We have been following the teaser campaign for the Nothing Ear (stick) earbuds, and are finally able to bring you a full review of the wireless half-earbuds we have been eyeing for some time

These earbuds are the company's second earbuds, following the Ear (1) ANC earbuds released last year For those unfamiliar with the Nothing brand, Nothing is an exciting and functional product design that provides a powerful user experience at all levels Nothing is a young British company looking to shake up the current relationship between consumers and tech through exciting, functional product design that offers a powerful user experience at every level

According to Nothing's CEO and co-founder Carl Pei, the goal is to make "tech fun again" and more accessible, from unpacking a product for the first time to everyday usability

Frankly, I can understand what this company is trying to accomplish You can get my thoughts on this Nothing Ear (stick) review

The Nothing Ear (stick) earbuds will officially launch on November 4 in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe for $99 / $149 Canadian / £99 / €119 / $179 Australian There will also be a 10% refund for those who pre-order from the Nothing Store website (opens in new tab)

However, the $99 price tag for the Ear (stick) should be noted, as Nothing's ANC earbuds, the Nothing Ear (1), which also went on sale for $99, were recently raised 50% to $149 A spokesperson for Nothing said in a statement that the price increase is due to the global economic climate, increased operating costs, and further increases in research and development expenses No one knows how long the ear (stick) will remain on sale for $99

To underscore Nothing's commitment to providing a fun, tactile product, the Ear (stick)'s cylindrical charging case is quite different from anything I've seen on the market so far; according to Nothing, "This case was inspired by a lipstick silhouette Inspired by the silhouette of a lipstick, it features a unique yet functional twist opening The case is surprisingly tactile, and I was particularly impressed with the packing box that Ear (the stick) comes in

The Ear (stick) earphones themselves are a half-in-ear design, positioned outside the ear canal Weighing 015 ounces per earphone, they are lighter than the Ear (1) and, to be honest, feel ultra-light in the ear They feel very secure in the ear, although I wouldn't recommend using them as exercise partners Nevertheless, they are IP54 dustproof, waterproof, and sweatproof, so they are well protected if you are so inclined

The control scheme of the Nothing Ear (stick-type) uses physical buttons for playback, song skipping, volume adjustment, and call management These can be customized with an app already integrated for Nothing Phone 1 owners, or downloaded for Android and iOS devices, which can swap or assign functions to different input methods such as single/double/triple tap and hold and assign functions to different input methods such as single/double/triple-tap and hold

The control buttons provide tactile feedback that can be felt to assure that the command has been executed The response time is not the fastest I have experienced, but the commands are executed with precision

Wearing detection works both ways Playback is paused when one of the buds is removed, and playback resumes as soon as both buds are placed in the ear

For this review, I used Ear (stick) earbuds on an iPhone 12 Pro, and while I did not mention anything about voice activation or manual control to access the AI bot, I was able to command Siri to deliver my music requests

12 The 6mm dynamic drivers within each Nothing Ear (stick) earphone produce a lively sound that is light and airy The rich detail and half-in-ear design places instruments and sounds in the sound space just outside the head, making the soundstage feel comfortable and open It is pleasant enough to listen to, but something is missing

Of course, not everyone wants earbuds crammed into the ear canal, but without the acoustic seal unique to this style of earbud, you would likely miss out on the lower frequencies At least for me, the Ear (stick)s do not deliver the bass range to give the music the bass energy it really needs

Although they have smart software called Bass Lock Technology, which is said to automatically optimize sound output by measuring the shape of the ear canal and the fit of the earbuds when worn, the Ear (stick)s are not as good as Big Data's "Dangerous," which is a loud Even when playing bass tracks, the bass is too light for my liking The customizable EQ alleviates some of the lack of bass, but even cranked up to maximum, the bass lacks energy and sounds a bit thin

The midrange frequencies convey vocal elements well, and voices always sound appealing, but they are a bit too commanding in the highs, making them unsuitable for long listening sessions for my ears

Nothing rates the battery life at 7 hours, but in my testing so far, this seems fairly accurate Keep in mind, however, that if you turn up the volume level to block out noise while traveling or in the office, the playback time will be reduced

The charging case will last up to 29 hours, depending on how you use the buds; a 10-minute quick charge will give you about 2 hours of use; a USB-C charging cable is included The case does not support wireless charging

There were no problems with voice or video calls, and conversations sounded clear; The Ear (stick) has improved call performance compared to the Ear (1), and Clear Voice Technology uses three high-resolution microphones and works with the latest algorithms to They filter out louder background noise, making calls more resistant to wind and crowds There is a low-latency mode that is compatible with Phone 1

The ear (stick) works with Bluetooth 52, which supports SBC and AAC audio codecs connection with the iPhone was stable throughout Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are also on compatible devices compatible devices

While the half-in-ear, open design is far from the sound balance I prefer, the Nothing Ear (stick) does a lot of things well There's a lot to appreciate, including great battery life, strong call quality, app integration, and one of the most stylish earbuds on the market right now It's going to win over a lot of fans, and it's hard to argue with the $99 price tag