The Nothing Ear (3a) is the second generation of Nothing's lower-priced “a” series of true wireless earbuds. Ear (3a) was announced on 30 June 2026 and released on 7 July alongside the Phone (4b).^[1] It followed Ear (a) as the more affordable counterpart to Nothing's numbered flagship earbuds, while introducing features such as Static Spatial Audio, Audio Snapshot and call and meeting recording.

Ear (3a) also introduced a new colourway to Nothing's true wireless audio range: Pink. Its charging case uses a pill-shaped design inspired by packaging and Nothing's visual design language.^[2]

Ear (3a)'s model number is B190 and Pokémon codename is Jumpluff.

Ear (3a) became available globally on 7 July 2026 in White, Black, Yellow and Pink at $99 / £99 / €99. A limited in-person drop was also held at the Nothing Store Soho drop event on 11 July.^[2]

Regional availability followed shortly afterwards. In Japan, Ear (3a) was priced at ¥15,800, with sales beginning on 7 July through nothing.tech and selected retail partners.^[4] In Indonesia, Ear (3a) was priced at Rp1,699,000, with retail availability beginning on 27 July through the Erajaya Group's retail network.^[5]

Ear (3a) uses a 12 mm dynamic driver, an increase from the 11 mm driver used by Ear (a). Nothing states that the larger driver delivers up to 5 dB more bass than its predecessor alongside a more detailed sound signature. The driver uses an aerospace-grade diaphragm, and Ear (3a) is Hi-Res Audio certified with LDAC support.^[6]

The earbuds measure 31.2 mm × 21.7 mm × 24 mm and weigh approximately 4.53 g each, while the charging case measures 64.8 mm × 48.95 mm × 22.8 mm and weighs 40.92 g. Each earbud contains a 55 mAh battery, while the charging case contains a 500 mAh battery. Ear (3a) provides up to 6 hours of playback with ANC enabled and up to 10 hours with ANC disabled. With the charging case, total playback is rated at up to 25 hours with ANC enabled and up to 42 hours with ANC disabled. A 5-minute charge provides up to 1 hour of playback, while a full charge takes approximately 70 minutes.^[6]

Ear (3a) features wideband active noise cancellation (ANC) of up to 45 dB, including Adaptive ANC and Transparency Mode. Nothing states that the upgraded ANC can reduce sound in the human voice range by up to 6 dB. The earbuds and charging case are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance. The earbuds are supplied with four sizes of liquid silicone ear tips, including a new XS size.^[6]

Ear (3a) introduced Audio Snapshot, which allows users to capture up to one minute of audio directly through the earbuds. The earbuds contain 32 MB of built-in flash storage for storing recordings before they are synchronised with the Nothing X app. Audio Snapshot can also be configured to capture up to 30 seconds of audio recorded immediately before the feature is activated.^[6]

The earbuds also support call and meeting recording, with recordings stored on the earbuds before being synchronised to Nothing X. Nothing states that up to two hours of conversations or online meetings can be recorded. A notification tone informs participants when call recording begins, and the feature is available only in supported countries and regions.^[6]

Recordings can be transcribed through Nothing X using either the free Standard transcription models or the cloud-based Pro Transcription model. Pro Transcription provides faster and more accurate transcription, alongside features such as speaker identification, summaries and calendar reminders. Ear (3a) includes three months of Pro Transcription at no additional cost, with a limit of 120 minutes per month. As of October 2026, Nothing had not disclosed the subscription price for Pro Transcription after the included three-month trial.^[11] The Standard transcription models remain available without a Pro subscription, with processing performed locally on the device.^[12]

The charging case introduced a new status light system using three pixel LEDs arranged in a 1×3 configuration instead of a single status indicator. The LEDs use different light patterns to communicate battery level, charging status, pairing, factory reset, firmware updates and error alerts.^[6,2]

Ear (3a) retains the pressure-based pinch controls used by previous generations. Users can perform functions through single, double and triple pinch gestures, as well as single and double pinch-and-hold gestures. The available controls can be customised through the Nothing X app, including functions for playback, volume, ANC and other features.

Pinching both earbuds simultaneously starts or stops Audio Snapshot and call recording.^[6]

Ear (3a) can be connected to and customised through the Nothing X app. The earbuds use Bluetooth 6.0 and support SBC, AAC and LDAC audio codecs. Ear (3a) is Hi-Res Audio certified and supports LDAC transmission at up to 24-bit/96 kHz under supported configurations.^[6] The earbuds also support dual-device connectivity, allowing them to remain connected to two devices simultaneously across supported Android, Windows and iOS devices.

The Nothing X app provides four preset EQ profiles and an Advanced Equaliser with eight-band frequency control. Users can create and share custom sound profiles through the app. Other features include Low Lag Mode, Find My Earbuds, Ear Tip Fit Test, customisable controls and firmware updates.

Ear (3a) introduced Static Spatial Audio to the a-series, providing spatial audio playback through compatible content. The earbuds also integrate AI features through Nothing X and compatible Nothing phones, including hands-free ChatGPT access and Essential News, which provides a personalised daily news audio digest.^[6]

Following the initial release, Nothing issued firmware version 1.0.1.59 with general bug fixes.^[18] In August 2026, firmware version 1.0.1.65 improved the call and recording experience, Spatial Audio and voice prompts, while also updating the default EQ settings.^[19]

Early community discussions included reports of bass-heavy default tuning, changes in perceived sound when switching to Transparency Mode, and requests for further refinement of Transparency Mode's own-voice processing. These reports represented individual user experiences and varied between users.^[19] Independent testing also documented a Transparency Mode tuning issue in which bass response could increase noticeably when the mode was enabled.^[21]