OnePlus Buds Review: Cheap AirPods for OnePlus Phones

OnePlus has been making great headphones for years, and today, the company introduces its first true wireless pair. The aggressive $ 79 OnePlus Buds have a stiff AirPod design that’s all hard plastic, marking a change away from the Bullets, Bullets Wireless 2, and other OnePlus earphones that used silicone tips for a sealed fit on ear.

OnePlus Buds require a OnePlus phone if you want to get the most out of them, so these really won’t appeal to owners of other Android devices. You won’t get features like wireless charging or noise cancellation at such a low price, but if you’re envious of Apple’s AirPods and don’t like how in-ear headphones feel, it’s hard to beat the value factor here. The OnePlus Buds have a long battery life, decent sound, and a stable wireless connection. They are available in white and gray in the US, with the blue / green partition combo reserved for international markets. I think it looks a lot like a toy, but such a bold color choice could be a breath of fresh air for some.

The reality is that a one size fits all approach (OnePlus calls it a “half ear” design) will always leave some people out of luck. I’ve never liked how regular AirPods feel in my ears; They’re not particularly stable, and despite all the praise they get for all-day comfort, my ears don’t seem to be well suited to them.

The OnePlus Buds have not fared much better. When in my ears, I found that they held in place very well while sitting or walking. But if he tried to run with them, they would eventually break loose. Other people I stopped testing told me they felt as comfortable as AirPods and would not hesitate to exercise while wearing them, so this boils down to the shape of their ear.

As for why OnePlus took this route, the company gave me this explanation:

Generally, half of headphones are more comfortable for more people, so we wanted OnePlus Buds to be friendlier to a wider range of users, especially those looking for their first truly wireless headphones. We understand that different people have different preferences, so we will continue to listen to user feedback for future products. Our goal is always to provide a great balance of high quality sound, fast charge, comfort and a reasonable price.

As with AirPods, OnePlus Buds’ outdoor design will limit its sound potential. You’re going to listen to everyone around you, and there’s no way around it without turning the volume up to a potentially awkward and possibly unsafe level. OnePlus says it tweaked the headphones to boost the bass, but without an in-ear seal, the result still doesn’t quite achieve the low-end push you’ll hear from the Bullets Wireless 2 neckband headphones or our best true wireless picks.

If you can live with it, the sound they produce has a pleasantly wide sound; Phoebe Bridgers’ “Graceland Too” shines with wide spacing for acoustic instruments and harmonies. But other tracks like The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” sound hollow without that full seal. The OnePlus Buds will do the job of listening informally throughout the day, but if you want stronger bass and better noise isolation, you’ll have to spend a little more money. OnePlus supports SBC and AAC codecs with Buds; The company opted for a chipset other than Qualcomm, so it couldn’t use higher quality codecs like apt-X HD. (You won’t be able to tell the difference between codecs with this open style of headphones anyway.)

The charging case looks like a squashed, squashed version of the Pixel Buds case. OnePlus claims it worked for about 90 days to perfect the matte texture of the case. I like the end result, and matte always beats the shiny, especially on the dog’s summer days. Take note, Samsung. (However, the headphones are brilliant.) Buds can achieve up to seven hours of continuous battery life, and the case has enough power to take you to around 30 hours of total listening time.

During the time I’ve tried the OnePlus Buds so far, I haven’t been able to do much with the touch controls on each side. There is no way to pause the music with headphones at this time; all you can do is double tap to skip to the next song or press and hold for three seconds to switch between paired devices. More customization is on the way, luckily: By the time they start shipping in late July, OnePlus will release a software update on their phones that will allow you to choose your preferred action for a double tap so you can pause, turn on Google Assistant. or go back to the last song instead of always jumping forward. It’s kind of weird that the controls are so limited out of the box, and this is why you should avoid OnePlus Buds if you have a different Android phone, but at least a solution is coming.

You can’t deny its AirPodish look, but OnePlus Buds benefit from those long stems. Each button has three microphones, on top, middle, and bottom, and it runs some noise reduction algorithms to help people hear it more clearly on calls. Everyone I called while using OnePlus Buds was able to hear me without a problem. The company is also promoting extremely low latency between headphones and OnePlus phones when in game / fan mode, which should help them keep up with all the action on screen.

They lack wireless charging, but the OnePlus Buds do offer some luxuries despite the low price – they’re IPX4 waterproof rated, so they can withstand sweat and some splashing water. They will automatically pause the music when you remove a headset, and they also support Android’s Fast Pair feature, which links them to your Google account, displays battery levels for the headphones and case, and allows you to find a wrong headset placed when playing a sound. Unfortunately, you can’t use any of the separate headphones for audio or making calls, and they can only be paired with one device at a time.

I think the future true OnePlus wireless headphones will place a greater emphasis on sound and be more in line with the company’s Bullets series. But with OnePlus Buds, the goal was to try to create a cheaper version of AirPods for OnePlus customers. You’ll get a very solid set of headphones for that $ 79, if the fit is correct.

Photograph by Chris Welch / The Verge