Earbuds / Compare
Google Pixel Buds A-Series vs Nothing Ear (3a)
Product A: Google
65 of 166 known
Change Google Pixel Buds A-Series
Product B: Nothing
84 of 166 known
Change Nothing Ear (3a)
76 of 157 fields differ
- 34 different values
- 42 known for one only
- 14 the same
- 67 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 138 earbuds.
- Quick chargeA: 3hB: 1hGoogle is 3 times higher.
- Battery lifeA: 5hB: 10hNothing is 5 h higher.
- With caseA: 24hB: 42hNothing is 18 h higher.
Weight
0 to 80 g
Weight per bud
A5.06g
B4.53g
Case weight
A42.8g
B40.92g
All 166 fields
Every value links to where we found it.

General
5 of 8 differ
Series
Not available
Model numbers
GTIN / EAN
Not available
Not available
Announced
Not available
Status
Not available
Predecessor
Not available
Successor
Google Pixel Buds 2a15Reviewnotebookcheck.net/Pixel-Buds-2a-arrive-with-Pixel-Buds-Pro-2-features-at-a-lower-price.1092514.0.htmlRead 23 October 2026Notebookcheck says Google announced the Pixel Buds 2a as the successors to the Pixel Buds A-series released in 2021.
Not available
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Markets
Colours
Clearly White, Dark Olive, Charcoal, Sea1Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7544332Read 10 October 2026Google Pixel Buds A-Series Specifications: Clearly White, Dark Olive, Charcoal, Sea.
Black, White, Yellow, Pink1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026
Segment
Design
1 of 4 differ
Form factor
Bud shape
Use one bud alone
Either bud4Reviewtheverge.com/22465651/google-pixel-buds-a-series-earbuds-review-features-priceRead 11 October 2026Review quoting Google: each earbud connects individually to the source device.13Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7560934Read 11 October 2026Controls page: on the Pixel Buds A-Series all gestures can be performed with either earbud. The Verge adds that each earbud connects individually to the source device.
RGB lighting
Not available
Not available
Drivers and sound
8 of 17 differ
Drivers per bud
AGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series
| Type | Diameter (mm) | Count per earbud |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic | 12 | 1 |
BNothing Ear (3a)
| Type | Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | 12 |
Driver type
Driver size
12mm
12mm
Drivers per bud
1
Not available
Diaphragm material
Not available
Frequency response
Not available
Sensitivity
Not available
Not available
Sensitivity reference
Not available
Not available
Max bit depth
Not available
Not available
Adaptive EQ
Not available
Not available
Personalised sound
Not available
Not available
Onboard EQ
Not available
Not available
Custom EQ bands
Not available
EQ presets
Not available
Balanced, More Bass, More Treble, Voice10Maker product pagesupport.nothing.tech/hc/en-us/articles/47974778373393-How-many-types-of-EQ-effects-does-the-Earbuds-haveRead 8 October 2026The four maker-named Simple EQ presets. Additional Advanced EQ presets and shared user profiles are separate. Their complete names were not found and are not invented.
Volume limit
Not available
Not available
Spatial audio
1 of 2 differ
Spatial audio
Not available
Static Spatial Audio1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026
Head tracking
Not available
Not available
Noise cancelling
6 of 11 differ
Active noise cancelling
ANC type
Not available
Not available
ANC microphones in both earbuds
Not available
Not available
Adaptive ANC
Not available
ANC levels
Not available
ANC attenuation (claimed)
Not available
Transparency mode
Adjustable transparency
Not available
Not available
Automatic ANC and transparency blend
Not available
Not available
Conversation detection
Not available
Not available
Measured
5 of 23 differ
Frequency response notes (measured)
RTINGS describes a somewhat neutral sound profile with underemphasised bass across the whole range. The Bass Boost EQ adds punch. The mid-treble is slightly underemphasised.9Measurementrtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/google-pixel-buds-a-series-truly-wireless-vs-sony-wf-c500-truly-wireless/25832/28723Read 10 October 2026Public RTINGS Sound Profile text for the A-Series. Numeric bass and treble amounts are locked, so none are stored.
Not available
Bass amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Treble amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Deviation from target (measured)
Not available
Not available
Consistency between fittings (measured)
Not available
Not available
Sound leakage (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation, best (measured)
Not available
Not available
Passive isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Call quality notes (measured)
RTINGS: recording quality is satisfactory, voice sounds somewhat natural but thin. Noise handling is mediocre on a busy street.9Measurementrtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/google-pixel-buds-a-series-truly-wireless-vs-sony-wf-c500-truly-wireless/25832/28723Read 10 October 2026Public RTINGS Recording Quality and Noise Handling text.
