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Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Big on Noise Cancellation
Rating: 3.5/5 OnePlus Buds 4 has officially launched in India with a price tag of Rs 5,999. With the new earbuds, OnePlus continues its push in the budget-to-mid-range audio segment where it has steadily built a reputation over the years. The brand's earlier wireless earbuds, especially the OnePlus Buds 3 were seen as reliable options for those looking for good sound quality, decent battery life, and useful features — all without spending too much. In many ways, OnePlus managed to offer a balance between price and performance, making its earbuds a popular choice for users who wanted something better than the bare minimum but didn't want to spend a fortune. The Buds 4 arrives at a time when the competition in this price segment has only grown stronger. Brands like Realme, Oppo, and even Boat are offering feature-packed earbuds in the sub-Rs 6,000 category, with ANC, app support, and longer battery life becoming common. So naturally, the question arises — does the OnePlus Buds 4 do enough to stand out in 2025? With a familiar yet slightly updated design, support for active noise cancellation, and some new features, the Buds 4 tries to maintain OnePlus' usual formula. But as expectations continue to grow and users look for more value, the Buds 4 aims to deliver beyond brand recognition. Do the Buds 4 prove that they can hold their ground — not just because of the brand name, but because they deliver where it really matters. In this review, we find out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like JAIN Online MBA – Empowering Future Leaders JAIN Online Learn More Undo Design At first glance, the OnePlus Buds 4 follows a familiar design approach, with an in-ear style and a compact charging case. The buds come in a polished, single-tone finish that looks neat without drawing too much attention. The earbuds are offered in two colour options – Zen Green and Storm Gray. We received the Zen Green model for our review and it looks good. OnePlus has opted for a stem-style design once again, something we've seen in their previous models too. At just 4.73 grams, the buds are really lightweight and sit comfortably in the ear for short to moderate durations. The in-ear design with silicone tips gives a snug, sealed fit for commuting or noisy environments. The case itself is small and pocket-friendly, with a clamshell-style lid that shuts securely. It weighs 40g and slides easily into your pockets without making it heavy. The case uses a gloss finish that does a decent job resisting smudges and fingerprint marks. There's a Type-C port at the bottom for charging and a pairing button inside. The case feels well-built overall, even though it sticks to basic materials. OnePlus Buds 4 Review: Flagship Sound & Gaming Performance Touch controls are located on the stem of each earbud, and they respond with a gentle tap. OnePlus has kept the design simple and functional, which works well if you prefer minimal distractions. While the design doesn't break new ground, it stays practical and consistent with what's worked before. Performance and battery life OnePlus Buds 4 are at their best when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). We tested them in a noisy gym, where background music and clanging weights are usually hard to ignore. As soon as we switched on the High ANC mode, the earbuds managed to cut out nearly all of the surrounding sound. Whether it was chatter, loudspeaker announcements, or traffic noise, the Buds 4 filtered most of it out, allowing one to focus on the playlist. That said, the High ANC mode is just one of several options. You can choose from low, medium, high, and even an Auto mode that adjusts depending on your environment. There's also a Transparency mode, which is useful when you want to hear your surroundings while still listening to music. Another adaptive mode switches between ANC and Transparency automatically. These modes can be controlled through the HeyMelody app, though the app experience was frustrating. It often failed to detect the earbuds and required multiple steps to access basic settings, which affected the overall user experience. Talking about the sound performance, the Buds 4 clearly favour bass-heavy output. On tracks like 'Malang' or 'Genda Phool,' the bass kicks are prominent and deep. If you enjoy electronic or club music, you'll probably enjoy how punchy the lows feel. On the other hand, in softer songs like 'Raataan Lambiyan' or 'Kesariya,' vocals are sometimes overpowered by the bass, especially if you're not using a custom sound profile. That's where OnePlus' Golden Sound feature comes in. It creates a personalised sound profile based on a quick hearing test and ear scan. This helped balance the sound better for me, especially in songs with a mix of instruments like 'Shayad' or 'Tum Hi Ho.' Other audio features include 3D Audio (Spatial Audio) and a BassWave enhancer, which boosts low frequencies even more if you want that extra thump. Connectivity was strong throughout testing — the Bluetooth link stayed stable without any drops. Battery life is decent, but not great, especially if you're using all the advanced features. With ANC off, you can expect around 11 hours per charge, but switching ANC on drops that to about 6 hours. The charging case adds more juice, taking total playtime to around 24 hours with ANC on, and 45 hours without. In short, the OnePlus Buds 4 deliver strong ANC and solid bass performance, but battery life and app usability leave some room for improvement. Verdict Compared to its predecessor and other earbuds in the Rs 6,000 segment from rival brands, the OnePlus Buds 4 hold their ground mainly due to strong ANC and useful customisation features like Golden Sound. But if you're expecting a significant leap in all-round performance or app experience, the improvements here are more incremental than transformative. All in all, at Rs 5,999, the OnePlus Buds 4 offers solid value, particularly for users who prioritise bass-heavy audio and noise cancellation. The ANC performance is easily one of the strongest features, making them suitable for noisy environments. Add to that stable connectivity and a comfortable, lightweight design, and the OnePlus Buds 4 covers most of the core needs for daily listening.
