Nothing's Ear (3a) get a launch date and a surprising new color

The clip leans into a summer DJ theme, all spinning turntable and a tagline about only dating DJs this summer. It appears Nothing wants to pitch these affordable buds as the music-first, going-out pick.

There's no full spec sheet in the tease, which is normal for Nothing. So, for now, the date is the reveal.

One event doing double duty

Bundling the buds into the Phone (4b) event is a tidy move. Nothing gets two reveals out of one livestream, and by filming the teaser on the very phone it's about to sell, it turns one product into an ad for the other.

That also puts the spotlight back on the smartest part of Nothing's audio range. The pricier Ear (3) chased a premium feel, but the (a) buds have always been the value pick, and our Ear (a) review reached roughly the same verdict.

If you're carrying AirPods or Galaxy Buds, a teaser like this may not affect your choice of daily carry. But if you've been running the older Ear (a), this looks like the upgrade Nothing has been pointing you toward.

What the leaks point to so far

None of the hardware is official yet, but a recent report (translated source) gives us a rough shape to expect:

• A price near €99, or about $115 (via direct conversion), roughly €10 over the outgoing Ear (a)
• A possible cut to the Ear (3)'s case-mounted Super Mic to trim costs
• Wireless charging for the case, though that one is still unconfirmed
• Four colors, with white, black and yellow returning and a new pink joining in, which is confirmed in the teaser video as seen below

US pricing isn't there, but the Ear (a) launched here at $99, so I'm guessing the Ear (3a) comes in a little above that.

What I'm hoping for

Teasers like this are easy to shrug off, and to be fair, there isn't much here beyond a date and a vibe. Still, the affordable Nothing buds have been a genuinely good deal for a while, so a refresh this summer is worth a note on the calendar.

What I'm really after is restraint on the price. If the Ear (3a) holds near that $99-to-$115 range and keeps the fun design, it stays an easy recommendation, even without the Super Mic.

I'd personally love to see the pink make it to the US, because Nothing's colors are half the charm. We'll know the rest on July 7.

• See how the step-up Ear (3) fared in our hands-on review
• Hunting for value in wireless audio? Browse our top budget earbud picks
• Follow me, @jojothetechie, on X and Threads for hot takes and behind-the-scenes coverage