I’m a Nothing fan through and through. I’ve used every iteration from the original Ear to the latest Ear (3).
Yet I keep reaching for my AirPods Pro 2 instead. Here’s why. Let me break it down.
For brevity, I’ll refer to the AirPods Pro 2 as “AirPods” and Nothing Ear (3) as Ear (3)
Noise cancellation 🔇🚫🎧
Let me be straight - Nothing’s ANC SUCKS, especially when you compare that to the AirPods.
That is the major reason why I’d choose a set of AirPods over Ear (3) whenever I go out. Whether I’m walking on the streets, taking the MRT (metro in Taiwan), or at a noisy store, the AirPods could silence out most of the background noises. Yes, the low frequency or very loud noises like construction sounds or the sound of train wheels rolling on the rail can’t be filtered out, but once I pump the music up, most of the annoying sounds are gone.
As for Ear (3)? There was once when I was in a Starbucks with the Ear (3) on, and I can CLEARLY hear the background music that was playing. Come on! I am using the ANC mode, not the transparency mode! Nothing’s ANC just makes background noises muffled, whereas the AirPods really cancel out noises.
This leaves the Ear (3) in a very awkward situation. If I am outside walking, working, or commuting, and want to gain some inner peace or enjoy music, the AirPods would be a better option. Yes, Ear (3) sounds better, but if the environment isn’t quiet enough, then how can I enjoy the music thoroughly? You might say that I can go to places that are quiet, like a library, but I’d still have to go there, right? Then why bother bringing two sets of earphones? Of course, my bedroom is a quiet place too, but I won’t need to use an earphone anyways.
What’s even more frustrating is that the Ear (3)'s ANC remains at 45dB—the same as the 2024 Ear—while the supposedly mid-range CMF Buds Pro 2 offers 50dB. For a flagship upgrade, this lack of improvement is disappointing.
Audio Quality 🔉👂🎵
AirPods Pro 2, of course, has great audio quality. Its overall sound profile is balanced, plain, and rarely disappoints. It is a good enough choice for someone with a dull ear like me.
The Bass enhancement that originated from the CMF Buds Pro 2 is a nice differentiator for Nothing’s sound signature. The equalizer, although I’d admit I only use the balance mode, allows users to customize their EQs and share them with others. Not to mention Ear (3) also supports LDAC, which the AirPods Pro 2 don’t.
The cherry on top would be the Personal Sound Profile. The calibration doesn’t take too long, and the test is easy and simple, providing more depth, richness, and clarity to our listening experience.
Why on Earth do my right ear and left ear differ so much ??
These features do enhance the versatility and enjoyment of the Ear (3), although I am curious how many users (especially those with numb ears like me) use these features.
Battery 🔋⚡🕐
I don’t have high requirements with earphone battery. A one-shot 3-hour ANC session would be long enough - who puts earbuds in their ear longer than 3 hours anyway? And both the AirPods and Ear (3) pass this requirement.
Yet, with the Ear (3), I must raise some concerns regarding its battery quality. As reported by members in my Nothing Taiwan Community, single ear battery draining issue still exists.
While this type of issue occurs with some other earphones too, I’ve had experience with the 2024 Ear, where my right earbud would drain within an hour with ANC on. This is INSANE. Either the supplier has an issue, or the QA is going crazy, or else the battery life shouldn’t deteriorate as fast. As for Ear (3), I haven’t experienced that much of a battery drainage issue yet, though this is an issue that Nothing should certainly look out for in the future.
Build Quality ⚙️🔧✨
The one thing that is phenomenal with the Nothing’s earphone is its design. To be honest, its design is already PEAK when the Ear (1) first came out. I would have absolutely no issues at all if the design stayed the same the whole time. The Ear (2) had a nice refactoring of making the case smaller, but the new metallic design of Ear (3)? It indeed makes the whole product look more premium, as per the “metal=premium” law in consumer tech products. I was hoping the change would bring additional value besides making it heavier, rather than changing for the sake of changing. Hey, even when Apple switches to Titanium or Aluminum, they’d say, “it’s stronger!” or “it makes heat conduct faster!”
