A new Bluetooth SIG list has 91 mobiles and we speculate if nothing could be involved with a second true wireless earbud brand. On it’s own the mention is nothing interesting. It is for an undisclosed pair of wireless earphones with the model number B154 with the Bluetooth 5.2 standard. But that model number, B154, previously appeared in a December report of 91 mobiles who said they will be sold under the name “Particles by XO”, though it’s unclear if this refers to the earbuds themselves (Particles?), the sub-brand (XO?), or a combination of the two.
B154, meanwhile, is reportedly related to a pair of wacky-looking true wireless earbuds with a strange spherical design. Images of the earbuds were found by app detective Kuba Wojciechowski, which also reportedly unearthed the “Particles by XO” branding, listed as being made by Nothing, in the firmware of the company’s servers. Features reportedly include support for active noise cancellation, according to 91 mobiles. Other than this report, however, there is little obvious not to associate with this “Particles by XO” branding, which appears in a US trademark application registered with a company called “The Must Unknown LLC.”
So what’s going on? While it seems strange for a young company like Nothing (which has only released three products to date) to develop a second brand, CEO Carl Pei has previously alluded to this type of future development. Last year, Pei told me he had ambitions to consult other companies with Nothing to help them launch their products. “We [could] helping them do a lot of work that they can’t do on their own,” Pei said. Could “Particles by XO” be the first of such partnerships?
A spokesperson for Nothing did not immediately respond The edge‘s request for comment.
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