Nothing adds built-in recording to its $99 Ear 3A earbuds
The new budget earbuds can save audio snapshots and phone calls, then sync recordings to Nothing’s mobile app.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Nothing has launched the Ear 3A, a $99 pair of wireless earbuds that can record audio directly on the buds. The feature matters because it brings call and listening capture to a lower-cost model, using built-in storage rather than a microphone-equipped charging case.
Nothing said the Ear 3A are available now through its online store. The price matches the company’s earlier Ear (a) earbuds, according to The Verge, while adding a recording feature that was not part of that older model.
The Verge reports that the Ear 3A are separate from CMF, Nothing’s lower-cost sub-brand. The launch also comes alongside the Nothing Phone 4B, which The Verge says is a budget phone headed only to the UK, Europe and India.
How the recording feature works
Nothing added 32MB of storage to the Ear 3A earbuds, according to The Verge. The storage is measured in megabytes, which limits how much the buds can hold before sending recordings to the phone app.
The earbuds include a feature called Audio Snapshot. Nothing says users can pinch both earbuds to capture what is playing, including a short period before the gesture so the start of the clip is not missed.
Recordings sync automatically to the Nothing X app, where users can share, edit, replay or transcribe them, according to The Verge. Nothing says Audio Snapshot is meant for personal, noncommercial use.
The Ear 3A can also record phone calls through a separate gesture. The Verge reports that call recordings are limited to about two hours because of the earbuds’ onboard storage capacity, and those files also become available in the Nothing X app after syncing.
What changed from the Ear 3
The recording setup differs from Nothing’s Ear 3, which The Verge says arrived last September with a charging case that included upgraded microphones. On that model, the case microphones could support phone calls and voice notes saved to Nothing’s app.
On the Ear 3A, The Verge reports, the charging case handles only storage and charging. The microphones sit on the earbuds themselves.
Nothing rates battery life at up to 10 hours from the earbuds and up to 42 hours with the case, according to The Verge. With active noise cancellation turned on, total battery life drops to up to 25 hours.
Other specs and colors
Nothing also updated the Ear 3A with 12mm drivers that the company says deliver deeper bass. The Verge reports that the earbuds include improved noise cancellation across a wider frequency range and add an extra-small ear tip size.
The Ear 3A come in black, white, yellow and a new pink option, according to Nothing. The Verge reports that the pink color joins the versions previously available in the line.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.