British startup Nothing unveils next-generation Bluetooth earbuds with clever Walkie Talkie feature

You can use the microphone for calls, voice memos, and talking to the chatty AI assistant built into your handset.

If you've got your hands full or don't want to speak into the carry case, Nothing has fitted three microphones into each of the Bluetooth earbuds themselves. Sound from these microphones is intelligently combined with a dedicated bone-conduction Voice Pick-up Unit (VPU) that detects micro-vibrations from the jaw and ear canal, converting them into electrical signals for precise voice pickup.

This ensures that your voice is less affected by environmental noise. Nothing has developed an AI environmental noise-cancellation system, trained on over 20 million hours of real-world audio, to isolate your voice and suppress wind noise, achieving wind noise reduction levels of over 25 decibels.

If you're struggling to take an important call at a bustling train station or busy café, between the next-generation three-microphone array and VPU on each of these wireless 'buds and the dedicated Super Mic accessible with a quick press of the TALK button if you'd rather talk into the carry case like a dictaphone... the Nothing Ear (3) should all-but guarantee your voice is always perfectly audible during calls and voice memos.

These new 'buds have an industry-standard IP54 rating, which means they'll handle dust, sweat, and light rain without suffering any damage — making them suitable for daily use whether you're commuting, exercising, or just going about your day.

What about sound quality?

Nothing Ear (3) boast an upgraded 12mm dynamic driver, which the British upstart says should offer a rich, natural sound across a wide variety of genres. The award-winning designers at Nothing's London-based HQ created a patterned diaphragm that results in a 20% larger radiating area compared to the previous generation, boosting bass response by 4-6 dB and treble by up to 4 dB for a wider soundstage, cleaner highs, and rich mids.

All that means sound quality should be improved compared to the Nothing Ear (2) 'buds launched in March 2023.

Battery life has also received a boost. According to Nothing, each Ear (3) earbud delivers 10 hours of listening time — that's your entire workday sorted without needing a charge. Running late and forgot to charge overnight? A quick 10-minute plug-in gives you another 10 hours of playback, perfect for those rushed mornings.

The wireless charging case means you can simply drop it on your charging pad at night, and you're good to go for 38 hours total listening time. That charging case deserves special mention — it's made entirely from recycled aluminium and goes through 27 different manufacturing steps. The company has used advanced nano-injection moulding to blend metal and plastic seamlessly, creating a sturdy, compact case without needing any glue.

The Ear (3) pairs instantly with your devices, thanks to compatibility with Google Fast Pair on Android, iOS, and Microsoft Swift Pair for Windows PCs. These 'buds rely on Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC to ensure detailed audio with low-latency — cutting the end-to-end delay to under 120 milliseconds for gaming and video.

Via the Nothing X app, users can customise controls and select how to activate Essential Space on a Nothing-branded smartphone or ChatGPT via the buds.

Nothing has taken a fresh approach with the Ear (3)'s appearance, mixing metal elements into their famous see-through design for the first time. The transparent casing still shows off the internal components, but now features sleek metal touches that its design team says ensure a premium feel.

The Ear (3) ship in a choice of either Black or White colourways, priced at £179.

You can preorder yours right now via the Nothing online store or selected retailers, with the next-generation Bluetooth 'buds hitting shelves on September 25, 2025.

For context, that's competitive pricing for earbuds with this level of technology - you're getting advanced noise cancellation, innovative call features, and premium build quality.

Nothing Ear (3) will go head-to-head with the all-new AirPods Pro 3 launched by Apple earlier this month. These 'buds boast Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC), extra battery life, live translation capabilities, and a heart-rate monitor to track calories burned and heart-rate during 50x different workout types. You can read how all of these features work in practice in our in-depth Apple AirPods Pro 3 review.

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