Tag Archives: transparent

Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop is a stunning preview of the future

Posted on by

Laptops are getting more powerful each year, but aside from the hardware upgrades, the basic design of these portable computers hasn’t changed significantly in the past decade. Yes, they are getting thinner and lighter while still delivering much-needed performance, but the clamshell design has still reigned supreme despite the conception of detachables and convertibles. That said, we might be on the cusp of a major design shift in this product segment while still holding tightly to that standard design. From dual-display and foldable laptops, new technologies are enabling new laptop designs that tickle the imagination and challenge the status quo. At MWC 2024, Lenovo is pushing the boundaries even further with a laptop that both delights the eyes and boggles the mind thanks to its transparent display.

Designer: Lenovo

Transparent displays are the stuff of science fiction, originally just eye candy designed to amaze viewers and inspire dreams of the future. Over time, it has also become the goal of many display manufacturers, and we’re finally starting to see the technology making its way into signages and even TVs at home. While new products are showing off what’s possible, the Lenovo ThinkPad Transparent Display Laptop proof of concept is really testing the limits of what you can do with such a screen, especially when you need to actually create content rather than just watch videos.

This concept product is the world’s first laptop with a 17.3-inch Micro LED transparent display, or practically the world’s first laptop with a transparent display of any size. And it’s truly a sight to behold, almost no different from those hi-tech transparent screens that have become a staple of almost any sci-fi show or film. It’s mind-blowing how you can clearly application windows and their contents while still getting a glimpse of what’s behind the screen. Even more magical is seeing only certain parts of the screen become “opaque” when it’s displaying an object, leaving the rest of the screen completely transparent.

Lenovo isn’t stopping there, though, and it has unsurprisingly found a way to inject some AI into that feature. It uses AI-Generated Content to display dynamic images or overlay information depending on the physical objects behind the transparent screen. In a sense, the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop integrates the physical and digital worlds not just visually but also through actual interaction between these two spaces. All thanks to artificial intelligence, of course.

That isn’t the only novelty that Lenovo is bringing to this proof-of-concept laptop. To really drive home that futuristic image, this ThinkBook does away with the conventional physical keyboard and instead uses a capacitive glass surface for typing. This surface also transforms into a drawing pad with an active stylus. This technology isn’t actually new to Lenovo, which launched an innovative yet also short-lived Yoga Book in 2016. In theory, this kind of display-based keyboard opens the door to customization and flexibility, but the ergonomics of such a device is just too poor to be worth the fancy features. Still, it’s hard to deny that this dazzling Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop shows the possible future we will be facing, and the fact that this proof-of-concept design is already in such a usable state suggests we’re not that far from making those fantasy devices a reality.

The post Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop is a stunning preview of the future first appeared on Yanko Design.

LG SIGNATURE OLED T transparent TV removes the ugly black rectangle in the room

Posted on by

Although the main function of a TV is to show videos, the appliance has long stopped being a utilitarian device in people’s homes. It became a focal point of many social interactions between families and friends, especially because of its imposing presence in the living area. Recently, however, TVs have taken on a different role, trying to disappear into the background or, conversely, proudly stand as an art object to complement the rest of the room’s decor. Some homeowners have even completely thrown out the TV, preferring the frame-less freedom of home projectors but at the cost of convenience and clarity. At CES 2024, LG is unveiling a different take on this problem by presenting a TV that almost literally disappears into the background when you don’t want to see it.

Designer: LG

Transparent displays have long been a hot topic in the tech industry, giving sci-fi vibes that could only be accomplished in Hollywood. Of course, that’s a thing of the past now, with plenty of transparent panels coming out of the woodwork, some still with imperfections that don’t meet expectations, at least expectations based on imagination and fiction. LG, however, believes it’s finally time for those fantasies to become reality and has unveiled the rather ambitious SIGNATURE OLED T, the world’s first wireless transparent 4K OLED TV.