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First Post
18-07-2025
- First Post
OnePlus Buds 4 Review: Flagship noise cancellation, midrange sound quality
Pros: Segment leading ANC and Transparency performance Punchy sound output, support for LHDC 5.0 codec Customisable sound and controls through companion app Slide controls for volume and skipping tracks Comfortable in-ear fit, IP55 dust and splash resistance Wear detection, dual-pairing support Very good battery backup, fast charging Impressive call quality Cons: Default sound feels a step down from the OnePlus Buds 3 Adaptive Noise Control does not work as intended Doesn't get enough out of the dual drivers and dual DAC Price: Rs 5,999 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rating: 4.1/5 OnePlus Buds 3 left a highly positive impression on us last year and we were looking forward to meeting its successor, the Buds 4. Unlike the Bullets Wireless Z3 neckband from the company that had a good three years to come up with a significantly better successor, the Buds 3 was always going to be a tough act to follow, and that too in just half the time. The OnePlus Buds 4 does strive to push the performance on every front. Let's see if it succeeds. The case design resembles that of the Buds Pro 3 but with a different finish OnePlus Buds 4: Design and Comfort (7.5/10) While the OnePlus Buds 3 looked like the Buds Pro 2, the Buds 4 design feels like a mix of Buds Pro 3 and Nord Buds 3. The earbuds design is a mix of Nord Buds 3 and Buds Pro 3 Nothing bad about it at all, just that the Buds 3 looked better and had a bit more character. The Zen Green colour variant is more pleasing to the eye than the Storm Gray. The entire product sports a smooth matte finish, making it free of fingerprints and smudge marks. The buds have an IP55 rating for dust and splash resistance, however, the charging case is void of any ingress protection. OnePlus Buds 4 shifts to an oval shaped case from the squarish one of the OnePlus Buds 3 The build quality is quite solid despite the buds weighing less than 5 grams each. Along with the case, OnePlus has managed to keep the weight of the product under 50 grams. The preinstalled mid-sized silicone tips worked best for me and offered decent passive noise isolation. Two more pairs of tips are included in the bundle to choose from. As always, it is very important to choose the right sized tips for best audio experience and ANC (active noise cancellation). OnePlus Buds 4 vs OnePlus Buds 3 - the buds and the case design are completely different now The case is lightweight and fairly pocketable. You get a tiny charge indicator LED at the front, a USB-C port at the bottom and a neatly camouflaged Bluetooth pairing/reset button on the side. The earbuds sit nicely into the ear canals and cause no discomfort even after wearing them for a few hours at a stretch. The fit could have been a little more snug though. On most occasions they didn't pop out even during brisk walks, but at times, I had to readjust them a bit. In addition to the standard touch controls, the slide gestures have been retained, which is great. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The case is quite pocketable and has a charge n paring status indicator LED at the front OnePlus Buds 4: Features and Specifications (9/10) Just like the Buds 3, the Buds 4 are fitted with dual dynamic drivers, with the size of the woofer going up from 10.4 mm to 11 mm, like on the Pro models. There's also a 6 mm tweeter to handle the high-end frequencies, while woofer takes care of other frequency ranges. Each earbud also has three microphones for active noise cancellation (ANC) and calling. A new addition is dual DACs, one for each driver, just like in case of the flagship OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Wear detection sensors and dual-pairing support have been retained in addition to Google Fast Pair. The OnePlus Buds 4 is Bluetooth 5.4 compliant, and supports SBC, AAC and LHDC 5.0 audio codecs. These buds can supposedly manage a higher throughput of up to 1 Mbps on LHDC at 24-bit 192 kHz sampling rate, but that can be phone dependent. In fact, if you do not have a phone that supports LHDC codec itself, you will have to make do with AAC. Support for a more popular codec like aptX HD/Adaptive or LDAC would have been better. