Nothing’s new earbuds that do not cover your ears: this is the CMF Clip Pro
Nothing, the brand of OnePlus founder Carl Pei, has unveiled its first open-ear earbuds under its most affordable CMF line. They are called CMF Clip Pro, cost 99 dollars (about 90-95 euros in Spain) and arrive in Europe on September 15. What is special is not just the price: it is that they do not go inside your ear.
What "open-ear" means and why it matters
Most earbuds you use daily —AirPods, Galaxy Buds, the classic button ones— work like earplugs: they block the ear canal so you only hear what comes out of them. Open-ear earbuds are different. They rest on the ear, from the outside, without entering the hole. Imagine glasses, but for your ears: the music plays close to your ear, but the canal stays open. So you hear the song and, at the same time, you hear if a colleague talks to you, a doorbell rings or a car is coming as you cross the street.
That format is the one growing most in 2026. It is used by people who work from home, runners who need to hear traffic, or anyone who does not want to isolate themselves from the world while listening to music.
What the CMF Clip Pro bring at that price
The design uses what Nothing calls a three-point clip system. Instead of a single pressure point, the earbud holds on with three supports that spread the weight. Each piece weighs only 5.9 grams —you barely notice them— and the half-millimeter titanium arch adapts to ears of different sizes.
In terms of sound, they carry a 10.8 mm driver (the internal speaker) with a technology that compensates for the bass that the open design naturally loses. They support LDAC, a way of transmitting audio over Bluetooth without compressing it as much: it is as if the cable were still there, but without the cable. They also have Hi-Res Audio certification and IP54, which means they withstand dust, sweat and rain —do not submerge them, but a run in the rain does not hurt them.
The battery gives 10 straight hours on the earbuds and 32.5 total hours with the charging case. Ten minutes in the case gives you four extra hours. They have four microphones with noise reduction so you can be heard well on calls, and they pair instantly with Android (Google Fast Pair) or Windows (Microsoft Swift Pair).
The "Smart Dial": controlling music without touching your phone
The case brings a touch wheel —the Smart Dial— that we already saw on the CMF Buds. You turn it to raise or lower volume, press to change tracks or answer calls, and hold it down to pair a new device. For someone with the phone in their pocket while cooking or walking, it is a real convenience: no need to take out the phone.
They also include a mode called Anti-Leakage that reduces what can be heard from outside. It is not noise cancellation (open-ear earbuds do not have it because they do not isolate the ear), but rather the opposite: they control what leaks out from the earbuds so the person sitting next to you does not find out which podcast you are listening to.
Where they sit in the market
In the open-ear segment, the direct rivals are the Sony LinkBuds Clip (over 200 euros) and the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (over 300). Nothing already has its Ear (open) for about 99 euros on offer. The CMF Clip Pro land at the same price but with very competitive specs: same battery, same LDAC codec, similar weight.
It is a notable leap for CMF, which sold 20-50 euro earbuds. At 99 euros they compete with the mid-range of Sony, JBL and Nothing’s own Ear. The bet: democratize the open-ear format with good battery life and decent sound.
What they do not have (and do not need)
They do not bring active noise cancellation —on open-ear models it does not work, because the ear is open—. Nor do they have touch controls on the earbuds themselves: everything is done from the wheel on the case. And ChatGPT integration only works if you use them with a Nothing phone (the Phone 2a or 3).
When and where to buy in Spain
The date for Europe is September 15, 2026. They will be sold on Nothing’s website (nothing.tech) and at select distributors. The price in euros will be around 90-95 euros at the current exchange rate.
In summary
The CMF Clip Pro are the most affordable option to try the open-ear format without giving up good battery life, LDAC sound and a comfortable wheel control. If you have never used earbuds that do not cover your ears, this is the cheapest moment to try them. And if you already use them, they are a light, cheap alternative to the 200 or 300 euro models.
