Nothing teases new release for April — and it could be a major AirPods rival

Nothing could be gearing up for another major release this year on the heels of debuting its Nothing Phone 2a in March with a social tease pointing to a new pair of earbuds. 

First spotted by 9to5Google, Nothing posted a photo to X (formerly Twitter) featuring a beetle and frog with a simple “Play Date” and an April 18 launch. 

Many are speculating the social post pertains primarily to the next pair of Nothing earbuds, which the company tends to tease via bugs, as seen with the Nothing Ear (1) that featured a ladybug and the Ear (2) that used a beetle.

It’s safe to assume that Nothing is set to bring an exciting update to its earbud lineup come April 18, but if that wasn’t enough a pair of new phones could also be making waves before the end of 2024, codenamed “Tetris” and “PacmanPro.”

 A frog meets a beetle  

Last year, the highly touted Nothing Ear (2) was announced in similar fashion, incidentally being teased with a beetle as shown in the post that dropped on Thursday, April 3. This might entail Nothing is bringing multiple new audio products to market, one being a refresh on the Nothing Ear (2) and a completely separate pair of earbuds. 

Though unclear at this time, the new set of earbuds could be the Nothing Ear (3) and might well give Apple a run for its money against its highly beloved AirPods Pro 2. Like most of its products, Nothing’s audio technology tends to break the mold when it comes to looks and aesthetics but they might even find themselves among the best wireless earbuds with several modifications. 

To keep informed on Nothing’s latest drops, which will be shown amid its Community Update on April 18, sign up for updates on its official website. Though, while the potential of a new pair of Nothing Ear earbuds proves incredibly exciting, that’s not all Nothing has on its docket for the near future. 

According to X user Dylan Roussel, the next Nothing Phone concepts are set to drop before the end of the year. Coined “Tetris” and “PacmanPro,” the phones might be the anticipated Nothing Phone 3 and a community edition version of the Nothing Phone (2a), respectively. In the lead-up to its release, the Phone (2a) featured the codename “Pacman,” which gives us a potential hint at what to expect for Nothing’s forthcoming releases. 

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but the Community Update on April 18 should invite some excitement in the world of earbuds. If you can’t wait that long, it might be time to try out the Nothing Ear (2) before the next high-end audio drop. 

More from Tom's Guide

• Nothing Ear (stick) review: Stylish half in-ear buds are hard to beat at $99
• Nothing Phone 2a is tougher than you might think
• I’ve been using the Nothing Phone (2) for three months — 3 things I love and 1 I hate