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The latency can now go as low as 47 ms on these earbuds and there was no noticeable lag between audio and video when streaming content. ANC figures have seen an improvement too with the Buds 4 capable of reducing up to 55 dB of ambient noise across a 5,500 Hz spectrum. You also have Adaptive Noise Control that is supposed to switch between different intensities of noise cancellation as well as Transparency mode depending on the ambient noise. An AI Translate feature is also included that facilitates live translation. You also get AI translate features, choice of ANC levels and option to update the firmware There are a handful of sound tweaks, ranging from the usual sound presets - Balanced, Serenade and Bass, along with a 6-band equaliser to create your own sound profiles. Bold preset has been given a skip for some reason; just a musical chair of presets, I guess. Then you get the Golden Sound option to create an audio profile based on your hearing capability. And lastly, you can dabble around in OnePlus 3D audio for an extra immersive experience. More on the noise control modes and sound quality in a bit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There are a handful of sound and control tweaks in the companion app The top half of the earbud stems are touch enabled and the touch zone is marked with a slight indentation. The touch sensitivity is perfectly fine. You can assign various tasks like play/pause, previous/next tracks, game mode, voice assistant, ANC control etc to single tap, double tap, triple tap and touch-and-hold gestures; not all tasks can be assigned to all gestures though. The touch zones also support slide gestures. One can simply slide a finger from top to bottom or the other way to decrease or increase the volume or change tracks. It remains a highly useful addition and it continues to baffle me how this feature isn't standard on most earbuds yet. The sound and controls can be configured through Bluetooth settings on OnePlus phones released in the past half a decade. HeyMelody app lets you do the same on other phones. OnePlus Buds 4: Performance (8/10) Pairing these earphones with a phone or tablet is a standard process. The connection stayed strong for over 10 metres with a clear line of sight. The firmware was updated to the latest version 126.126.105 during the review process. The Buds 4 are quite loud and rarely did I need to go beyond 60% loudness even when outdoors. The sound is tuned differently from its predecessor. While sound is a subjective matter, we feel OnePlus played a bit too safe with the tuning and let go of the bolder tones of the Buds 3 in favour of some extra bass. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let me dive a little deeper. The Buds 3 was one of the rare OnePlus products that wasn't too bass-heavy. Of course, there was sufficient bass but the mids had a good presence and the highs were sharp and distinct. The OnePlus Buds 4 falls back on the more massy bass-heavy default sound (on Balanced preset) that doesn't make it as unique as its predecessor. It comes at the cost of sharpness in the mids and highs. To make matters worse, the Bold preset, which is generally more balanced than Balanced, is missing here. Thankfully, one can make the Buds 4 sound a lot better using the Sound Master EQ. A few tweaks can go a long way in making the output sharper and actually more balanced. Though it still doesn't have the sparkle of the Buds 3, these buds sound pretty good for the segment with ample thump in the bass, above average midrange reproduction with clear vocals and reasonably sharp highs without any sibilance. The overall detail in sound is pretty good with a decently broad soundstage, though not very expansive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Beyond the presets and EQ, you can also create your personalised audio profile using the Golden Sound feature in the app courtesy of a listening test that determines the hearing profile based on your sensitivity to different sounds. It boosts certain frequencies to produce a sharper output. You may or may not like the results, but it is certainly worth a try. You can always disable it if you don't like the results. While the sound quality is good for the segment, we feel the output could have been tuned better to make better use of the dual drivers and even the dual DACs. Interestingly, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 has a very similar setup but sounds significantly richer and more detailed with far better frequency separation. Dynaudio has done a great job with its tuning. Of course, we are talking about a product twice its cost, but the point being similar spec-sheets don't necessarily produce similar sound. