Nothing's newest wireless earbuds, the somewhat oddly named Ear (stick), aren't game changers. They're budget-friendly earbuds that cost $99 and aren't going to blow you away with their sound quality or premium features — there's no active noise-cancellation or transparency modes here, and the case doesn't support wireless charging.
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However, the Nothing Ear (stick) are definitely different. They look neat, fit and work well, and offer a really fun charging case that's shaped like a big thing of ChapStick and twists open and shut in a rewarding way. And after testing the Nothing Ear (stick) for the last few days, I'm finding that I actually really like them. Like, a lot.
Transparent gadgets are cool again
Nothing's wireless earbuds have always been standouts because of the way they look. The Ear (1) paved the way with its mostly transparent design (they were the first really to do so) and the Ear (stick) share a similar look and feel. We've seen more and more gadgets try to mimic this transparent design, such as the Shargeek Storm2 and Nomad's new power adapter, and I have to say — I'm into it.
The Ear (stick) fit differently than the Ear (1), of course, as they don't come with the swappable silicone eartips. I still prefer the fit of the Ear (1) because of that, but Nothing has deemed that more customizable fit a more premium option; you have to pay $50 more to get them with the Ear (1).
It's really all about the cool, twisting charging case
If I'm being honest, the real star of the show with the Ear (stick) is its fantastic, twisting charging case shaped like a lipstick. It's shaped unlike any other wireless earbud case out there. It's functional, too; the slim silhouette feels like it takes up less space when I'm carrying it in my pocket.
The other thing about the charging case is that it's great as a fidget toy. When listening to the earbuds, I found myself constantly twisting the case open and shut — it snaps neatly and firmly in place. Also, the earbuds magnetically snap into the case, similar to AirPods, so it's not like they just fall out when the case is open. The magnet connection is actually is pretty strong, in fact.
The Ear (stick) sound good, not great
Nothing's original (and now more expensive) wireless earbuds, the Ear (1), don't sound like a cheap pair of earbuds, but they also don't deliver that full-range and immersive sound of higher-end wireless earbuds, like the new AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4. And I think that's the best way to describe the Ear (stick) as well — they are good, but not elite.
The Ear (stick) get loud and are certainly able to deliver pretty bumping bass, but when compared to the Ear (1), they don't have same vibrancy and sound slightly more tinny. Nothing gave the Ear (stick) custom drivers and new technologies to make up for the loss of bass and over sound that naturally happen with earbuds that leak more sound (a.k.a. earbuds that that lack silicone eartips and don't sit as deep in your ears). So while the Ear (stick) sound pretty good, the Ear (1) are still the better option for sound quality.
The Nothing factor
Before going all-in on Nothing's new wireless earbuds, it's worth knowing that they are designed to work really well with the company's cool-looking Android smartphone, the Nothing Phone (1). You're supposedly able to adjust various EQ settings right within its operating system — but you can't, as the Phone (1) as it isn't available in the U.S. (and it doesn't look like it's coming anytime soon, if ever, either).
(Note: Nothing is launching a companion app, called the Nothing X app, for iOS and Android that will allow you to adjust the same settings, but won't live in your phone's default settings like it would if paired with Nothing's phone.)
It's also worth mentioning that before releasing the Ear (stick), Nothing raised the price of the Ear (1) from $99 to $149. It was done to make room for the Ear (stick), obviously, which now resides at that enticing $99 price point, and separate the two wireless earbuds, but it feels a bit wrong — like Nothing is moving the goalposts with the game already in progress.
Nothing Ear (stick): The Verdict
I've been pleasantly surprised with the Nothing Ear (stick). They have a fun design, with retro-Nineties flair. They won't blow you away with their sound quality (which is good, not amazing) or features (which are pretty standard), but they're unlike anything out there thanks to their fantastic tubular charging case, which is really pocketable and very addicting to play with (whether you're listening to the earbuds or not).
Yes, there are a lot of wireless earbuds that costs less than $100 these days — heck, even Apple's entry-level AirPods ($129) often drop below it when Amazon has a sale — but the Nothing Ear (stick) are definitely standouts.
