OnePlus co-founder's 'Nothing' startup reveals first product: Transparent earbuds

Ever wanted to own a pair of transparent wireless earbuds? 

On Tuesday, OnePlus co-Founder Carl Pei, who left the phone maker in October, revealed the first product from his new startup. The earbuds, called Concept 1, stand out by adopting an “invisible” shell that encases the internal components.

Pei’s startup, which is called Nothing, is focused on making consumer technology so seamless in our lives, the gadgets and hardware essentially feel like nothing. So a pair of transparent earbuds certainly fits the design philosophy. Pei also told the publication Wallpaper: “Technology has lost its touch – it all looks the same.”

Thomas Howard, the startup's vice head of design, added: “A transparent outer shell seemed obvious—removing the superficial decisions that designers make about color and branding. It frees us up to think about what’s really important, which is the engineering.”

The design approach is also a throwback to the 1990s. Remember the transparent Nintendo Game Boy? I myself owned a pair of transparent wired headphones—back in 2000.  

However, we’re not entirely sold on the look of the upcoming wireless earbuds. One PCMag editor said the product looks like a breathalyzer. Others on Twitter have said the earbuds look like a smart whistle. But according to Pei, his company is still finalizing the design of Concept 1. “This is just a concept, the final product is much sexier,” he wrote in a tweet. 

Pei didn’t say how much the Concept 1 will cost or reveal its specs. But his startup plans on developing hardware for many existing product categories. So you can expect more gadgets from Nothing to adopt a transparent shell. The company plans on introducing its first products this summer.