Chinese company OnePlus is debuting new earbuds today, with a feature set that pits them against the AirPods Pro. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 look and sound a lot like Apple's AirPods, and while they lack some of the Apple-esque magic integration, they're more affordable at $179.
Design wise, the OnePlus earbuds resemble the AirPods Pro, featuring an in-ear silicone design and a stem. The stem is silver, though, and unlike Samsung's recent Galaxy Buds3 Pro, you won't mistake these for the AirPods Pro due to the unique case design of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Fit is close to the AirPods Pro because of the silicone tips, and they're comfortable to wear. Squeeze gestures can be used on the stem to play/pause music, skip tracks, replay a track, and adjust volume.
The case has an oval shape that's wider and more rounded than the AirPods Pro case, plus it's covered in a faux leather material that gives it a more distinct look.
Apple may have added a USB-C case to the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023, but the initial launch was in 2022, so it's no surprise that other companies are starting to surpass the AirPods Pro in terms of sound quality. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 have better out-of-the-box sound than the AirPods Pro, even though there's no option for adjusting EQ.
There's a solid balance between bass and higher frequencies with full sound and good separation of tracks. Sound is crisp, and the high-end notes are clear. there are two DACs per earbud, one that's focused on the tweeter and the other on the woofer, which is what gives that balanced sound.
The Active Noise Cancellation works well, and it's on par with ANC from other high-end earbuds. The ANC is adaptive and can adjust based on your surroundings, so ambient sounds can come through when you need them to. The ANC isn't as standout as the sound quality, but it's more than adequate.
Battery lasts for up to 43 hours, which is 13 hours longer than the AirPods Pro, and there is ear detection when using the earbuds with an iPhone. As for the microphones, call quality is solid.
OnePlus sells Android-based devices, so these earbuds are designed for Android smartphones rather than the iPhone. You're not going to get the useful AirPods features like quick connect and automatic device swapping, and that's a major downside. You also won't get spatial audio unless these are paired with a Google Pixel phone that supports the feature.
For Apple device users, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are just standard Bluetooth earbuds, but if that's all you need, you might like what OnePlus has to offer.
