Nothing Ear (3a) Arrives With Audio Snapshot Recording and 45dB ANC at $99

The Nothing Ear (3a) is now available worldwide at $99 / £99 / €99, and the full spec sheet reveals several features that weren't in the pre-launch teasers — most notably a category-first Audio Snapshot recording feature.

Audio Snapshot: Record What You Just Heard

Audio Snapshot lets you record up to one minute of audio directly to 32MB of onboard storage in the earbuds themselves. The standout detail: it captures 30 seconds of audio that played before you hit record, so you can retroactively save a conversation, song, or idea you didn't think to capture in time. Recordings sync to your phone via the Nothing X app.

Full Specs

• Driver: 12mm dynamic driver with 5dB stronger bass than the Ear (a)
• ANC: Up to 45dB noise cancellation, plus Transparency mode and Spatial Audio
• Bluetooth: 6.0 with Google Fast Pair and support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs
• Battery: 6 hours with ANC on (25 hours with case), 10 hours ANC off (42 hours with case)
• Colors: Black, White, Yellow, and Pink

What This Means for Buyers

At $99, the Ear (3a) undercuts the AirPods 4 while offering features Apple doesn't match — LDAC hi-res audio, 45dB ANC, and the Audio Snapshot recording feature. The trade-off is Nothing's smaller app ecosystem and no Apple device integration. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at $140 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 at $159 offer more refined ANC but cost significantly more. Compare all options in our earbuds guide.