If you’ve been craving a pair of AirPods but don’t want to fall for a pair of headphones that much, OnePlus may have the answer to your dilemma. Get to know the OnePus Buds, the company’s first true wireless headphone pair that closely resembles Apple’s iconic AirPods with one exception: price.
Even before diving into its impressive features. The first thing you’ll notice about the OnePlus Buds is how little they cost: just $ 79, significantly cheaper than the $ 159 AirPods or $ 150 Galaxy Buds Plus. They are even cheaper than the Bluetooth headphones connected to the neckband OnePlus, the Bullets Wireless 2.
Michael Simon / IDGOnePlus Buds come with a charging case.
For that price, I’d expect the OnePlus Buds to lack the features offered by their higher-priced competitors, but like the OnePlus phones, the Buds cut very few corners. For that $ 79, you get 30 hours of battery life, noise cancellation, Dolby Atmos support, and IPX4 water resistance, all in a small, lightweight package that feels great in my ears.
While they’ll connect to any phone or device with a Bluetooth connection, however, you’ll need a OnePlus phone to customize the double tap to do something other than skip to the next song. As the only control on the button, it’s a bit annoying, though the OnePlus Buds will pause the music when you remove one of your ears. And of course you can control them with your phone.
OnePlus Buds don’t have active noise cancellation like AirPods Pro, but they do include “a unique noise cancellation algorithm” along with a trio of microphones to help with phone calls. We’ll have to do some more testing and we’ll have a full review soon, but first impressions are strong with solid sound, excellent fit, and impressive battery life.
Michael Simon / IDGUnlike the AirPods Pro (left), the OnePlus Buds do not have noise cancellation.
Of course, OnePlus is no stranger to the world of headphones as it has sold several variations of its Bullets wireless headphones over the years, as well as wired and USB-C models, but this is their first foray into wireless headphones. true. While they definitely look like AirPods, they’re not carbon copies of Apple’s iconic white stems. Yes, OnePlus buds also come in white, but you can also get them in gray and blue, although the latter will only be available in Europe and India. But they are so nice that I hope aftermarket sales on eBay easily reach over $ 100.