It’s easy enough to make a panel transparent. After, we have transparent glass and plastic for that. Making only specific parts completely opaque to show images, however, is the challenge that transparent TVs face. That’s why it’s mind-blowing to see the LG SIGNATURE OLED T in action, watching the transparent surface get covered up in places with vibrant pictures and fluid animations, completely obscuring what’s behind those parts while still retaining the transparency in areas where there’s no image being displayed.

This isn’t just an incredible feat of engineering, because that design has significant implications on how you design your room and where you place the TV. You no longer have to worry about putting a large black rectangle in the middle of your wall, nor are you prevented from putting the TV right in the middle of the room thanks to LG’s cutting-edge wireless transmission technology. Once you’re done watching, the TV can literally blend with the background, showing off your wall’s original design or letting you see the rest of the room’s decor. Alternatively, you can also use the SIGNATURE OLED T to display breathtaking images and act like a magical art canvas or gigantic photo frame.

The LG SIGNATURE OLED T isn’t just for show either, equipped with the brand’s latest and greatest hardware for 4K OLED TVs. That includes a new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor that works faster and better to enhance image quality in real-time. Whether it stands invisibly in the middle of the room or hangs silently on a wall, the LG SIGNATURE OLED T wireless transparent 4K TV gives you the freedom to enjoy life’s pleasures while keeping your beautiful space clean and free of big black screens.

The post LG SIGNATURE OLED T transparent TV removes the ugly black rectangle in the room first appeared on Yanko Design.

This portable E Ink typewriter reveals its guts to spirit you away to novel worlds

Posted on by

NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, has come and gone, but the joy and chore of churning out words never ends. Most people use a computer these days for writing any sort of content with words. Some might even use a smartphone to give their thoughts some form when a computer isn’t available. These devices are, of course, sufficient and practical, but that doesn’t mean they offer the best typing experience. They can become sources of distraction as well as cause of eye strain, both fatal for serious writers. Fortunately, there is now a class of devices that promise distraction-free typing, and this latest addition to that roster takes it up a notch with a design that will spark curiosity and flights of the imagination, hopefully, to better cajole those words out of your brain and onto a digital sheet.

Designer: Freewrite

The Freewrite Traveler is hardly a new gadget. In a nutshell, it is a portable digital typewriter that uses an eye-friendly E Ink screen for displaying the words you type. Unlike a laptop or phone, it doesn’t have any other function, which means there are no notifications or inessential features to distract you from the task of writing. It’s meant to deliver the joy of uninterrupted writing while still offering conveniences like a comfortable mechanical keyboard, saving files on the cloud, and a portable design.

The “Ghost” builds on this solid foundation and adds a design twist that, while not exactly necessary, could help lead your mind to new ideas. It takes inspiration from products that flaunted transparent or translucent shells, including old Game Boy models, the candy-like iMacs, or even Crystal Pepsi. As its name implies, the Freewrite Traveler Ghost sports a transparent shell that lets you take a peek at the electronics that make the device tick.

It’s admittedly gimmicky, but one shouldn’t underestimate the subconscious effects of such gimmicks on our creativity. Humans have always been interested in discovering what lies within, even if it consists of a jumble of wires. The play of light on the translucent white case also gives our eyes plenty of interesting visual points that, in turn, could help trigger the brain and spark new ideas. At the very least, it could offer a nice visual break while you stretch your fingers and arms after a long period of typing.

Granted, not everyone will be keen on spending a solid $600 on a device that does one thing and one thing only, but that limitation is also the very same appeal of the Freewrite Traveler. And when you’re a writer stuck in a rut or are easily thrown off your groove by distractions, every little bit counts to get you focused and inspired, even if it means staring at the indecipherable mess of modern electronics.

The post This portable E Ink typewriter reveals its guts to spirit you away to novel worlds first appeared on Yanko Design.

OnePlus may be hinting at a transparent speaker to be launched soon

Posted on by

One of the better design trends that have made a comeback lately (and one that I wholeheartedly approve of) is the transparent device. We’re seeing things from phone cases to game controllers and devices to printers to keyboards to smart glasses sport that see-through design that we went crazy for back in the 90s. It’s pretty interesting to see the “inner workings” of these devices or at least pretending to see the insides of the gadgets. Now it looks like Chinese brand OnePlus may come out with their own transparent design device that is not a smartphone.

