The Nothing Ear (1) is getting a price bump, but there is still time to get the earbuds at the launch price. Manufacturers announcing a price increase isn’t a new phenomenon, and while nobody wants to pay more for a product, it can sometimes be unavoidable. For example, in July 2022, Meta announced that it was raising the price of the Quest 2 virtual reality headset. Sony also announced a markup in the price of the PlayStation 5 in multiple regions due to inflation.
In September, French electronics manufacturer Withings also disclosed that some of its products, including the Withings ScanWatch, would increase in price due to an increase in the cost of raw materials. The new pricing for the affected products took effect in the U.S. on Oct. 1. With the semiconductor shortage still ongoing, chances are that more manufacturers will also increase the prices of their products.
A Tough Sell At $149
The new price doesn’t take effect until Oct. 28, 2022, which means interested buyers have about a week to snag it for $99. Unlike the Nothing Phone (1), the Nothing Ear (1) is sold in the U.S. and can be purchased directly from Nothing’s website in black or white. Since there is still a bit of time before the new price takes effect, Nothing should see increased sales, as Carl Pei also revealed in his tweets that the company had sold almost 600,000 units. That number was expected to be higher, considering the hype around the pair of earbuds.
Sadly, Nothing will face even stiffer competition with the price increase as the market is highly competitive. One of its main rivals is the OnePlus Buds Pro which launched for $149 in 2021 but is currently selling for $99. Compared to the Nothing Ear (1), the OnePlus Buds Pro has longer battery life and better ANC performance. They also have support for Android and iOS devices. Another alternative that may even be better for Samsung users is the Galaxy Buds 2. Originally priced at $149, Samsung is currently selling them for $119. They have similar features as the Nothing Ear (1) and even support 360 Audio (spatial audio) with Dolby Head Tracking, a feature not available on Nothing’s earbuds.