Not available
Mic low-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic high-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic speech-to-noise ratio (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency (measured)
Not available
Not available
Bluetooth latency, worst (measured)
Not available
Not available
2.4 GHz latency, worst (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency in game mode (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery life (measured)
AGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series
| Hours (h) |
|---|
| 4.73 |
Longest tested use per charge
4.73h
10h
Battery life with case (measured)
Not available
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
Not available
Not available
Weight per bud (measured)
Not available
Not available
Microphones and calls
3 of 7 differ
Voice microphones in both earbuds
All microphones in both earbuds
Bone conduction voice sensor
Not available
Not available
Mic noise reduction
Call audio bandwidth
Not available
Not available
Mic mute control
Not available
Not available
Sidetone
Not available
Not available
Connectivity
8 of 18 differ
Chip
Not available
Not available
Connections
Bluetooth
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth profiles
Not available
Not available
Auracast
Not available
Not available
Multipoint
Multipoint devices
Not available
Multipoint with LDAC
Not available
Not available
Paired devices remembered
Not available
Automatic switching between own devices
Not available
Not available
Fast pairing
Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026
Audio sharing
Not available
Not available
Wireless range (claimed)
Not available
Wireless receiver
Not available
Not available
Receiver connector
Not available
Not available
Simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth audio
Not available
Not available
Latency
1 of 3 differ
Low latency mode
Not available
Claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Lowest claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Compatibility
2 of 4 differ
Platforms
Connection per platform
Not available
Not available
Features that need a specific device
AGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| Full access to features | Google Account, a companion phone running Android 6.0 or newer with Google Assistant, the Pixel Buds app and an internet connection. Pairs as a plain Bluetooth device with any Bluetooth 4.0 or newer device, including iOS. |
| Live translation | Google Assistant on a compatible Android phone, with an internet connection. |
BNothing Ear (3a)
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| LDAC playback | Compatible Android source with LDAC enabled. The maker lists Android 8.0 or later and iOS 13 or later for device compatibility. iOS uses AAC rather than LDAC. |
| Audio Snapshot | Nothing X account. Capture up to one minute of source-phone audio, optionally including the preceding 30 seconds. Snapshot stops automatically at the selected duration. Pre-recording increases power use. Recorded audio syncs to Nothing X on Android or iOS. |
| Call Recording | Nothing X account and a supported region, including the United States. Disabled by default until enabled after the app region check. Record up to two hours of calls or online meetings, with an audible notification. |
| Cloud Pro transcription | Internet connection and Nothing X account. Current maker offer includes 120 minutes monthly for the first three months. Continuing cloud Pro access requires a subscription. Exact pricing is only shown in the app. |
| Essential Space integration | Select Nothing devices with an Essential Key and current software. Ordinary recording does not universally require a Nothing phone. |
| Low Lag Mode | Game Mode on a compatible Nothing phone, or enable through Nothing X. Under-120-ms support wording differs from an as-low-as-120-ms product disclaimer, so no exact latency is stored. |
| Basic local transcription | Basic local transcription is free, separate from the cloud Pro subscription. The recording features still require a Nothing X account. |
Source12Press releasenothing.community/d/59486-ear-3a-available-nowRead 8 October 2026Original current product Specs and Disclaimer sections 9 to 14 give recording-account, regional, trial, subscription and Essential Key conditions. Exact current call-recording support confirms United States in the supported list. Recording feature availability is not extended to unlisted regions. No future feature rollout or unlisted subscription price is invented.16Measurementnotebookcheck.net/High-quality-in-ear-headphones-at-a-fair-price-Nothing-Ear-3a-review.1411007.0.htmlRead 8 October 2026September 29 review of firmware 1.0.1.65 explicitly confirms free basic local transcription, distinct from the cloud Pro service. Account requirement comes from the current maker recording disclaimer.17Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Exact current product Disclaimer gives account, supported-region and paid-cloud-service limitations. The United States is explicitly supported for call recording. Essential Space requires eligible Nothing hardware, while the ordinary recording app supports Android and iOS.18Maker product pagesupport.nothing.tech/hc/en-us/articles/48012760112145-Why-can-t-I-use-Call-RecordingRead 8 October 2026Exact current maker region list includes the United States. Unlisted regions are not assumed to support Call Recording.20Maker product pagesupport.nothing.tech/hc/en-us/categories/47340233372561-Nothing-Ear-3aRead 8 October 2026The model-specific How-to section explicitly describes automatic Snapshot completion at the configured duration, with no need to end it manually.
