such a situation when a non millennial asks for recommendation?

Cheetosdust

arpan2308 A recommendation is a tailored exercise.

If money is not a variable in the equation, I would probably recommend the Sony WF-1000XM4; if the person is using an iPhone, I would probably recommend the AirPods Pro or a little bit of patience until the alleged AirPods 3 are announced, for example.

Regardless of the brand or the product, I feel like a lot of times people use a recommendation of what they bought as a way to validate their own purchase.

It’s true that I am quite happy with my ear (1) and it’s true that I would recommend them to people who have a budget that won’t stretch above the $100 mark. But if I omit the present situation, I would be blindly putting my own decision to buy them above the usefulness of the advice.

I like products from different companies, but no company will erase my critical thinking. What’s the point of omitting the flaws of a product, if a shielded OEM is an unaware OEM?

There’s not a single brand that I would recommend to everyone. So to answer your question bluntly: yes, I would recommend the ear (1), but explaining the current scenario to the person, providing I feel that the person fits the audience I believe would be happy with the product.

You are a tech savvy person, so you did great; you were a filter for your colleague and, considering he’s not that avid with tech, he’s going to be better served with a more matured Nothing product - perhaps even the ear (1) in a few months. A kind of “buy it and be done with it” situation.

Imagine that you would have recommended the earbuds and with them he was getting a truckload of problems and frustrations. You would be burning the brand for a long time. This way, he’ll join the ranks when joy and usability compensate for the risks.

Rob ⚡️

arpan2308

Nice thread, dude, great discussion topic.

Cheetosdust

This is a nicely written answer that largely covers my position too. I would be happy to recommend ear (1) to certain people, but right now, that list of people is relatively small. After all, our recommendations reflect us, and if we don’t properly consider the needs of an individual before recommending something, we’d be doing both parties a disservice.

Cheetosdust I feel like a lot of times people use a recommendation of what they bought as a way to validate their own purchase

This is an important point that I, in the past, may have been guilty of - it’s an easy mistake to make when buying new and uncommon products; there’s an appeal to being seen as an early adopter or trend maker.

The few individuals whom I would recommend this product to would also be met with an in-depth monologue describing my experiences and the potential shortcomings compared to rival products. It’s not a “yes” or “no” from me … it depends 😆

Rudi

I agree with @Rob ⚡️ and @Cheetosdust with the points mentioned above.

And I totally get your personal experience as well arpan2308, great topic idea by the way.

I have already recommended the ear (1) to a former colleague (who asked me about it), explaining in detail the pros and cons, also guaranteeing our commitment to improving the buds with further updates. I guess knowing the challenges we’ve had so far can enable the receiver to make their own mind about it, without any repercussion 😏

Cheetosdust

Rob ⚡️ After all, our recommendations reflect us, and if we don’t properly consider the needs of an individual before recommending something, we’d be doing both parties a disservice.

Exactly this. If a person asks someone their opinion or guidance, it’s because there’s a link of trust established. And what’s best for me isn’t necessarily the best for who is asking.

The ear (1) are the best choice for some people, but I believe that a more fulfilled customer is the one who presses the “buy now” button aware of the growing pains.

Some people love to buy tech and never think about the product again, others “live” what they buy until it’s time for an upgrade. Luckily, the latter seem to gravitate towards companies like Nothing; luckily, they are usually vocal about their findings.

And it’s true that in those findings sometimes the feedback is murky, but other times it contains gems that allow a company to learn and to evolve. Gems that allow a listening company to mature.

Rudi I have already recommended the ear (1) to a former colleague (who asked me about it), explaining in detail the pros and cons, also guaranteeing our commitment to improving the buds with further updates.

Hehe, no friendships were harmed during that recommendation. 😅

I saw this happening with other companies: the waves, the phases. It’s “cool to hate” a company before it’s “cool to love” it. A polished product is key for a recommendation, naturally, but to me it’s not as simple as that.

Two points: what did the company do to improve it and how did the company communicate that to their user base.

That will only be visible in the long run, but everyday should show us the company acting and not reacting. Just looking around the forums, it’s easy to realize that when you are recommending a product, satisfaction is an ongoing process.