What you need to know
- Rumors claim Nothing is working on a new pair of budget earbuds, called the Ear 3a.
- These buds could feature a similar price to a previous budget model at €99 (~$114 USD) in black, white, yellow, and pink colorways.
- There’s little information about the earbuds’ specifications; however, the device could see teasers/a possible debut later this year.
If it feels like we should have another set of Nothing earbuds on the way, you might be right. Rumors surface, claiming to have found its next budget edition.
Early details about Nothing’s development of the Ear 3a are coming to light. Rumors from Dealabs (French) discuss the potential pricing situation consumers could see once these earbuds debut (via GSMArena). The publication claims Nothing could keep the price of the Ear 3a close to its predecessor at €99 (~$114 USD). At the moment, this is all the post could dig up about the Ear 3a.
There’s mostly speculation circling right now about the device. In particular, there are hopes that Nothing will amp up the Ear 3a’s capabilities with more welcome upgrades to its noise cancellation, etc. Rumors continue on an aesthetic note for the Ear 3a. The post alleges Nothing is working on four colorways, such as white, black, yellow, and pink.
Nothing debuted its Ear 3 buds in September 2025. Considering the timing of these rumors, there’s a chance we’re looking at a repeat—but make it budget.
Keeping it clear
Android Central’s Take
With so little information, we’re left to allowing our minds to wander about the Ear 3a. It feels like we’re caught in pretty exciting times—for upgrades, I mean. The Ear 3 feature a longer battery life and a redesigned 12mm audio driver; however, its ANC could’ve been better. If consumers can grab good earbuds with strong bass and clear sound and good ANC, Nothing might have something. We’ll just have to see when this could go down.
The design of the Ear 3a is an aspect we’re curious to see. So far, Nothing’s kept its earbuds relatively close. The Nothing Ear 3 features a bulbous main body with silicone tips and transparent stems/stabilizers. It’s worth noting that these buds cost $30 more than previously. So, it might be nice to hear the opposite for the Ear 3a, as Nothing could look to keep things affordable.
If we take a look back at a more likely comparison, the Nothing Ear a debuted in 2024 with 11mm audio drivers and a 500mAh case. The earbuds themselves feature 46mAh cells. In our review, the Ear a performed well, especially if you’re a bass lover. The device got a little wonky with higher-frequency electric guitars, but perhaps this is an area the Ear 3a can improve. We’re in June now, and Nothing typically starts teasing its next devices toward the end of summer.
If the company continues this trend, we might see something new appear late in August or early September.