Except for the recently released Apple AirPods 4, there is no shortage of excellent truly wireless earphones (TWS) on the market. However, few include an open-ear design and active noise cancellation (ANC). This is because achieving noise cancellation without an appropriate ear seal is challenging. Nothing appears to have risen to the occasion, and Apple is planning to release an “Ear Open” AirPods 4 substitute on September 24.
The forthcoming Nothing TWS is probably an improved model of the company’s original wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (Stick) (review), which looked much like the AirPods 4. It did, however, lose out on ANC, much like the majority of earbuds without ear tips.
The next Nothing Ear Open TWS is still under wraps, but it should provide a high-end user experience with features including support for high-resolution audio codecs, an all-day battery life, and complete compatibility with both iOS and Android smartphones. It will be more deeply integrated with cellphones made by Nothing. Conversely, the limited functionality of the AirPods 4 applies to Android smartphones.
A closed-ear earbud (with ear tips) would physically segregate the outside sound and use anti-noise to filter some of the noises, making ANC considerably easier to achieve. On the other hand, it will be more difficult to establish a soundproof seal with an open-ear earphone.