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The sound quality may be par for the course but the ANC certainly transcends the segment. The Buds 4 arguably has the best noise cancellation among all OnePlus earphones and that also includes the Buds Pro 3. And it's not just the decibel numbers we speak of but the actual real world performance. You get four ANC modes - Low, Moderate, High and Auto. Auto mode switches between the other three depending on the quantum of ambient noise. I wouldn't bother with Low as it is passable at best. Moderate mode is good enough in most cases, barring truly noisy areas like public transport, where High ANC would be the right fit. Interestingly, the High mode is also a variable ANC mode and it keeps adjusting the degree of noise suppression depending on the ambient noise, and does a great job of it. When enabled, it perfectly cuts out a lot of low frequency sounds like the whirr of a fan or even traffic noises when outdoors and even some midrange sounds. Though it cannot eliminate human voices entirely, it can noticeably reduce the background chatter in public transport. The only downside being, High ANC mode tends to build a bit of pressure in the ear canal which can be uncomfortable for some. In that case, switch to Moderate mode, which though not in the same league is still effective and better than the peak noise cancellation from most brands in this segment. The Transparency mode here is equally impressive and feels natural. When enabled, it keeps you well aware of your surroundings and you can easily have a conversation without removing the buds from your ears. A quick word on Adaptive Noise Control, a new addition to the Buds 4. It is supposed to be a highly smart option meant to automatically adjust different levels of noise cancellation and also switch to Transparency mode if it feels someone is trying to talk to you or there's an announcement that you should hear. Unfortunately, it seems to have a mind of its own and doesn't work as intended. It still has a lot to learn and probably a firmware update or two away from being smart enough. OnePlus Buds 4: Call quality (8.5/10) The call quality on the OnePlus Buds 4 is quite impressive, and not just indoors. Even when outdoors, the wind noise suppression works well and most of the low frequency to lower midrange ambient sounds were kept well in check. On a busy street, the sound of vehicles was barely audible to the person on the call. Only some nearby human chatter and high pitched sounds like horns trickled through, which none of the earbuds filter out anyway. Your voice sounds clear and natural and the Buds 4 is a very good option if you are looking for wireless earbuds to be used for a lot of calling. OnePlus Buds 4: Battery life (8.5/10) Each bud here is fitted with a 62 mAh battery, while the case packs 530 mAh. The company promises an impressive 11 hours of playback for the buds when using AAC codec at 50% loudness with ANC off and 6 hours with ANC switched on all the time. With LHDC codec, the figures drop to 9 and 5.5 hours respectively. The case provides three more recharges and the overall stated battery backup is four times the above numbers with buds and case combined. The battery status of each earbud as well as that of the charging case is visible in the companion app. I largely tested these earbuds on LHDC codec and the numbers were quite close to those claimed. With loudness between 50 to 60%, the buds lasted a shade over 5 hours with Moderate ANC switched on all the time and about 8 hours and 15 minutes with ANC off. With the case, the overall battery backup figures ranged between 20 to 33 hours depending on your use of ANC on LHDC codec. Though I did not repeat the battery tests using AAC codec, a single run did result in over 10 hours of playback without ANC, so one can safely assume that the AAC figures will be at least 90% of those claimed by OnePlus, which is quite impressive. While the battery backup of the Buds 4 sees a small improvement as compared to the Buds 3, fast charging sees a noticeable jump. A 10-minute charge can now give you close to 11 hours of play time (7 hours previously) on AAC codec with ANC off. All the above battery figures will be lower if you indulge in a lot of calling. The case has a USB-C charging port at the bottom OnePlus Buds 4: Price and verdict The OnePlus Buds 4 is priced at Rs 5,999 in India with a one year warranty. Though Rs 500 more than the Buds 3 at launch, it is still competitively priced for its performance and features. These TWS earbuds offer a punchy sound output with a handful of customisations, great ANC and Transparency, slide controls and very good battery backup and call quality, making it a solid all-round product in the segment. As for the competition, there are largely two options that the Buds 4 should worry about. Firstly, the Earfun Free Pro 3 that sells for a similar price and offers even more features than this OnePlus product like wireless charging and support for Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive codec and Snapdragon Sound. Its sound quality is marginally better too but cannot say the same about its ANC performance where the Buds 4 tops the charts by a distance. The other option is the OnePlus Buds 3 that is still available, and for a good Rs 1,400 less. It is similar to its successor in many ways except ANC, and in fact looks better and sounds sharper, making it a better value-for-money option overall. Take your pick.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Indian Express
I travel by public transport, and here's why I swear by the OnePlus Buds 4
