Nothing Ear (3a) official: record via earbuds for €99
Nothing announced the Ear (3a), the successor to the 2024 Ear (2a), today. The price remains €99, and the earbuds are available for immediate order in white, black, yellow, and pink. The most significant addition is not the sound quality, but rather, a recording function. The earbuds can independently record audio, so you won't need to reach for your phone.
The Ear (3a) has 32 MB of internal memory. If you squeeze both stems at the same time, the "Audio Snapshot" feature records up to one minute of the audio currently playing, such as a podcast, song, or online meeting. The thirty seconds prior to the moment you squeeze are also saved. Important to know: this refers to what is playing through the earbuds, not ambient sound picked up by the microphones. The earbuds do not listen in on your surroundings.
Recordings are synced to the Nothing X app (Android and iOS), where you can listen to them and have them transcribed. A Nothing account is required for this. The "Pro" transcription service is also free only for the first three months; Nothing has not yet announced the cost of the service after that.
Audio Snapshot and Call Recording: Record Without Phone
You can also record phone calls and meetings, up to two hours per recording. This is also done with a pinch gesture and without picking up your phone. This is handy for anyone who wants to record verbal agreements or meetings. Other participants receive an audible notification that the call is being recorded; there is no way to record secretly. In the Netherlands, by the way, you are allowed to record calls in which you are a participant.
Please note: Nothing is not rolling out call recording in all countries at once, as the feature requires approval on a market-by-market basis. In Scandinavia, for example, it is completely missing at launch. If this is your reason for buying, check before purchasing whether the feature is active in the Netherlands.
Nothing states on its website that Audio Snapshot and call recording “comply with” privacy standards such as ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and EN 18031. That sounds reassuring, but it means less than it seems. The first two are organizational standards that offer no guarantees regarding the security of this specific product, and EN 18031 has simply been legally required for wireless devices in the EU since 2025.
More specifically, according to Nothing, recordings are stored locally by default and are only sent to the cloud when you enable transcription or summaries. The company does not specify whether the audio is stored encrypted on the internal memory.
We already saw these kinds of recording features last year on the more expensive Ear (3), which used a microphone in the charging case (“Super Mic”) for that purpose. The Ear (3a) takes a different approach: the recording is handled by the earbuds themselves, so the charging case can stay in your pocket.
Better Sound, but Read Fine Print
Nothing is upgrading from an 11mm to a 12mm driver and promises up to 5 dB more bass than the Ear (a). Whether that actually sounds better remains to be seen in tests: more bass is a manufacturer’s claim, not a judgment of quality. LDAC and 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio are still supported.
A note of caution is in order regarding the noise cancellation. Nothing advertises “up to 45 dB” of attenuation, but the Ear (a) already achieved that peak figure two years ago. The real improvement is in the range: ANC now attenuates a wider frequency spectrum, particularly where voices and everyday noise occur. According to Nothing, the Ear (3a) gains up to 6 dB compared to its predecessor in this regard.
In practice, this should be particularly noticeable on the train or in the office—precisely where affordable ANC often falls short. How the noise cancellation compares to competitors in this price range, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE and the Sony WF-C710N, remains to be seen in comparative tests.
A welcome improvement: the fully adjustable 8-band equalizer, which was missing from the Ear (a), is now also available on the a-model. At the time, that was one of the few serious points of criticism. The “static” spatial audio is also included, but without head tracking, it’s mainly a software-based effect—don’t expect too much from it.
Longer Battery Life per Earbud, but No Wireless Charging
Battery life per earbud has improved. The figures according to Nothing:
- Per earbud: 6 hours with ANC on (was 5.5 hours), 10 hours without ANC
- Including the case: up to 42 hours without ANC, 25 hours with ANC enabled
- Fast charging: five minutes in the case provides one hour of listening time
The case itself is rounder and features a three-segment status light that indicates battery level and pairing status. The earbuds are IP54-certified: dust-resistant and splash-proof. That means they can withstand sweat and a rain shower, but they cannot be rinsed under the faucet or submerged. For the first time, an XS ear tip is included in the box.
What stands out is what Nothing does not mention: wireless charging for the case is not mentioned anywhere, and at €99, this is starting to be a drawback now that several competitors in this price range do offer it.
Conclusion: Strong Successor, but Check Sales Too
On paper, the Ear (3a) is a logical and comprehensive upgrade: wideband ANC, custom EQ, a recording feature you won’t find anywhere else in this price range, and the same price as in 2024.
Still, there are two things to keep in mind before you order. First, the older Ear (a) will soon drop in price, and for most people, these will still be perfectly fine earbuds. Second, the more expensive Ear (3) has now dropped to around the price level of the Ear (3a) at some stores, which offers a premium housing and the Super Mic. If you’re not in a hurry, wait for the first reviews and see how the price develops.
The Nothing Ear (3a) is available immediately via nothing.tech for €99; sales through online retailers like Amazon are expected to follow shortly.
