The OnePlus Buds Reach High but Disappoint

With the release of the One Plus Nord, the company has once again generated a lot of excitement for the brand. Along this wave of hype, the company has decided to release its own take on the widely popular Airpods - but the end result isn’t only slightly underwhelming, but it also goes against the company’s “value first” philosophy.

Before criticising the product, here are some aspects that we think the OnePlus buds shine: The company has maintained its beautiful design language with this product, the ability to automatically pair with any OnePlus device is definitely convenient, and lastly, the inclusion of IPX4 should leave those who buy this product as an exercise companion fairly pleased.

With that said, despite having a few fundamentals done well, OnePlus missed the mark on a few more noticeable parts of the overall experience. Most importantly, with a custom chip powering the device, OnePlus has managed to not only miss the powerful audio and latency controls that are usually offered by Qualcomm, but it also excluded the wealth of touch controls seen in other cheaper offerings.

With just average audio and the lack of touch control, the OnePlus Buds experience suffers severely. At the price range, users may expect a way to customise their controls through a companion app, or to be able to double tap their earbuds for pause and play controls - unfortunately, unless you currently own a OnePlus device, neither of these things are possible, and even if you do have a OnePlus device, the software update that brings you this companion app has not yet been released!

With this lack of control, and not enough features to make OnePlus owners feel like they are getting an amazing device that is made for them, we are left wondering if this device truly matches the company’s philosophy. For a manufacturer that has garnered so much attention for including the best specs for a low price, this pair of earbuds seems like a failed attempt to get consumers to spend more on what’s ultimately less.

If the company aims to ever release a second generation buds, taking a look at Samsung’s offering, the galaxy buds, could help OnePlus solve a lot of the problems this device presents. Whether you own a Pixel or a Xiaomi device, the Samsumg Buds allow you to download a comprehensive app that can make the best use of your new earbuds. If you own a Samsung device however, you get extra access to a low latency and better audio mode that truly takes the Galaxy Buds experience to the next level. This easy inclusion not only makes the Galaxy buds the superior device for any smartphone owner, but it also gives Samsung owners just enough additional features to make them feel as if their loyalty is justified.

For 109 Canadian dollars, the OnePlus Buds are a well designed, exercise proof set of truly wireless earbuds that struggle to take the experience to the next level. With more customisation options, and a better usage of audio chips already available on the market, OnePlus could potentially release a second generation product that could truly match the company’s long established value first philosophy.

Will you be purchasing the OnePlus Buds? Let us know in the comments below

To watch a video version of this article, click here

To read an article on the OnePlus Nord, click here