Nothing Ear (3a) Leak: Price, Colors, and What to Expect

A cheaper Nothing? That’s the rumor floating around today, and it’s loud enough to make anyone who follows earbuds sit up.

Leaked information points to a budget-focused sibling for the Ear (3). The Ear (3a) is said to arrive in four colors — white, black, yellow and pink — and carry a retail tag of around €99 in France. Sound familiar? That’s the same entry price Nothing used for the Ear (a) back in 2024.

To appreciate the scale of the move, remember the Ear (3) launched at roughly €179 in the Eurozone. In other words, the 3a would land as a noticeably more affordable option, likely aimed at shoppers who want Nothing’s design and ecosystem without the premium toll.

Nothing has a pattern here. The company rolled out Headphone (1) then offered the Headphone (a) as a lower-cost alternative. The Ear (3) debuted last September, and a trimmed-down 3a fits the same playbook: polish where it matters, trim where buyers are price-sensitive.

We don’t have spec sheets yet. No confirmed battery figures. No precise feature list. But a €99 price suggests compromises compared with the flagship Ear (3): fewer advanced codecs, simpler active noise cancellation, or more modest case and driver tuning are realistic guesses. Want a balanced sound and the brand look? This could be the sweet spot.

The key takeaway: if the leak holds, Nothing is aiming to broaden its market with an Ear (3a) around €99, in four playful colorways.

Leads like this rarely tell the whole story. Still, it’s an interesting one. Keep an eye out — the official announcement will either confirm the rumor or rewrite the narrative entirely.