We live in a smart world that has PCs replaced by Laptops, buttons replaced by touchscreens, and smartwatches replaced by analogue watches within very few years. But it took almost a decade for the earphones to become smart🤓.
We have many companies like Apple, Google, Samsung, and Sony that are already doing good in the TWS (True Wireless Stereo Earphones) trend, and OnePlus is the latest one to join this pack. They launched their first TWS Buds on 21st July 2020. I’ve been using these OnePlus buds since then which I think is more than enough to write an honest review. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
What’s in the box
The box contains the OnePlus Buds, a Type C to Type A USB-C cable, a Safety information card, and a warranty card.
Specifications
- Dimensions: Earbud: (18.8 x 16.1 x 37.9 mm); Case: (52.2 x 59.6 x 37.9 mm)
- Microphones: Environmental noise cancellation for voice calls; IPX4 splash/sweat resistant
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Frequency response range: 20Hz – 20 KHz
- Battery and charging capacity: 35 mAh per Bud; 430 mAh for charging case; 10W USB-C fast charging (10-minute charge of the case = 10 hours of playback; 10 mins in the case = 100 minutes of music on Buds)
- Battery life: 7 hours (music); 4.3 hours (phone call); up to 30 hours with charging case.
- Colour: White, Grey, and Nord Blue.
Design
To be frank, the design isn’t quite groundbreaking. On the funnier side, I believe they wanted to bring out something rival to the Apple AirPods and the Google Pixel Buds. The exterior case shares the design with the Google Pixel Buds, and the earbuds look and feel almost identical to the Apple AirPods. If you see these buds on someone’s ears at a distance, you would certainly mistake them for Airpods. So, if you want the earbuds to look like Airpods, you should go for the white one like me🤪.
However, Oneplus has nailed the implementation part. No sharp edges, proper weight distribution, and the matte finish in the case along with some cool features made the OnePlus buds stand out. The pin-hole LED light in front indicates the battery level of the case. The bottom of the case has a USB-C port to charge the case and the back of the case has a sync button (reset button) which also can be used to check the battery level.
ALSO, READ – Best Earphones under 1000 in India
Performance
Talking about the performance, their warp charging capability is a show-stopper. Oneplus claims that a 10-minute charge of the case will give 10 hours of playback and 10 mins in the case will give 100 minutes of music on Buds. Fortunately, it’s true. If you are a music lover or a person who uses earphones 24/7, then I strongly recommend going for it.
Even though the Oneplus Buds lacks the noise cancellation feature, they do have the on-call environmental noise reduction which helps the listener to hear you clearly during calls. Despite being mid-range earbuds, the sound clarity and bass-boost capacity seem to be pretty good to compete with the high-end versions.
Convenience and Usability
The Google Fast Pair feature supported by these earbuds makes the first time pairing simple. As you can see in the below pictures, you can view the charge status of both the buds and the case once connected which according to me is quite useful.
Say goodbye to the media control buttons and say hi to the touch-sensitive gestures😎. The touch-sensitive area in the buds will help you to attend/reject the calls in a single tap. The double-tap on the left bud to skip back and double-tap on the right bud to skip next while hearing music. The buds also have the touch-sensitive play/pause feature – taking one of the buds off the ears will pause and plugging it back will resume the music.
For the people who are doubtful whether the buds would fall off during some activities, I’ve personally tried out some tests. The earbuds stayed perfectly even when I tried shaking my head, jumping, jogging, etc..
One downside of the bud is not having a silicone tip. It took me two days, a lot of ear pain, and scoldings🥺 from my mom to get used to the buds.
Buy It If You Want
- Earbuds at a cheap price
- To be or are already part of the OnePlus family – A must-have product if you have the Oneplus mobile
- Earbuds with fast-charging technology
- Earbuds to look like AirPods.
Don’t Buy It If
- You are looking for true noise cancellation earbuds
- You want your earbuds with a wireless charging feature
Price and Availability
The OnePlus Buds have been priced at ₹4,990/$79/£79 depending on region and availability. Here are the links to buy it in every region.
Hope the review will be helpful to get an idea of the OnePlus buds. For more honest reviews about the latest products and technologies, subscribe to JUST A LIBRARY.
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