- Leaked specs of the Nothing Headphone (1) reveal impressive features.
- It will have 80 hours of playback with ANC off and 40mm drivers, partnered with KEF for the sound.
- The weight is going to be 329 grams, lighter than AirPods Max but heavier than Sony WH-1000XM5.
Nothing is one of those brands that always tries to do things differently. Whether it’s the Nothing Phone with its Glyph lights and transparent design or the budget-friendly audio devices like the Nothing Ear and CMF Buds, they’ve consistently strived to be different in the mid-range segment. Now, they’re preparing to launch the first pair of over-ear headphones. Let’s take a look at the leaked specs of the upcoming Nothing Headphone (1) and what you can expect from it.
The launch of the Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Headphone (1) is scheduled for July 1st, in London at 18:00 BST. This is the first time that Nothing is stepping into the headphone space, and it’ll be interesting to see what they bring to the table. Some of the leaked specs, as reported by Android Headlines, give us a better look at what to expect from these upcoming headphones.
Table of Contents
1. Heavier Than Expected?
Weight plays a big role when it comes to headphones, especially for long listening sessions. The Nothing Headphone (1) is expected to weigh 329 grams, which might be on the heavier side compared to its competitors.
For context, the Sony WH-1000XM5 weighs around 250g, and the Bose QuietComfort weighs about 235g. That’s almost a 32% difference, which is definitely noticeable on your head over time. If the Nothing headphones are indeed this heavy, they’ll need to offer exceptional comfort to make up for it, because otherwise, it could become a dealbreaker for many users.
That said, it’s still lighter than the Apple AirPods Max, which comes in at a hefty 386g. There are plenty of complaints about the AirPods Max being too heavy for everyday use on Reddit.
Another concern is portability. Unlike other headphones like the upcoming Sony XM6, which are rumored to retain their foldable design, Nothing Headphone (1) may only offer rotating earcups without true folding capability. That will make it bulky to carry around, and could be another point of criticism.
2. 40mm Drivers Tuned with KEF
The Nothing Headphone (1) is expected to come with 40mm drivers, which is a solid move. That’s one of the features we wanted to see in Nothing Headphone (1).
These 40mm drivers are the same size as the ones used in the AirPods Max, and noticeably larger than the 30mm drivers in the Sony WH-1000XM5. Larger drivers usually help deliver better bass, clearer mids, and higher volumes, so that’s a good sign for audio quality. But a lot also depends on the design and tuning.
Nothing has partnered with KEF for tuning. It is a British brand known for its premium speakers and high-end audio products. With KEF’s expertise, the tuning on these headphones could give them a serious edge. Now it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in real-world use.
3. Record-Breaking Battery Life
One of the most impressive features of the Nothing Headphone (1) will be its battery life. You’ll reportedly get up to 80 hours without ANC and 35 hours with ANC when using the AAC codec. That’s nearly double what the Sony WH-1000XM5 which offers 40 hours without ANC and around 30 hours with ANC.
Even when ANC is turned on, the Headphone (1) holds better. Compared to the AirPods Max, which only offers 20 hours with ANC on (and no clear option to turn it off), Nothing takes the lead. The headphones will also support the LDAC codec, giving you up to 54 hours without ANC and 30 hours with ANC, still beating Sony and Apple in that department.
This huge battery life will be backed by a 1040mAh battery, which is significantly larger than the AirPods Max’s (664mAh). Interestingly, it will even surpass the Sony XM5’s 1200mAh battery in performance despite being slightly smaller in size.
Charging will also be pretty efficient. With ANC off, a 5-minute quick charge will give you 5 hours of playback, and 2.4 hours with ANC on. That will be better than AirPods Max, which gives just 1.5 hours, but slightly behind Sony’s XM5, which offers 3 hours in just 3 minutes.
All in all, Nothing might just set a new standard for battery life in this segment. However, we can’t ignore that a larger battery could also mean more weight, which might affect comfort.
Other Features
Other than Weight, Sound, and battery, these are the other leaked features of the upcoming Nothing Headphone (1):
- On-head detection
- Google Fast Pair
- Microsoft Swift Pair
- Dual Connection
- LED charging status
- Low Lag Mode
- Personal Sound Profile
- Find My Device
The Nothing Headphones are set to be announced on July 1 with the Nothing Phone (3), so let’s see how it holds up. That’s it, peeps! Stay tuned for further updates.