When I was in New York last week, I took the subway to travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The week before that, I was in London and used the Tube to get around the city. Back in Delhi, where I am based, I travel by Delhi Metro, auto, or local bus. Public transportation is a part of my everyday life. While I can drive a car, I prefer the anxiety-free experience that public transport offers and I am glad I am not in the driver's seat in a city like Delhi. It allows me to explore the city through my own eyes and find time to read a book with my earbuds plugged in. However, as a city boy, I can't completely escape the hustle and bustle and one device that's been traveling with me everywhere (including long-haul flights) is the OnePlus Buds 4. They have quite literally saved me from loud conversations on the Delhi Metro, noisy roads of New York, and the constant chatter in Indian restaurants in London. It's the one device I have found most helpful during my travels over the past few days, thanks to its suppressive active noise cancellation, lightweight fit, and superb sound quality, all for Rs 5,999. What: OnePlus Buds 4| Price: Rs 5,999 The Buds 4 themselves have an AirPods Pro-like feel to them. While they are made of plastic, they have a premium look. The Buds come in two colours: Storm Grey and Zen Green. I received the latter for review, and they look especially sleek in the summer, particularly the case. The charging case has a pebble-like shape, measuring 6.54 × 5.24 × 2.53 cm and weighing 39.5 grams. One often overlooked but impressive feature of the case is its strong magnetic connection. The magnets are incredibly powerful, keeping the earbuds securely locked into the charging dock, so how hard you shake it, the connection remains intact and charging continues. The buds come with an IP55 rating, meaning they can withstand splashes and bursts of water, making them well-suited for the monsoon season. Having an IP rating gives more confidence to wear them in rain, or if you are sweaty as I am during running in the morning. The Buds 4 have a familiar fit, similar to the Buds 3 Pro. They are also quite comfortable. They sit securely in my ears. I never felt them slipping during any of my runs, and they passed my head shake test with no movement. I am not a huge fan of touch controls on earbuds. I prefer physical buttons instead. That being said, I know a lot of people like touch controls for some reason. Anyway, the touch controls on the Buds 4 were responsive and unobtrusive. They use 'squeezy' stems for playback controls and allow you to adjust the volume by brushing your finger up or down the stem. Typically, true wireless earbuds in this price segment fail to excite me. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Buds 4. While they don't come close to the AirPods Pro 2 or the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Buds 4 definitely hold their ground. They offer a rounded sound, not flat, as many earbuds in this price range tend to be. The Buds 4 sound full, rich, and generally well-balanced, thanks to a new coaxial dual-driver system: essentially, a large 11mm woofer for the rumbly lows and a separate 6mm tweeter for the highs. Listening to Coldplay's Viva La Vida, I could clearly hear the instruments; the vocals were clear and moving, and the overall sound carried a nostalgic hue without compromising cohesiveness. The Buds 4 were equally impressive while playing Kanye West's Flashing Lights, a complicated track, yet I didn't notice any major distortion or blowouts. Clarity can suffer slightly at higher volumes, though. While the bass isn't the most powerful, it holds up well. As I listened to French Montana's Unforgettable, the earbuds delivered clear bass and maintained detail and clarity as the track grew in complexity. There's also a spatial audio feature supported on the Buds 4. Simply put, spatial audio creates a surround-sound listening experience, making it feel like the music is coming at you from all angles, much like in a high-quality movie theater or concert hall. It's not particularly great for music, but it works well for movies. These buds also support streaming high-resolution audio via the Hi-Res Audio Wireless standard, using the LHDC 5.0 Bluetooth codec, and offer a sampling rate of 192kHz. However, the high-res audio feature doesn't work on the iPhone 16 Pro, which is my primary device at the moment. The feature is supported on premium Android smartphones, though. Matching the upgraded sound quality is the noise cancellation. As someone who commutes via public transport on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, having earbuds with a decent level of active noise cancellation (ANC) is a must. In fact, while listening to music on New York's subway, I was able to completely drown out the ambient noise and immerse myself so deeply that I missed my