Nothing's new budget earbuds can record what you're listening to
07 Jul 2026

Nothing has launched its latest budget-friendly wireless earbuds, the Ear (3a), at a price of $99.

The new device comes with a unique feature that allows users to record what they're listening to directly on the earbuds.

This is a new budget model that follows the Ear (a) from 2024 and the launch coincides with the debut of Nothing Phone (4b), a budget handset releasing only in the UK, Europe, and India.

Earbuds have 32MB of built-in storage
Enhanced features

The new earbuds come with a case that is only used for storage and charging, extending the playback time from up to 10 hours to up to 42 hours.

The earbuds themselves have been upgraded with 32MB of storage, allowing them to record what you're listening to.

A new feature called Audio Snapshot can be activated by pinching both earbuds, recording what's playing plus a bit of preroll so nothing is missed.

Recordings are synced to the Nothing X app
App integration

The recordings made with the Ear (3a) are automatically synced to the Nothing X app, where they can be shared, edited, replayed, or transcribed.

The company has clarified that this new feature "is for personal, non-commercial use only."

The earbuds also come with a feature to record phone calls using a different gesture but these recordings are limited to around two hours due to storage constraints.

The Ear (3a) comes in a new pink colorway
Sound and comfort

The Ear (3a) comes with new 12mm drivers for deeper bass, better noise cancellation across a wider frequency range, and an extra-small size of ear tips.

It also comes in a new pink color option along with the black, white, and yellow variants already available.