We’ve all experienced that moment of dread when a device slips through our fingers, or out of our pockets - the slow-motion towards the ground, movie-style reactions, and then a fierce, panicked inspection to assess any potential damage.
With repair costs often eye-wateringly high (or, worryingly low from a shady repair shop) most of us will use cases to protect our technology. However, this precaution often comes at the expense of the item’s design and tends to add unnecessary bulk.
Shopping for third-party cases for any tech product tends to be a minefield, with the available choices often ill-fitting or completely unfaithful to the original design of a device. This can be seen with the current options cropping up on Amazon or AliExpress for ear (1) - it’s clear (wink) that these examples don’t compliment ear (1)’s aesthetics nor do they come close to aligning with Nothing’s ethos and vision.
First-party cases tend to offer a more refined experience such as Apple's Airpod Max case or Samsung’s Z-Flip 3 range - options that acknowledge a product's original form. It’s easy to see when a manufacturer has thought about how a case will support and enhance a device's use, rather than simply adding protection through plastic or silicon coverage.
I don’t think that ear (1) needs a case, but I am curious to see how Nothing tackles the subject of protection with its future devices. Tom Howard has said that Nothing is focused on using materials in an honest way with no secondary processes, which leads me to think that cases probably wouldn’t be on brand; it would be a strange choice to hide its products, with such unique design, behind generic cases. However, to save us from 3rd party monstrosities it may have to be a route that Nothing explores, ensuring the purity of the company’s vision and ethos.
Do your devices stay in cases? Would you like to see Nothing offer cases for future devices? And what do you think they would look like?
