The all-new Nothing Ear (a) truly wireless earbuds were announced in India this week, and they feature the signature transparent design, a custom 11mm driver, ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), up to 42.5 hours of music playback, an IP54 rating, and much more. It is worth mentioning that with this price and features, the Nothing Ear (a) directly competes with the recently announced OnePlus Buds 3. Look at what the two TWS earbuds offer and which brings better value for money.
Table of Contents
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: features at a glance
| Features | Nothing Ear (a) | OnePlus Buds 3 |
| Drivers | 11mm PMI + TPU dynamic driver | 10.4mm woofer and 6mm tweeter dual drivers |
| ANC | up to 45dB | up to 49dB |
| Battery |
| 58mAh (buds) and 520mAh (case), USB Type-C |
| Fast charging | yes | yes |
| Microphones | 3 mics | 3 mics |
| IP rating | IP54 (buds) and IPX2 (case) | IP55 |
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: price in India, colours
| Nothing Ear (a) | OnePlus Buds 3 | |
| Price | Rs 5,999 | Rs 5,499 |
| Colours | Black, Yellow, and White | Splendid Blue, and Metallic Grey |
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: design
The all-new Nothing Ear (a) offers a clear and transparent casing that lets users see the inside They are enclosed in a slightly transparent casing. The portion that rests inside the ear has a white surface, and the stems are transparent. When worn, these stems extend downward. The case is rectangular and rounded, with a circular button on the front that is likely meant for pairing and a hinge at the back. It is worth mentioning that the Ear (a) case offers an IPX2 rating, while the earbuds have an IP54 rating.
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: drivers, ANC, audio
The Ear (a) includes 3 mics, an 11mm PMI + TPU dynamic driver, and in-ear detection. It is said to have enhanced wind noise resistance, Hi-Res Wireless audio, and Clear Voice Technology, which uses three microphones to filter out background noise during calls. The earbuds also feature a new Smart ANC algorithm and ANC support up to 45dB. This tech detects distractions in the environment and modifies the amount of noise suppression appropriately, such as high, mid, low, and adaptive, and it also features a Transparent Mode.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus Buds 3 earbuds also feature 3 microphones and have dual drivers – a 10.4mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter – along with Hi-Res Audio certification. These earbuds feature up to 49dB ANC and three ANC assistance levels are included with the earbuds – Mild, Moderate, and Deep, in addition to a transparency mode. They also support AAC, LHDC, and SBC audio codecs.
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: battery
With a 46mAh battery, the Nothing Ear (a) is claimed to play music for up to 9.5 hours without ANC or 5.5 hours with it. With fast charging, 10 minutes of charging can deliver 10 hours of non-ANC playback and has a USB Type C port.
Nothing Ear (a) vs OnePlus Buds 3: connectivity
The Nothing Ear (a) has Bluetooth 5.3 compatibility and works with Android 5.1 or iOS 11 and later. It is compatible with Microsoft Swift Pair, Google Fast Pair, and Dual Connection.
Similarly, the OnePlus Buds 3 also has Bluetooth 5.3 and a 10-meter range. Additionally, they support Dual Connection and Google Fast Pair.
The newly announced Nothing Ear (a) provides Pinch actions for controlling several features, including volume adjustment, call management, play/pause, and switching between noise suppression modes. The OnePlus Buds 3, on the other hand, have swipe-based touch controls for volume adjustments.
Key takeaways
The Nothing Ear (a) TWS and OnePlus Buds 3 offer advanced features, including microphone settings, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and ANC. The transparent design, unique 11mm driver, and IP54 water and dust protection of the Nothing Ear (a) set it apart. The OnePlus Buds 3, on the other hand, has two drivers, a slightly better ANC capability of up to 49dB and improved water and dust protection with IP55 rating.
Both earbuds provide intuitive touch or pinch controls for a variety of functions and support quick charging. However, the price of the Buds 3 is comparatively cheaper than the Ear (a). It is worth noting that the Nothing Ear (a) will go on sale from April 22nd, while the OnePlus Buds 3 can be purchased via several platforms.
