OnePlus Buds Review: The Spitting Image Of AirPods At A Cheaper Price

Our OnePlus Buds review is finally here and from the first glance, the earbuds’ case possesses the aesthetic of the Google Pixel Buds with the buds themselves look like the spitting image of the AirPods.

However, following exactly what Apple has done is probably a bad idea.

OnePlus Buds Price And Availability

Price-wise, OnePlus Buds are more affordable than many of its rivals on the market.

Priced at $79, they are cheaper than the $159 AirPods, the $179 Google Pixel Buds, and even the $129 Sony WF-XB700 that was expected to be the most affordable well-known brand earbuds of this year.

While there are cheaper options out there with no fewer features, these buds are the cheapest from a famous smartphone brand.

Now when you’re sure getting a pair of OnePlus Buds won’t break the bank, let’s dive deeper into our OnePlus buds review to see what you’re going to get.

Design

If you were to find differences between OnePlus Buds vs AirPods, the task would prove to be challenging as the resemblance is uncanny.

Take a closer look and the most significant feature to tell the two apart will present itself. Apple AirPods are smaller and have a rounded back while OnePlus opts for a bigger size and flat back, which requires customization to unlock the full touch-capacitive potential. The basic functions are single tap to answer calls and double-tap to skip.

OnePlus said more control options will come shortly after launch. So before that day, users will have to make do with very little control over what they are listening to.

To make up for the lack of control options, the buds come with sensors on the inside to facilitate a vert handy feature. Specifically, they will stop the music when they are taken out of your ears and when you put them back in, the music will resume.

A nice touch like this doesn’t only make life easier for those who have to take the earbuds out regularly but it also helps OnePlus delivers the promise of 30 hours battery life.

With this OnePlus buds review, we would like to warn those who expect the buds to fit like a glove to find something else as the plastic design makes it impossible for OnePlus to offer a perfect fit for a majority of users.

The rare benefit of the design is the size. Big earbuds hold in well while you workout. This, combines with the IPX4 rating for sweatproof, makes OnePlus buds a decent companion to the gym if you can handle the background noise.

the case of the earbuds looks sleek and has the same size as the one of Google Pixel Buds. Another nice touch here is the USB-C, which is more suitable for modern use than the usual microUSB.

Features

While there is no active noise cancelling, users can still benefit from the environmental noise cancellation to take phone calls. The feature can reduce noise at best but noise cancelling is still a better feature.

OnePlus has done a good job making phone calls sound as good as when you use the onboard speakers of a smartphone, and that we have to give them credit for.

The buds don’t support Hi-Res Audio as there is no LDAC or aptX HD codecs onboard. The best they can do is making decent sounds with support for AAC and SBC. If you want better sound quality, go for the Sony WF-1000XM3.

Streaming content with these earbuds is not so bad an experience as they have support for Bluetooth 5.0 and latency of 103ms, meaning the visuals and the audio are perfectly synced.

Performance

The downfall of many wireless earbuds is falling out of sync and fortunately, OnePlus Buds have passed that test.

The mids and highs are decently clear and the bass is a bit soft. While having a wider soundstage would be very nice, the sounds are as good as those produced by entry-level over-ears headphones. Tweaking EQ a bit and you will have a better performance.

For this OnePlus buds review, we have tried a number of genres to see how the earbuds hold up. The results are wonderful with the majority of music styles.

Calls are clear for both ends and A/B testing points out that voices are louder with the phone’s microphone, but the difference is minor.

So compared to some competitors, OnePlus Buds’ sound quality is as good as that of Google Pixel Buds and Samsung Galaxy Buds but can’t rival Sony WF-1000XM3 which has both support for aptX HD/LDAC and active noise cancelling.

We have asked the company about future updates for this OnePlus buds review and it said support for Dolby Atmos will come later. However, only owners of OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 7 can enjoy this upgrade.

Battery Life

Expect 30 hours of battery life with the OnePlus Buds, 23 with the case and 7 hours with the earbuds. Warp Charge allows users to top up the earbuds in a matter of minutes though.

Overall, when it comes to OnePlus Buds specs and battery life, OnePlus Buds are the best around given the price.

>>> Google Pixel Buds 2: In-Depth Review For Every Enthusiastic Audiophile