Designer: OnePlus

OnePlus India recently released a teaser ad that seems to hint at a new device that they will be announcing soon. With the tagline “The wonder of music meets the power of tech”, the teaser ad features what looks like a speaker system with an obviously transparent design. This is an expansion of their current product line which is mostly made up of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and wireless earbuds. While having speakers is not really that surprising, what caught people’s attention is the supposed design of the alleged device.

The teaser shows a transparent cube that shows off components that are most likely what you can find inside speakers. Since it’s still just an initial ad and not really the official one, we have no way of knowing what are the specifications of this upcoming product, whether it’s just a portable speaker or a whole speaker system. There is also some speculation that this may be a collaboration with another tech brand, Nothing, which has also been reported to be launching new audio hardware with a transparent design as well.

There is no specific date yet for an official announcement so all we have to go on, for now, is this teaser ad from OnePlus in The Times of India. But based on the image in this ad, it will be a pretty interesting piece of audio hardware if they indeed go with the transparent or see-through design. It will also be interesting to see how the brand (or brands, if the collaboration is true) will fit into the market and go against more established speaker brands.

The post OnePlus may be hinting at a transparent speaker to be launched soon first appeared on Yanko Design.

OnePlus may be hinting at a transparent speaker to be launched soon

Posted on by

One of the better design trends that have made a comeback lately (and one that I wholeheartedly approve of) is the transparent device. We’re seeing things from phone cases to game controllers and devices to printers to keyboards to smart glasses sport that see-through design that we went crazy for back in the 90s. It’s pretty interesting to see the “inner workings” of these devices or at least pretending to see the insides of the gadgets. Now it looks like Chinese brand OnePlus may come out with their own transparent design device that is not a smartphone.

Designer: OnePlus

OnePlus India recently released a teaser ad that seems to hint at a new device that they will be announcing soon. With the tagline “The wonder of music meets the power of tech”, the teaser ad features what looks like a speaker system with an obviously transparent design. This is an expansion of their current product line which is mostly made up of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and wireless earbuds. While having speakers is not really that surprising, what caught people’s attention is the supposed design of the alleged device.

The teaser shows a transparent cube that shows off components that are most likely what you can find inside speakers. Since it’s still just an initial ad and not really the official one, we have no way of knowing what are the specifications of this upcoming product, whether it’s just a portable speaker or a whole speaker system. There is also some speculation that this may be a collaboration with another tech brand, Nothing, which has also been reported to be launching new audio hardware with a transparent design as well.

There is no specific date yet for an official announcement so all we have to go on, for now, is this teaser ad from OnePlus in The Times of India. But based on the image in this ad, it will be a pretty interesting piece of audio hardware if they indeed go with the transparent or see-through design. It will also be interesting to see how the brand (or brands, if the collaboration is true) will fit into the market and go against more established speaker brands.

The post OnePlus may be hinting at a transparent speaker to be launched soon first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meet the World’s First “Transparent AirPods Pro” built by a YouTuber (And you can make yours too)

Posted on by

While Apple may have dabbled with transparent earphones with their Beats Studio Buds +, their AirPods line sticks rather religiously to the white plastic construction. However, maverick engineer and YouTuber Ken Pillonel decided to switch things up and build a transparent version of the AirPods Pro. Known famously for building the world’s first USB-C AirPods Pro case, Pillonel’s set himself on a mission to hack the company’s products to make them more repairable, customizable, and user-friendly. The transparent AirPods Pro case shown here is a culmination of all his work, including an earlier project where he built a screw-based repairable version of the AirPods Pro case. Pillonel decided to try 3D printing the case out of clear resin to make something more akin to the Studio Buds +, or to the Nothing Ear (2). The result is quite eye-catching, to say the least!

Designer: Ken Pillonel

The video at the top of the article chronicles Pillonel’s process, which involves 3D printing the AirPods Pro case’s components and then treating them to achieve a clear finish. Once done, Pillonel put the case together, assembling every part including the status LED on the front, a wireless charging coil on the back, and in signature style, a USB-C charging port at the base. A highlight of this build is that even though it’s transparent, it’s held together with screws, which means you can disassemble and repair the case whenever you want.

