Nothing will launch its next flagship earbuds, the Ear 3, on September 18.

Early details suggest the company is aiming for its most premium product yet, with a design overhaul and some unusual new features.

The charging case will be made from 100 per cent recycled anodised aluminium, a first for Nothing. It maintains the brand’s trademark clear lid, which showcases the buds inside.

The earbuds continue the transparent-inspired look but add refinements, including a re-engineered metal antenna just 0.35 millimetres thick.

A new ‘talk’ button has also been added to the case, though its purpose remains unclear.

Nothing is also touting a built-in ‘Super Mic’ inside the case.

The company has not explained exactly what it will do, though industry watchers expect it could enhance call quality or provide new voice assistant functions.

Battery life, driver details, noise-cancelling strength and codec support are yet to be revealed.

Pricing hasn’t been confirmed either, but based on past launches, analysts expect the Ear 3 to retails for around US$150–$250 ($230–$380).

Nothing appears to be looking to steal market share at the more premium end of the earbud market.

That means the Ear 3 will be competing with other earbuds that also offer both style and substance, such as Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 and Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4.

Nothing is pitching the Ear 3 as an “elevated product that looks and feels different, and functions in ways that are completely new to the industry”.

Whether the aesthetically distinctive earbuds can live up to that claim will depend on how they perform in sound quality, battery life and noise cancellation.