Nothing launched its first product, the ear (1) true wireless earbuds, amid much fanfare earlier this year. To my surprise, they actually ticked a lot of the right boxes and turned out to be a really decent pair of earbuds, especially considering the $99 price tag — check out my review for more on that. Today, the company is announcing the special dark mode model that was recently leaked, along with news that it's going carbon neutral.

The Nothing ear (1) Black Edition are functionally identical to the original white model, but they get the matte black treatment which I honestly think looks even better. Also, if there's one thing I noticed snapping these images, it's that the white set will discolor over time, so black may be a better bet in that sense too. The moody new look perfectly complements the transparent sections and the red accent on the right earbud pops even more now.

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The new color option goes pretty well with the news that Nothing's first product is now carbon neutral, too. CEO Carl Pei and his team worked with bodies like SGS to figure out how to neutralize the 1.78kg carbon footprint of the ear (1). This adds sustainability to the core values of the fledgling company, which is surely a smart move.

The first 100 pairs of ear (1) Black Edition will be engraved with a number 1-100, and will be available exclusively at a pop-up Nothing Kiosk at Seven Dials, Covent Garden in London on December 4 (11am to 7pm GMT). They'll then go on general at 11am GMT on December 13 — you'll be able to get them directly from Nothing or from its usual retail partners.

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In another first for the company, Nothing will be accepting crypto payments via its website. You'll be able to buy the new Black Edition with Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD Coin, and even Dogecoin. This will only be possible in select regions, however, including many EU countries, the UK, the US, Canada, and Japan.