Pillonel used a resin bath to print in clear plastic.

While the video documents Pillonel’s entire process, the YouTuber’s been more than forthcoming when it comes to other people trying to copy his work. He’s listed his entire process on the website in a nifty step-by-step guide, and you can access the 3D files on his Patreon.

The prints were then cured before the supports were removed.

Pillonel spent over 2 days just sanding the parts to achieve this immaculately clear finish.

The results look fascinating, especially when the green light causes the plastic to illuminate in this overtly cyberpunk fashion (along with Ken’s branding on the ribbon cable that leads to the light). There are, however, some caveats – the AirPods Pro weren’t designed to be transparent, which is why the internal component placement doesn’t necessarily look as aesthetic as one would hope. The wireless charging cable on the rear has an almost industrial appearance to it, but then again, it’s a matter of preference. The third part is that the earphones are still opaque. Given how hermetically sealed they are, it’s virtually impossible to build transparent earbuds, so the most you can really do is apply a vinyl clad on them or give them a paint job. That said, the transparent AirPods Pro performs just as well as intended, with all the features you’d expect from Apple’s product. Ken’s design hack just makes things better by lifting the opaque veil on the TWS earbuds case… and by making it infinitely repairable too!

The post Meet the World’s First “Transparent AirPods Pro” built by a YouTuber (And you can make yours too) first appeared on Yanko Design.

Transparent sofa made from polycarbonate sheet belongs in a sci-fi billionaire’s duplex

Posted on by

Looking at the Spark Sofa, you’re hit with a wave of feelings. It looks incredibly eye-catching, like a brilliant gem… but there’s something un-furniture-like about it. It looks hard, although the curved design gives the impression of comfort. You want to try sitting on it, but you’re also scared of breaking it. The Spark Sofa, however, comes crafted from a thick polycarbonate sheet (the same material used in riot shields), so you can rest assured that even though it looks fragile, it’s far from it. However, if there ever was a sofa worthy of being called a true ‘accent piece’, this would easily be it.

Designer: Wang Jun

Even though the sofa is made from a hard material, the Spark benefits from its soft forms that create this interesting contrast that makes it such an eye-grabber. While most sofas boast of bulky forms that occupy a lot of visual real estate, the Spark Sofa is entirely see-through, making it an interesting addition to a room. It doesn’t add weight to your space, but still dominates it, making it perfect for minimalist interiors. The transparent, gem-like design definitely sets it apart as a premium piece of furniture too – hence the reference to the billionaire bachelor pad. The fact that it’s made from plastic makes it perfect for both indoor as well as outdoor placement.

The Spark Sofa comes with a two-piece design. The base, which consists of a horseshoe-shaped curved piece of plastic, and the seat, which nests within a cutout in the base. The polycarbonate material can take on a significant amount of load without really showing signs of stress, although you may want to avoid wearing too much metal so as to prevent scratching the sofa. Any minor scratches or scuffs could easily be buffed out, though.

The Spark Sofa is a Gold Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.

The post Transparent sofa made from polycarbonate sheet belongs in a sci-fi billionaire’s duplex first appeared on Yanko Design.

Beats casually dropped a transparent version of the Studio Buds+ to rival the Nothing Ear (2)

Posted on by

A transparent version of the Beats Studio Buds+ briefly made it to Amazon before being pulled down from the site. With a $169.95 price tag, though, it competes directly with the $140 Nothing Ear (2), while offering better ANC, Transparency mode, and the signature Beats sound.

The listing was spotted briefly by a user before Amazon pulled it down, although it did reveal a few crucial details, including the Active Noise-Canceling mode being up to 1.6x more powerful thanks to a more powerful processor, and a better Transparency mode owing to 3x larger microphone modules and changes to the air-vent design. Similar to its predecessor, the Studio Buds+, offers seamless one-touch pairing for both Android and Apple devices, along with support for Spatial Audio and on-device tap controls. The Studio Buds+ also offer a much longer battery life, boasting of 36 hours of use as opposed to the 24 hours on the Studio Buds. The earbud case charges via USB-C, although there’s no mention of wireless charging for the Studio Buds+ yet.