But anyway, the choice of color is just personal preference. I like the white version more, but my girlfriend says she likes the metallic look. What do I have to say then!
But if you want to make the product more premium, then the feeling of premium should be consistent. The transparent plastic lid scratches at level 3 with deeper grooves at level 4 (at least the case now scratches at a level 6), and is prone to fingerprints. While the AirPods also have this issue, the white color makes the marks less visible compared to a transparent one. Having a massive lid means a slightly more exhaustive opening process, too.
While those points could be considered a trade-off with the design, the next one certainly isn’t. Ear (3)’s hinge appears to be soft and floppy. The AirPods and CMF Buds Pro 2, or any of Nothing’s previous earphones, all have a firm and sturdy hinge where users can feel the clear distinction of spring force that tells the lid is about to close. Yet, Ear (3)’s flaccid hinge indicates poor quality control or a weird change in design, which isn’t good either way.
Controls👆🎮🔄
Nothing’s earphone controls have improved in the past iterations, evolving from Ear (1)’s capacitive touch to Ear (3)’s control bar. Yet, the AirPods still dominate with its intuitive sliding volume control, which I really hope Nothing adds this feature in the future. I’d have to set the double pinch & hold of my right ear to volume up and left ear to volume down, which isn’t that handy with the reaction time being longer. Let me know if there are better control settings.
The Ear (3) provides a greater variety of options and control with the Nothing X app, whereas the AirPods… you basically can’t make any controls on the Nothing phone.
SuperMic 🎙️ 🗣️📢
The SuperMic is really a smart and unique solution to the problem with earphones: sometimes, the mics are just not clear enough. To test the difference between the earphone mics and the SuperMic, I took a flight to NY and tested them on a plane. Here are the results:
You can hear how loud the environmental voice was from the first part, so to my surprise, the Ear (3)’s mic delivered some nice noise reduction, though it just can’t pick up my voice well enough. But with the SuperMic, the voice isolation is carried out much better, with almost no background noise, only focusing on my voice, which also sounds clear and rich. Yet, it occurs to me that the voice mode would alter my tone a bit; the recording with an external mic sounds more authentic.
So, if the SuperMic voice quality could be improved, then it would be a great choice for content creation. Whether you want to film a video on the go or do some vlogging, all you need is a pair of earphones. Of course, it would be better if the SuperMic were supported in more apps and could be used as a standalone mic, rather than needing to connect the earphones first. As for the AirPods, I have no idea what is happening to their mic. Perhaps it just doesn’t support Android phones that well, cuz if I use it with an iPhone, then its mic would perform normally.
In my humble opinion, I feel like the “TALK” button makes the build look less premium…couldn’t there be a better-looking font, like the LL Lettera Mono Nothing uses on their website? A microphone icon could have done the job too, and it was such a lost opportunity to write “TALK” in N-dots, too.
Conclusion 💭🎯📝
So, in the end, I would choose to use the AirPods Pro 2 over the Nothing Ear (3) as my daily driver. It comes down to priorities. Both have sufficient battery life. The Ear (3) offers more customization through the app, while the AirPods have more intuitive controls—call it a tie. The Ear (3) delivers superior audio quality, but the AirPods’ significantly better ANC makes them the better choice for most real-world situations.
Plus, the AirPods are more scratch and fingerprint-resistant, whereas the Ear (3)'s delicate lid and glossy Talk button make it more vulnerable to everyday wear. As for the SuperMic, it’s a nice feature, but ultimately not used that often.
Innovation and new features are always great - but the basics always come first, and gimmicks and flamboyant designs come second. If, as Carl Pei said, earphones don’t need annual upgrades, then each generation should bring meaningful improvements—especially in fundamentals like noise cancellation. I hope the next Ear (4) comes in better ANC, more consistent build quality (and battery too), and an improved SuperMic. The Ear (3) is already almost there. Go do something, Nothing!
