Since the Nothing Ear (1) launched almost two years ago, Carl Pei's post-OnePlus project has gone from strength to strength. We've seen two more products released since the original noise cancelling earbuds – the Nothing Phone (1) and the Nothing Ear (Stick).
Both of those won significant acclaim in their own right – particularly the phone, which is widely regarded as one of the best cheap phones on the market right now. Rumours have been spreading about the next generation Nothing Phone (2) recently, with talks of a more premium handset entering the fray.
But that won't be the first product in Nothing's second generation, as the company have confirmed the launch date for the Nothing Ear (2) earphones. Confirmed in a post on their social media, and on the Nothing website, the Nothing Ear (2) will launch on the 22nd of March 2023, at 3pm GMT.
Details are scant on what is changing compared to the first generation. Aside from the "ladybug out, beetle in" branding – a nod to the original Nothing Ear (1) promotional material, which featured a ladybird – and a strapline of "Better sound. Better clarity. Just better," very little is known.
However, we do know that the casing is changing shape to become more ergonomic. A tweet (opens in new tab) from Nothing shows the beetle pushing an earbud case which looks more like the AirPods Pro or the recent Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro in size.
That's a great upgrade for the brand. One of the biggest grievances users had with the original Nothing Ear line was the unwieldy nature of the case. Changing it out for something which is easier to fit in a pocket is a simple fix for this.
Elsewhere, I'd expect to see some improvements to the battery life. The Ear (1) currently lasts around five hours on a single charge, with about 34 hours listening time through the case. That's a commendable time, but it's not the best time on offer.
We'll know for certain in a little over a fortnight, when the new earbuds get unveiled.