Designer: Apple

The Studio Buds+ boast an IPX4-rated water resistance and will come in XS, S, M, and L ear tip sizes to accommodate a broader range of ear shapes. At $169.95, they offer a sportier and more affordable alternative to Apple’s own $249 AirPods Pro; and now in their transparent avatar (to be fair, the finish is somewhat frosted), lock horns directly with the Nothin Ear (2). If, however, the transparent design doesn’t float your boat, the Studio Buds+ will be available in Black and Ivory options too, starting May 18th.

The post Beats casually dropped a transparent version of the Studio Buds+ to rival the Nothing Ear (2) first appeared on Yanko Design.

This see-thru directional speaker brings invisible headphones that also serve as desk decor

Posted on by

Open office spaces and work-from-home arrangements have made headphones almost a necessity in warding off distractions. But while they may be effective at blocking out other sounds, they can sometimes be too effective in also blocking out important sounds or, worse, important people. They can also be uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time, creating fatigue and increasing stress instead of reducing it. Loudspeakers are, of course, out of the question in the office, and they can be awkward at home, especially when you need to do video calls. Straddling the middle ground between these two extremes are these innovative invisible headphones that not only create a personal sound space but also put a beautiful piece of decoration on your desk or shelf as well.

Designer: New Waves

Click Here to Buy Now: $329 $699 (51% off). Hurry, only 5/100 left! Raised over $200,000.

While there is a lot of hype around Spatial Audio as the next big thing in the industry, there is another undercurrent that is trying to bridge the gap between headphones and regular speakers. The so-called invisible headphones are technically directional speakers that focus the sound within a certain field so that you’re the only one that really hears what’s going on without having to cover your ears or get tangled up with cables. You might think that Focusound is just another entry in this niche market, but it actually offers innovative features in a stylish and practical package.

Comfortable & private working place.

Home entertainment with virtual headphones.

You will immediately notice that there is almost nothing to see with Focusound, just a see-thru glass in a rectangular frame. That, however, is actually the speaker, using a composite structure of multi-layered transparent films that acts as the sound-generating unit, with the actual driver housed in an external module. This “screen” focuses the sound in a narrow beam, almost like a spotlight, delivering audio that is as clear as the speaker looks and only toward the person who is meant to be listening.

While the transparent glass speaker is already eye-catching on its own, it also serves an additional purpose. Thanks to its equally innovative Back Clips, you can clip anything on the back of that see-through material, from photos to to-do lists and anything in between. This turns the speaker into a piece of decoration that can stand anywhere at home, thanks to its simple and minimalist design. Of course, putting anything behind the glass doesn’t affect the audio coming from the directional speaker, so you can definitely have your cake and eat it too.

A rotatable back stand lets you prop up the Focusound at multiple angles, whether vertically or horizontally, giving you complete freedom of how and where you want to place the speaker. And if you combine two Focusound speakers with the same driver, you can even have a 360-degree surround sound setup that won’t bother the rest of your family when you’re enjoying a movie or a game. For only $329 for a Focusound SOLO or $419 for Focusound DUO, you can enjoy clear yet private audio anytime, without the hassles of headphones and earbuds, while also adding a bit of pizzazz to your desk with this memorable and multifunctional see-thru directional speaker.

Click Here to Buy Now: $329 $699 (51% off). Hurry, only 5/100 left! Raised over $200,000.

The post This see-thru directional speaker brings invisible headphones that also serve as desk decor first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nothing Ear (2) Review: An Exercise in Iterative Refinement

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Unique, distinctive design

  • Personalized sound profiles

  • Well-balanced performance for price

  • Clear sustainability strategy

CONS:


  • Noticeable wind noise despite ANC
  • Available only in white

  • Visually identical to Ear (1)

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Nothing Ear (1) represents a clear step forward in quality while retaining the first-gen earbuds' winning points.

