Nothing's audio catalog brings holiday cheer—Headphone 1, Ear 3a arrive at US Target stores

androidcentral.com Nov 12, 2026

Nothing’s audio catalog brings holiday cheer—Headphone 1, Ear 3a arrive at US Target stores

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Nov 12, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Nothing announced that its audio catalog will be stocked in select U.S. Target stores starting November 12, with availability continuing into early December for the holiday season. The rollout includes Headphone 1, Headphone a, Ear 3, Ear 3a, CMF Headphone Pro, and CMF Buds Pro 2. Products will also be sold online at Target. CEO Carl Pei highlighted the U.S. as a key growth market, noting a 110 % year‑on‑year increase in shipped audio devices in 2025. The move expands Nothing’s physical retail presence amid its design‑first strategy.

💡 Why It Matters

· By placing its devices in a major retail chain, Nothing gains instant consumer exposure and taps the high‑traffic holiday shopping window, potentially accelerating its U.S.
· market penetration.

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Sony’s 1000X THE COLLEXION is better than the WH-1000XM6 in almost every…

Sony has released the 1000X The Collexion, a limited‑edition over‑ear headphone marking the 10th anniversary of the original 1000X line. Built with carbon‑fiber drivers, Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC and LC3 codec support, and a 30 mm bespoke driver, the model adds a metal frame, soft faux‑leather earcups and an enlarged case that forgoes the XM6’s foldable “ball” design. Comfort improvements include deeper, softer cups and adjustable springs that reduce fatigue during long sessions. Battery life reaches 24 hours with ANC on and 32 hours without, while a five‑minute charge yields 1.5 hours of playback. Priced at $650, the headphones aim to surpass the WH‑1000XM6 in sound fidelity, though the XM6 retains stronger mid‑high ANC performance. Supports a 10‑band EQ via Sony’s app and includes twelve microphones today.

💡 By pushing premium materials and audio tuning into a mainstream ANC platform, Sony forces competitors to justify luxury pricing beyond mere noise cancellation.

space.com · Nov 11

Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, and John Leguizamo reveal why they joined Andy…

Audible released the seven‑episode science‑fiction audio drama Exoplanet on November 5, 2026, executive‑produced by Andy Weir and written by Benjamin Percy. The story follows the crew of the starship Wild Blue Yonder, who crash‑land on a hostile exoplanet after a quantum anomaly. Each crew member is stranded in a different era of the same world, creating a tense, multi‑timeline narrative. The cast features Anthony Mackie as Chief Engineer Jeff Shaw, Ariana DeBose as First Officer Becca Bang, and John Leguizamo as Science Officer Logan Bowers. The series is free for Audible members and available for purchase.

💡 The collaboration of high‑profile actors with a bestselling author signals a resurgence of premium audio storytelling, offering immersive sci‑fi experiences that rival visual media. This trend could reshape how audiences consume speculative fiction, expanding the reach of complex narratives beyond traditional books and films.

appleinsider.com · Nov 11

New AirPods firmware has been released by Apple

Apple has rolled out firmware version 9B47 for all AirPods equipped with the H2 chip, including the AirPods 4, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max 2. The update is delivered automatically; users must place the earbuds in their case, connect the case to power, and keep it near a paired iPhone for the process to initiate. Apple provides no manual update option, so timing depends on the device’s proximity to an iOS device and its power state. The new firmware is expected to refine performance, address stability issues, and potentially improve battery management across the entire H2 lineup, ensuring a consistent experience for the latest generation of Apple’s wireless audio hardware.

💡 A unified firmware push guarantees that every H2‑based AirPod receives the same enhancements, preventing fragmentation across Apple’s premium audio ecosystem.

ign.com · Nov 7

Sony Announces Indefinite Delay for PlayStation’s Pulse Elevate Wireless Speakers Days Before…

Sony announced an indefinite delay for the PlayStation Pulse Elevate wireless speakers just days before their scheduled global launch on November 12. In a November 6 update to its PlayStation.Blog, the company cited a newly identified production issue uncovered during quality testing and said no new release date has been set. The $219.99 speakers, unveiled in September, were to be offered in Midnight Black and White, feature AI‑enhanced noise‑rejection microphones, planar‑magnetic drivers, and support PlayStation 5, PC, Mac and PlayStation Portal via PlayStation Link. Sony’s statement emphasized the need for additional time to meet its intended player experience. Details on the defect, affected inventory or timeline remain undisclosed. Analysts note the postponement could disrupt Sony's Pulse accessory rollout planned for the holiday season.

💡 Gamers expecting a seamless audio upgrade now face a gap in Sony's holiday hardware lineup, testing the brand’s reliability.

androidcentral.com · Nov 6

Samsung’s smarter, redesigned SmartTag 3 is here in the U.S. with the…

Samsung launched two new U.S. products on Nov. 6: the Galaxy SmartTag 3 tracker and the Galaxy Buds On earbuds. The SmartTag 3 features a slimmer chassis, 60‑meter range, Compass View directional guidance, Location History, and two software alerts—Place Notification for geofenced movement and Movement Detection Alert for any motion. It supports cross‑OS pairing and the Galaxy Find Network, priced at $29.99 singly or $99 for four. The Galaxy Buds On are open‑ear, clip‑on earbuds weighing 6.65 g, priced at $229. Samsung cites analysis of more than 119 million ear data points to optimize fit, and includes TwinBoost Speaker volume adaptation, Audio Leakage Reduction, Google Gemini Live voice support, and head‑gesture controls for calls and notifications. Both devices integrate with Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem, syncing via SmartThings app.

💡 The combined launch expands Samsung’s hardware foothold in everyday convenience and personal audio, reinforcing its strategy to lock users into a unified, sensor‑rich ecosystem.

space.com · Nov 5

Andy Weir says his sci-fi audio drama ‘Exoplanet’ is a way to…

Andy Weir, fresh from the success of Project Hail Mary, executive‑produces the Audible Original audio drama Exoplanet, set to release on November 5, 2026. The seven‑episode sci‑fi thriller, co‑written with comic‑writer Benjamin Percy, follows a quantum‑disrupted starship crew who crash‑land in three separate eras on a hostile exoplanet. Starring Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, and John Leguizamo, the series features immersive soundscapes from Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound. Weir cites his long‑standing interest in reviving classic radio plays as the project’s inspiration.

💡 By re‑introducing full‑cast audio drama, Weir expands the Audible platform’s creative reach, offering listeners an interactive, narrative‑rich experience that blends modern storytelling with nostalgic production techniques.