The OnePlus Buds are wireless earbuds that are offered for a competitive price. For about 90 euros you already have the bluetooth headset at home. But is it such a good buy, despite the relatively low purchase price?
OnePlus Buds
price € 89, –
Color white, gray, blue
Link Bluetooth 5.0
Battery 35 mAh (earpiece), 420 mAh (charging case)
Weight 4.7 grams (earpiece), 35 grams (charging box)
Features microphone, touch control
Connection USB-C
Website www.oneplus.com/en
5 Score 50 
- Pros
- Battery life
- Negatives
- Design
- Sound quality
- Control only for OnePlus smartphones
- Better alternatives for the same price
Since the introduction of Apple’s first-generation AirPods, I’ve been at the forefront of mocking the design. Not only because of the shape, but also because the expensive headset are actually plastic caps that do not stay in every ear. However, you can set the clock: when Apple puts something on the market, the cheap Chinese knockoffs will follow automatically. I had the Chinese brand OnePlus a bit higher in terms of design, since these OnePlus Buds are shameless ctrl-c, ctrl-v copying of the AirPods. Even the silver-colored edge at the bottom has been adopted.
In short, the OnePlus Buds are Bluetooth earphones that are also somewhat reminiscent of electric toothbrush heads in your ears. When you no longer need them, place them in a handy box that charges the headset. You can charge this box with a USB-C connection.
All other innovative features of the AirPods are also present. When you take the Buds out of the box, they connect directly to your smartphone so that you can start listening immediately. Via a light on the box you can see if there is still battery capacity available to charge the earphones. Unfortunately, the option to charge the Buds wirelessly is missing. Probably to keep the price down, since comparable earphones in the same price range do not have this either.
Fit
It is a pity that OnePlus has copied the AirPods’ biggest functional shortcoming. The ears are a ‘one size fits all’ design with a plastic tip that goes into your ear. Many manufacturers ensure that this tip is a replaceable rubber cap. This ensures that it fits every ear and it provides more closure, so that you hear less ambient noise. That is not the case with the OnePlus Buds. With me they stayed put, but way too loose. This causes them to fall out of the ears with movements or the slightest touch. If you are in the market for the OnePlus Buds, it is a gamble whether you will fit the earbuds or not.
Because there are no rubber tips, you also hear more ambient noise. The OnePlus Buds do not have any form of noise canceling, which is a wise choice with this design. Sound insulation is simply not possible.
Sound experience
In terms of sound quality, the OnePlus Buds also fall short. Music sounds flat, many details are lost and the bass sound makes little impression. The music experience takes away a lot of listening pleasure. If you prefer to use the earphones to make calls or listen to podcasts, they will suffice. The built-in microphone also does its job well.
The battery life is a point where the OnePlus Buds do score with. With the earphones you are guaranteed of a whole working day, long journey, or whatever you need them for, of music. The ears will last for about six hours when charged. The box has a battery capacity to fully charge both ears six times.
Service
You can control the music or calls by tapping the side of the earpiece. One tap pauses the music. Tapping twice will advance to the next song. This works universally.
When you pair the OnePlus Buds with a OnePlus smartphone, you can record or pair calls with another device by touching the earpiece for several seconds. You can also use your OnePlus smartphone to configure how you prefer this operation. Handy, but why is that not possible with a smartphone from another brand by means of an app? This way you only get the most out of your Buds if you also have a OnePlus smartphone.
What is ultimately the decisive argument against the OnePlus Buds is that there are simply much better alternatives in the same price range.
Alternatives to the OnePlus Buds
When OnePlus took the 3.5mm jack from the smartphones, the company struggled to come up with credible arguments to justify the choice. As a result, the feeling continues to dominate that the decision was made purely to create a market for their own bluetooth earphones. If arguments fall short, you have to let the product speak. OnePlus goes wrong with this. You can expect more from the brand, especially in terms of design and sound quality. But that does not necessarily mean that a product scores unsatisfactory in the review.
What is ultimately the decisive argument against the OnePlus Buds is that there are simply much better alternatives in the same price range. The Huawei Freebuds 3i and the identical Honor Magic Earbuds have a similar price and are also AirPods clones, but with a rubber tip design that stays in your ear. These earbuds also offer better sound quality and limited noise canceling. Only they do not match the battery life. A better alternative that does suggest that are the Galaxy Buds from Samsung. These earphones also offer better sound quality and because of the rubber tips, fit for everyone… and an original design.
Conclusion: Buy OnePlus Buds?
The OnePlus Buds do their job properly and have good stamina. But nothing more really. The sound quality is flat, the design falls short (making it a gamble if the earbuds will fit) and there are much better alternatives for the same price. Because of this, we can actually not recommend the OnePlus Buds.
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