The removal of headphone jacks from smartphones initiated by Apple caused a surge in the number of wireless earbuds in the market. That, of course, also gave birth to the need for good earbuds designs, though many, unsurprisingly, were content to just copy the leading brands. It isn’t always about looking different, though, since a unique design might also end up being unusable or don’t deliver an adequate level of performance. Form and function should always go hand in hand in the first place, and that seems to be the goal of the second-gen Nothing Ear (2) TWS earbuds, keeping what worked and refining what needed improvement. Given the reputation of the first-ever Nothing product, we just had to take it for a spin to check if its successor sounds as clear as it looks.

Designer: Nothing

Aesthetics

With so many TWS buds looking like AirPods knockoffs, it’s not surprising that some manufacturers have tried moving away from that design with mixed results. Some have gotten rid of stems completely, while others have added wings. Nothing’s strategy wasn’t to go overboard by changing the shape of the buds and instead gave it a distinct character with a transparent stem that truly set it apart from the crowd.

The Nothing Ear (2) retains this character and, in fact, looks eerily similar to the Ear (1). You could almost call this the Ear (1.5) or Ear (1) II because of how little it has changed, at least on the outside. Internally, however, this new pair definitely steps up the game enough to be called a successor. This theme of not changing what isn’t broken is pretty much the essence of the Ear (2), and it’s not exactly a bad thing.

There are some visual differences, of course, though you’ll find them mostly on the charging case. The rounded box’s edges are squarer now, and the white panel on the bottom is slightly raised to act as a protective bumper. The case is made of a new material that’s supposed to make it more resistant to scratches, though ours showed slight marks very early into the game. What hasn’t changed is the dimple on the top cover that still lets you twirl the case around between your fingers like a fidget toy.

In terms of looks, you’d be forgiven if you mistook the Ear (2) for the Ear (1). Those who expected something more sensational from Nothing’s first product might walk away disappointed yet again. It’s not a complete loss, though, because using the same design helps reinforce the Nothing Ear’s image as a fun and enjoyable product, now made even better, at least on paper. One knock against it, however, is that Nothing doesn’t have plans on making the Ear (2) available in any other color, at least for now. That could very well change in the future, just like how the black Ear (1) eventually came to be.

Ergonomics

Since there isn’t much of a difference from the first Nothing earbuds, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Ear (2) is just as comfortable. In fact, the buds’ more compact design makes it a wee bit lighter at 4.5g, but that doesn’t reduce its ergonomic performance in any way. It has a secure fit and won’t suddenly fall off your ear while you’re moving around or even just talking, which we can’t say the same for other buds we’ve tested.

One thing that takes that comfort and fit to the next level is the new Ear Tip Fit Test. It goes beyond just letting you pick tips that you’re comfortable with but also makes sure that they form a proper seal in your ears for the best audio. This test is the first part of Nothing’s new Personal Sound Profile feature that truly makes the buds yours, putting you in the driver’s seat of your listening experience and enjoyment.

Another invisible change that Nothing made for the comfort of its customers is the way you control the buds. It has done away with taps and slides, which are often error-prone and are easily triggered by accident. With the Ear (2), you press or squeeze the stem for more intentional control, and each of the actions can be customized through the Nothing X mobile app.

Performance

If the Ear (2) looks a lot like the Ear (1) on the outside, the hardware and software upgrades inside make all the difference in the next-gen product. It is, unfortunately, also the reason why these new features can’t be made available to the first Nothing Ear, because that older pair doesn’t have the necessary hardware to support those nifty treats. Then again, that’s also the reason why you’d want to buy a new Ear (2) in the first place.

In addition to a more powerful chipset and more stable Bluetooth connection, the Ear (2) now features a custom 11.6mm driver that’s paired with a new diaphragm. That diaphragm combines a softer polyurethane (PU) material to let lower frequencies come through and a more rigid graphene for more sensitivity to higher frequencies. These new parts are enclosed in a similarly new dual-chamber design that expands the sound space and increases airflow.