stop. There's no noticeable degradation in sound quality or noise cancellation performance, exactly what you want from a pair of daily driver earbuds. They work great in offices, cafés, and open public spaces too. The transparency mode does its job well, especially in an open-plan office. These types of offices can get quite loud by noon, when more people arrive and everyone's on calls or chatting. That's when the Buds 4's transparency mode comes to the rescue as it adjusts the level automatically based on the surrounding noise conditions. The Buds 4 sound incredibly clear, especially when on calls or when listening to podcasts or audiobooks, something I do a lot while travelling. Battery life is outstanding, too. They have a battery life of up to 11 hours with ANC turned off. The case itself holds quite a bit of charge, offering up to 45 hours of listening time, which drops to 24 hours with ANC enabled. The Buds 4 are fun to use and quite likable. They are lightweight and compact, yet they don't skimp on features or performance. They feel like a cross between premium and budget wireless earbuds. Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. Email: ... Read More
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Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Business Standard
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Cost-effective product to elevate audio experience
OnePlus has launched Buds 4 in India, alongside the next-generation Nord series smartphones. The design language of the OnePlus Buds 4 is akin to OnePlus Nord Buds 3. Priced at Rs 5,999, the OnePlus Buds 4 offers active noise cancellation (ANC), clear audio output, and support for multi-point connectivity. But are these true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds actually a feature-packed proposition in the budget segment? Let's find out: Design The OnePlus Buds 4 shares a striking resemblance to OnePlus Nord Buds 3. If I have to put it in simple words, then the design has essentially been copied and pasted without any innovation, at least look-wise. Be it the buds or the case, everything in terms of design remains the same. The OnePlus Buds 4 boasts an IP55 rating for resistance against dust and water. These wireless earbuds sport a classic design while being lightweight and comfortable for prolonged usage. The OnePlus Buds 4 comes with multiple tip sizes to ensure a snug fit for users, which will aid in noise isolation functionality. Fair warning, though, the earbuds are a bit slippery, so if you aren't careful while handling them, you might end up dropping them. Coming to the casing, the OnePlus Buds 4 comes in a single-tone finish pebble-shaped case with the OnePlus logo and a battery indicator placed right in front of it. It sports a matte finish, which makes it resistant to smudges and fingerprint marks. The bottom of the case features a USB-C type port for charging, and the right side features a button to make pairing with your device easier. Features The OnePlus Buds 4 features three modes – Noise cancellation, Adaptive, and Transparency. OnePlus boasts up to 55dB noise cancellation in the Buds 4. In real life, the Chinese consumer electronics maker did deliver on its promise. I used these earbuds in my office, which is usually filled with chatter and laughter, and the OnePlus Buds 4 was able to block the majority of noise. I also used it in the Delhi Metro, and if any of you have travelled in the Delhi Metro, especially during the peak hours of 6 pm on the blue or yellow line, then you have a fair idea of how noisy it is. Even inside the metro, with children crying at the top of their lungs and some stranger talking loudly on his phone, the OnePlus Buds 4 was able to block 90 to 95 per cent of the noise. I was barely able to hear any disturbance in my music-listening experience while travelling. The transparency mode in the OnePlus Buds 4 offers you a real-life environment. When turned on, you will be able to listen to your music while also having a fair idea of what's happening around you. In simple words, it means that you will be able to hear music while also hearing the kid behind you crying as if his world is ending. The adaptive mode strikes a balance between ANC and transparency mode. The OnePlus Buds 4 turn on the ANC or the transparency mode depending on the environment you are in at that particular time. Additionally, it comes with OnePlus 3D Audio mode, which delivers 3D spatial audio. It performs decently, but nothing extraordinary. It also packs a game mode that reduces latency in audio output, making gaming feel more synced and connected. The OnePlus Buds 4 come with in-ear detection technology, meaning the moment you pull them out of your ears, it will stop the music. The earbuds offer dual connection, making it easy for you to pair them with two different devices and switch between them. These TWS feature steady