Official licence
Not available
Not available
Battery and charging
12 of 13 differ
Battery per bud
Not available
User-replaceable earbud battery
Not available
Claimed battery life
AGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series
| Mode | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC off | No | 5 |
| ANC off | Yes | 24 |
| Call | No | 2.5 |
| Call | Yes | 12 |
BNothing Ear (3a)
| Mode | Codec | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC off | AAC | No | 10 |
| ANC off | AAC | Yes | 42 |
| ANC on | AAC | No | 6 |
| ANC on | AAC | Yes | 25 |
| ANC off | LDAC | No | 6 |
| ANC off | LDAC | Yes | 28 |
| ANC on | LDAC | No | 4.5 |
| ANC on | LDAC | Yes | 20 |
| Call | Not available | No | 6 |
| Call | Not available | Yes | 25 |
Longest claimed use per charge
5h
10h
Playback per charge with ANC (claimed)
Not available
6h
Playback per charge without ANC (claimed)
5h
10h
Total with case (claimed)
24h
42h
Total with case and ANC (claimed)
Not available
25h
Talk time (claimed)
2.5h
6h
Full charge time, buds
Not available
Not available
Charging guidance
Not available
The maker gives an unspecified-component USB-C full-charge estimate of 70 minutes and recommends a 5 V / 1 A or higher adapter. Five minutes in the case is claimed to provide one hour of earbud playback with ANC off. The specifications separately give ten minutes for ten hours including case recharges. A marketing footnote instead describes ten hours from the earbuds after ten minutes, so that component scope is unresolved. The original B190 safety booklet specifies a charger output range of 2.5 to 5 W. These are maker estimates and guidance, without an earbud-only or case-only full-charge time.2Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Current Specs Charging table says Type-C wired charging-to-full time 70 minutes without a separate component label. Disclaimer says Ear (3a) 0 to 100 percent when the case is connected, with Nothing Power 45 W at 25 C. The test adapter rating is not device input power. Dedicated fast-charge support confirms 5 min / 1 h earbuds-only and 10 min / 10 h buds plus case. A conflicting 10-minute full-earbud implication in the marketing footnote and reviewer paraphrase is preserved here without assigning a numeric full-bud time.
Quick charge time
Earbud playback after quick charge
Charging case
1 of 10 differ
Case battery
User-replaceable case battery
Not available
Case charging port
Case full charge time
Not available
Not available
Wireless charging
Wireless standards
Not available
Not available
Wireless charging power
Not available
Not available
Speaker in case
Not available
Not available
Screen on case
Not available
Not available
Case works as audio transmitter
Not available
Not available
Controls
5 of 5 differ
Controls
Earbud volume control
Gestures
Tap once: play or pause, Tap twice: next track, Tap three times: previous track, Touch and hold: Google Assistant9Measurementrtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/google-pixel-buds-a-series-truly-wireless-vs-sony-wf-c500-truly-wireless/25832/28723Read 10 October 2026Public RTINGS Controls text: tap once, twice, three times and touch and hold.
Single pinch: play/pause or answer/end call, Double pinch: skip forward or decline call, Triple pinch: skip back, Pinch and hold: noise control or assigned volume, Double pinch and hold: Audio Snapshot or Call Recording, Pinch both buds simultaneously: Audio Snapshot / Call Recording17Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Current exact Gesture controls table provides pinch commands and simultaneous-bud recording controls. Preserves actual device operations rather than generic article wording. Simultaneous pinch is labelled Audio Snapshot / Call Recording. It is not a universal manual start/stop promise because Snapshot ends automatically at the configured duration.20Maker product pagesupport.nothing.tech/hc/en-us/categories/47340233372561-Nothing-Ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Exact How to start Snapshot answer says simultaneous press starts Audio Snapshot, which automatically ends at the selected duration. Call Recording has its separate stop behavior. No universal manual start/stop action is promised.