What all these mean in practice is that the Nothing Ear (2) delivers an impressive audio quality that is clear and full, regardless of the range. You get mighty bass and crisp vocals from every tune or podcast that you play through it. But not everyone hears the exact same way, and this is where the Ear (2) really shines. It introduces the Personal Sound Profile test powered by Mimi, the same hearing test app certified for medical hearing devices, to a personalized equalizer setting formed around what you can hear and can’t hear. The test is a simple series of questions that try to determine your hearing range, and the settings are all automatically done based on the results. Of course, you can still choose your own settings if you prefer, but the generated equalizer will be great for users that don’t have much audio expertise.

The Ear (2) now also offers three levels of Active Noise Cancellation or ANC, letting you decide just how much of the outside world you want to let in. You can even let the buds decide the best level for you with Adaptive Mode, taking into account the amount of distracting noise around you. While it does work in general, we still heard some wind gusts while riding our bike, something we didn’t experience on another pair of buds.

Nothing did retain some of the “fan-favorite” features from the Ear (1), most notably, a low-latency mode for playing games and the ability to detect whether you’re wearing the buds or not. For the Ear (2), Nothing adds the ability to connect to two Bluetooth sources simultaneously, allowing the buds to switch between calls from your phone and music from your laptop as needed. The charging case still supports both USB-C wired as well as wireless charging, and you can even charge it on top of the Nothing Phone (1) if you have one.

Sustainability

Finally, we get to review a consumer electronics product that does have a word or two to say about the environment. Given how wireless earbuds are littering the market, there’s some comfort in knowing that there are companies acting responsibly to make sure they don’t litter the planet as well. Make no mistake, the Ear (2) is still mostly made from non-sustainable materials like plastic, but Nothing deserves some kudos for not only taking steps to minimize its carbon footprint but also making it clear what those steps are.

The circuit boards for the Ear (2), for example, are made from 100% recycled materials. It would be great if the plastics were also made similarly, but that could happen after Nothing has checked off all the other important boxes for its buds. The company does claim that it uses renewable electricity in manufacturing this product and that its lifetime carbon footprint is only 3.1kg of carbon dioxide equivalent. And, of course, there’s the plastic wrap-free packaging, which should be the standard for mobile devices and accessories by now.

Value

People seem to go through earbuds at a worryingly rapid rate, so they’re always on the lookout for great deals and prices. There is also a very wide range of prices for these products, and some are not always worth their weight in gold, while others turn out to be unexpected treasures. At $149, the Nothing Ear (2) will clearly be compared with the likes of higher-end TWS earbuds that sit a little below the luxury line. The good news is that you get what you pay for and maybe even more.

For that price tag, the Ear (2) delivers the quality you’d expect but also wraps it in a personalized experience tailored to your unique hearing profile. It’s not absolutely perfect, and some audiophiles might prefer buds coming from more established brands, but those usually cost twice as much. You also don’t get a head-turning design with those, and the Ear (2) definitely stands out in that respect.

Verdict

There was some degree of disappointment over the Ear (1) due to the hype it generated before its launch, but its reception and review definitely satisfied naysayers. There’s always room for improvement, of course, and that is what the Ear (2) is bringing to the table. Going beyond just delivering impressive audio quality, it gives people more control over their listening experience, from personal sound profiles to customizable controls. All in a design that is distinctive, popular, and striking.

The decision to buy a new pair might be more difficult for those who already own the Ear (1) and are happy with it. Then again, the Ear (2) is replacing its predecessor, so this is pretty much the only way forward anyway. In terms of design, the second-gen buds isn’t a sensational and revolutionary new product, but its careful and calculated approach to iterative improvement makes the Nothing Ear (2) deserve a place on your shopping list.

The Nothing Ear (2) launches on nothing.tech starting March 22nd and will be available in the Nothing Store in Soho as well as Kith stores worldwide on March 23rd. Open sales begin on March 28th from online and in-person partner stores globally, including Stock X in the US.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post Nothing Ear (2) Review: An Exercise in Iterative Refinement first appeared on Yanko Design.