connect technology, which aims to maintain a stable connection, even in outdoor settings. Also, one can swipe on earbuds to control the audio level, eliminating the need to use the buttons on phones or any other connected devices. Furthermore, the OnePlus Buds 4 comes with AI translation technology. The OnePlus Buds 4 supports face-to-face translation and live translation. The former is essentially for situations when you are sitting in a meeting with someone who speaks a different language from you. You will turn on the feature, and the microphones in the Buds 4 will pick up what the person is saying, translate it into your language, and play it in your ear within a time span of one to two seconds. The latter is essentially for situations where both parties need to communicate. With this feature, the screen gets split into two halves, and the mic icon will be available on both sides, so each party can click on it, in turn, to carry out the conversation easily. The features are no doubt really great and useful, however, in terms of translations, I found that AI was not able to translate everything accurately. To sum it up, it is good and works fine, but it isn't 100 per cent reliable. Audio and Calls These earbuds deliver a sound profile with clear mids and heavy bass, making them suitable for various genres of music and media. They don't compromise on clarity for loudness, which I really liked. Coming to my experience during calls, I would say that the OnePlus Buds 4 did get the basics right, but it didn't excel. It was able to handle normal calls well, especially when I was sitting in a quiet environment. The clarity of my audio and the people that I was talking to were both good. But the moment I stepped out in noisy environments, the OnePlus Buds 4 failed to deliver a crystal clear sound output to the people I was talking to. Their voice was perfectly fine, but when I asked about the quality and clarity of my voice, I did get to hear that the background noise was still creeping in despite the earbuds' noise reduction. Companion app Non-OnePlus users can access the core features of the OnePlus Buds 4 through the 'Hey Melody' companion app, available on both Android and iOS. It allows control over noise cancellation, transparency mode, Sound Master EQ, Game mode, and Find My Earbuds. For those using a OnePlus phone, all these settings are integrated directly into the Bluetooth menu, so no separate app is required. Battery In terms of battery, the OnePlus Buds 4 performed well. On a single charge, I got around three to six hours of battery backup (depending on the mode I was using it in). If I used it purely on ANC, then it would last me somewhere around three hours. If I switched off all modes, then I got around six hours of battery backup, and when I used adaptive or transparency, I got around four to five hours of battery backup on a single charge. With the case, the earbuds last for around 30 to 40 hours, which is decent. If I talk about the 'quick charge,' meaning charging the earbuds for just 10 minutes, then it can easily last for up to 40 minutes. Talking about the full charge, the case will take around 45 minutes to get fully charged. Verdict The OnePlus Buds 4 packs premium features into an affordable package. With solid ANC, decent sound quality, and reliable battery life, they tick most of the right boxes for everyday use. Where they fall slightly short is in call quality under noisy conditions, and some of the AI translation features still feel like a work in progress. Still, for users prioritising audio clarity, noise isolation, and seamless device switching, the OnePlus Buds 4 are a good choice. If call quality in outdoor environments is a high priority, you might want to explore other options in this segment.
GSM Arena
08-07-2025
- GSM Arena
OnePlus Pad Lite is now official with big battery, 11-inch screen, and quad speakers
OnePlus had a big day today. Along with the Nord 5, Nord CE5, Watch 3 (43 mm), and Buds 4, the company also unveiled the entry-level OnePlus Pad Lite. This comes with an 11-inch 1920x1200 LCD screen with 90 Hz refresh rate, 180 Hz touch sampling rate, and 500-nit peak brightness, the MediaTek Helio G100 SoC at the helm, quad speakers, a 5 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front camera, and a 9,340 mAh battery with support for 33W wired charging. It comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in its Wi-Fi-only iteration, and 8GB of RAM plus the same 128GB of storage if you opt for the LTE-capable model. The tablet is only offered in one colorway, called Aero Blue. You can currently pre-order one for £169 in the UK for the Wi-Fi-only version, and the post-pre-order price seems to be £199. If you pre-order, you're getting an 80W charger for free. Over in the Eurozone, the pre-order price is €199, while the normal price is €229. Unfortunately, no shipping date is mentioned.