Remappable controls
Not available
Voice assistant
Google Assistant, Gemini9Measurementrtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/google-pixel-buds-a-series-truly-wireless-vs-sony-wf-c500-truly-wireless/25832/28723Read 10 October 2026Touch and hold activates the voice assistant. Google Assistant comes from the Google article and the Verge review.13Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7560934Read 11 October 2026Controls page lists Gemini activation by touch and hold or hotword for Pixel Buds A-Series, next to Hey Google. Gemini needs the latest app and an Android 10 or later phone.
Not available
Sensors and health
1 of 9 differ
In-ear detection
Sensors
Capacitive touch sensors, Single IR proximity sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Hall Effect sensor in the case1Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7544332Read 10 October 2026Voice: dual beamforming microphones. Sensors: capacitive touch, single IR proximity sensor for in-ear detection, Hall effect sensor in the case. The page does not say if the IR sensor count is per earbud.7Reviewifixit.com/Device/Google_Pixel_Buds_A-SeriesRead 11 October 2026iFixit device page lists a motion-detecting accelerometer in the earbuds along with the touch sensors, the single IR proximity sensor and the case Hall effect sensor. Google's support article does not list the accelerometer for the A-Series.
Not available
Heart rate sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin temperature sensing
Not available
Not available
Hearing aid feature
Not available
Not available
Medical clearances
Not available
Not available
Hearing test
Not available
Not available
Hearing protection
Not available
Not available
Health features
Not available
Not available
Fit and durability
5 of 7 differ
Ear tips included
XS, S, M, L12Press releasenothing.community/d/59486-ear-3a-available-nowRead 8 October 2026Official release says four sizes including new XS. The actual-user Nothing Community unboxing separately lists XS, S, M and L with M fitted. Current specification independently gives four pairs. No extra separately sold size is included.13Reviewnothing.community/d/61192Read 8 October 2026Actual Ear (3a) unboxing states XS, S, M and L, with M fitted. This corroborates the maker four-pair list and new XS claim.
Ear tip materials
Stabilisers
Not available
Dust and water rating, buds
Dust and water rating, case
Not available
Water resistance depth
Not available
Not available
Software
4 of 6 differ
Companion app
App platforms
User firmware updates
Finding network
Not available
Precision finding
Not available
Not available
Dimensions and weight
4 of 4 differ
Weight per bud
Bud dimensions
Not available
Case weight
Case dimensions
Not available
Width48.95Height64.8Depth22.8mm(1.9 × 2.6 × 0.9 in)1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Current maker explicitly labels Height 64.8 mm, Width 48.95 mm and Depth 22.8 mm. These axes are retained as printed. The horizontal appearance of product photos is not used to swap labelled dimensions.
Certifications
1 of 3 differ
Hi-Res Audio
Not available
Communication certifications
Not available
Not available
FCC IDs
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
2 of 2 differ
In the box
Earbuds, Charging case, Eartips with 3 size options: small, medium (attached to earbuds), large, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, Quick Start Guide1Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7544332Read 10 October 2026
Two earbuds, Charging case, Four pairs of ear tips, Safety and warranty information with User Guide1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Current complete maker table lists two earbuds, one case, four tip pairs and one safety/warranty/user-guide booklet. No cable or adapter is listed. A generic charging support answer refers to an included cable, so cable inclusion is unresolved and no cable table or explicit absence is inferred.
Cables included
AGoogle Pixel Buds A-Series
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| USB-C to USB-A | 1 |
BNothing Ear (3a)
Not availableLinks
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
support.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/75443321Maker product pagesupport.google.com/googlepixelbuds/answer/7544332Read 10 October 2026
us.nothing.tech/products/ear-3a1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-3aRead 8 October 2026Full current US maker Specs tables are embedded in the public product-page data. Original HTML and the decoded model-specific specification tables were captured October 8, 2026. No data from the malformed legacy Ear (3a) checkout page, which repeats Ear (1) content, is used.
Manual
Not available
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0376/5420/0459/files/Ear_3a_Safety_information_Warranty_information.pdf11Owner's manualcdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0376/5420/0459/files/Ear_3a_Safety_information_Warranty_information.pdfRead 8 October 2026Original maker-hosted Ear (3a) Safety information and Warranty information PDF, discovered through an indexed link to the maker CDN. It explicitly prints model B190 and left/right FCC identifiers. This is the safety/warranty booklet, not a claimed complete operating guide. Its original text and relevant charge instructions were inspected.
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
1 of 1 differ
Both are also in the API. Back to all earbuds.


















