Nothing earbuds get something new, with Google Assistant support
Last year, ex-OnePlus co-founderCarl Pei’s new company Nothing launched theear (1) earbuds. While not the smartphone some might have hoped for, it was still a promising start — good sound quality, affordable — but the buds didn’t connect to Google Assistant, which seemed like an odd choice. Thankfully the company has now rectified the problem and the ear (1) is receiving a helpful feature that will make it easier to use with AI-powered digital assistants.
With firmware update 0.6700.1.86, ear (1) owners will now be able to use Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri. Access is simple as a triple-tap on either bud.
While we’re pleased as punch to see the buds finally picking up that support, it sounds like the implementation isn’t perfect. Some users complained in response to Nothing’s tweet, onenotingthat three taps amounted to too much multitasking while doing something requiring both hands like riding a bike.9to5Google also notesthat the third tap sometimes just won’t work — however, you could correct this issue by deleting and then re-installing the ear (1) app.
Since first releasing the original clear earbuds last year, Nothing has followed up with a sleek-lookingblack versionof the ear (1) and partnered with Qualcomm in preparation for a possibleNothing phonerelease at some point in 2022. Meanwhile, at $99 the ear (1) remains a solid choice for anyone seeking affordable, noise-canceling earbuds with great battery life.
But does it make the heart flutter?
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