Carl Pei’s hardware company is developing over-the-ear headphones, aiming to best Apple—with a promise of better sound, sleeker design, and a lower price.
Nothing just confirmed what was already expected: they’re getting into the over-ear headphone game. And they’re not exactly being subtle about the target.
In a teaser shared this week, the company announced its upcoming over-ear headphones—called the Nothing Audio 3 for now—will arrive this summer with sound quality “better than AirPods Max” and a price “significantly lower.” The product is expected to continue Nothing’s now-signature transparent aesthetic, joining the Ear (2) and Phone (2) in their expanding hardware lineup.
No specs yet, no official price, no audio samples. But based on Nothing’s track record and the positioning, the company isn’t just making headphones—they’re making a statement.
The AirPods Max Comparison Is Intentional
When you directly call out the AirPods Max, you’re not just promising good audio. You’re promising premium-tier ANC, lossless-ready output, ecosystem polish, and an industrial design that holds up against Apple’s famously tight tolerances. That’s a tall order.
But Nothing has built its entire brand around tight hardware design and high-end features at friendlier prices. The Ear (2) showed they can ship great sound and noise cancellation in a small form factor. These new headphones are their chance to scale that up—literally—and cut into a category still oddly underserved: over-ear headphones that aren’t priced like luxury watches.
The Strategy Is Familiar—and Smart
Carl Pei isn’t shy about going after incumbents. It’s what he did with OnePlus. It's what he's doing now. But with Nothing, the playbook is clearer: take categories where Apple is dominant but not aggressive, and ship something better-looking, more affordable, and slightly weird.
Nothing doesn’t need to dethrone AirPods Max. They just need to be good enough at half the price—and maybe more interesting to wear. That’s a lane.
There’s also a timing advantage. Apple hasn’t updated the AirPods Max since 2020. If Nothing can ship by summer and undercut on price without compromising on ANC and audio quality, they’ll have the stage mostly to themselves.
What to Watch
Expect more details soon—battery life, codec support (LE Audio? LC3?), compatibility with Nothing’s phones and ecosystem, and whether they can deliver meaningful audio upgrades over the competition at the rumored sub-$400 price point.
If they do, this could be Nothing’s most mainstream product yet.
