Nothing's Ear 1 earbuds will cost $99 and offer active noise cancellation

Nothing’s first ever product — a pair of wireless earbuds dubbed Ear 1 — will be showcased in full for the first time at an event on July 27. Ahead of that, the London-based tech startup has shared some important details about the product including its price.

Active noise cancellation for $99 with Nothing's Ear 1

Nothing Ear 1 will retail at $99 in the US and a similar price point has been decided on for the UK and Europe, where the true wireless earbuds will be available for £99 and €99 respectively.

That’ll make the upcoming true wireless earbuds some of the most affordable on the market. For reference, Apple’s AirPods retail at $159 and Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds 2 are expected to land at $149.

Perhaps more impressive than the price alone is the fact that Nothing is including state-of-the-art active noise cancellation (ANC) technology that makes use of three high-definition mics. The move means Ear 1 is a contender for best wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation of 2021. 

ANC is a feature typically reserved for significantly more expensive earbuds. The recently announced Beats Studio Buds also offer ANC but start at $149. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are even more expensive at $199 and Apple’s AirPods Pro cost $249.

Nothing’s efforts to add ANC at a much lower price point could help make the feature a mainstream feature that comes as standard on cheaper earbuds, though that will depend on the product's success, which is far from guaranteed.