[Exclusive] Nothing sub-brand ‘Particles by XO’ launching soon; first look at unique new TWS earbuds
Nothing could launch a brand new sub-brand in the US, called Particles by XO. Here's a look at the brand's first TWS earbuds.
Update (August 2025): The rumoured Particles by XO sub-brand never materialised, and the earbuds detailed in our leak were never released. Instead, Nothing launched the Ear (2) in March 2023 with a completely different design. The company’s actual sub-brand, CMF by Nothing, debuted in July 2024.
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The Particles by XO earbuds launched in December 2023, confirming the design and features revealed in our exclusive report. The retail units matched our leak, including the peanut-shaped L-form design, puck-style charging case, LHDC support, and ANC. You can read our full Particles by XO review here for real-world impressions.
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Nothing, the startup founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, could have a brand new sub-brand under its sleeve. Tipster Kuba Wojciechowski told 91mobiles about a new brand, called ‘Particles by XO’, that could be launched as an offshoot of Nothing. The company is gearing up to announce a new product in the US, based on a recent tweet. The launch could see the announcement of the new sub-brand. Kuba discovered “Particles by XO” listed as made by Nothing in the firmware. In addition to the name, the tipster also shared images of what looks to be the first pair of TWS earbuds from the new sub-brand.
Particles by XO, a new brand from Nothing, launching soon
As of now, it’s unclear whether the Nothing offshoot is called ‘Particles by XO’ or simply XO, while Particles is the name of the upcoming audio product. The name has already been trademarked in the US under a shell company. While we wait for Nothing to officially announce this new sub-brand, Kuba managed to unearth some images of the Particles by XO TWS earbuds.
First look at new TWS earbuds from Nothing
The images provided by Kuba show a very unique-looking, truly wireless earbuds with a well-rounded, peanut-shaped design language. The L-shaped form factor means the body will be pointing upwards when placed in the ear. The last image shows what could be a puck-shaped charging case for the earbuds. Overall, the design looks minimalistic and not quite as “transparent” as the Nothing Ear (1) – which is probably why Nothing wants to launch the earbuds under a new brand.
The fact that the earbuds have a peculiar design suggests the new ‘Particles’ sub-brand could be aimed at a more fashion-centric audience in the US market. After all, the brand did release a lipstick case-like design with the Nothing Ear Stick recently.
We do have a few more key details to share about the upcoming Particles by XO earbuds. Firstly, the earbuds are codenamed B154 (the Nothing Ear 2 is named B155 internally). Second, the firmware from Nothing’s servers confirms that the TWS earbuds will feature LHDC (Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec) and ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). So we’re probably looking at a premium, fashionable pair of earbuds that are expected to launch in the US very soon.
