Nothing's budget sub-brand CMF has launched the CMF Clip Pro, its first open-ear earbuds, priced at $99 and available in the US on August 4, 2026 (The Verge).

"Open-ear" means these earbuds clip onto the outside of your ear and don't go inside the ear canal. You can hear music and your surroundings at the same time. Most earbuds seal your ear to block outside noise, which helps with sound quality, especially bass. CMF's answer to that tradeoff is a feature called Ultra Bass Technology, which adjusts the sound to make up for the bass that open-ear designs naturally lose.

Each earbud weighs 6.5 grams and bends to fit any ear shape. The IP54 rating means they're protected against dust and light splashes, so they work for outdoor activity, but you can't swim with them.

Sound comes from a 10.8mm driver, which is the small speaker component inside each bud. They support several audio formats, including one called LDAC, which lets compatible Android phones stream higher-quality audio over Bluetooth than standard earbuds allow. Connectivity uses Bluetooth 5.4, and you can pair to two devices at the same time. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are both supported for quick setup, and a Low Latency Mode helps reduce audio delay when gaming.

The charging case comes in three colors: light gray, dark gray, and coral, which CMF calls white, black, and orange. The case has a built-in dial that lets you control volume, play and pause music, answer calls, and pair devices without unlocking your phone. That physical dial sets CMF apart from competitors that use touch controls only.

Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours per charge, with nearly 33 hours total when you include the charging case. Four built-in microphones handle phone calls with technology designed to separate your voice from background noise.

You can customize settings through the Nothing X app, which works across Nothing and CMF audio products. The launch was timed for 9:00 a.m. EDT (6:00 a.m. PDT) on August 4, 2026, with pre-announcement coverage from late July and early August (SoyaCincau; Yahoo Tech).

The broader context here is that open-ear earbuds have mostly been a niche product for runners and cyclists who need to hear traffic and surroundings for safety. Brands like Shokz built that category around fitness use. What CMF is doing with the Clip Pro is bringing the open-ear design into a mainstream price range with specifications that look like a regular pair of in-ear buds. Whether the Ultra Bass Technology actually compensates for the physics of an open ear is something hands-on testing will need to answer.

The $99 price matters because open-ear products have usually cost more than regular earbuds. If the audio quality holds up, CMF has closed the price gap between open-ear and in-ear options entirely, which could move the form factor beyond its fitness niche and into everyday use.