OnePlus has steadily improved the quality of its earbuds over the past few years, so as expected using the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro over the past week has been an above-average experience.
Right from the hop, I’d recommend these to Android users firstt since they feature Google’s Quick Pair, but if you’re looking for a low-cost pair of earbuds on iOS, you can also download the company’s HeyMelody app there and use these on iPhone.
The buds feature a new case and earbud design that’s rounder than before, and feels much robust than previous OnePlus buds that have come in around this price. Overall, the whole package are a big upgrade from the previous OnePlus Nord Buds, especially the case. The new case has an attractive speckled plastic design that I like a lot, but I wish it carried over to the lid as well. The way OnePlus has done it, does make it easier to see what side the top, but aesthetically, it would look like a small egg if it were flecked all the way through, and I think that would be cool.
The buds themselves are nice enough and fit in my ear pretty snuggly with the pre-installed medium tips. The mics are also decent enough for calls in moderate environments. Overall, the design of the buds is nothing special, and up close, they look a little plasticy, but as I mentioned, they fit well, and they feature an IP55 water/dustproof rating, so I don’t have a lot to complain about. If you want a little flair, you can also get them in Soft Jade, which is a little more fun compared to the Starry Black I have.
The soundscape on the Nord Buds 3 Pro is great for the price, and paired with ANC, it’s really easy to get lost in the music or podcast you’re listening to. The ANC isn’t super powerful, and if you travel a lot, I suggest stepping up the OnePlus Buds Pros, but for most day-to-day use, it’s more than enough. OnePlus has always punched above its weight class with earbuds, and now that these are $120, it’s harder to say they punch above their weight class, but I still think they’re great.
They also come with a pretty decent battery life of 12 hours with ANC off and five and have with it on. With the case, you get a total battery life of 44 hours with no ANC and 20 hours with ANC. I’ve been using a mix of both, and I’ve easily been able to get more than a week of listening in my mixed-use, and I haven’t been disappointed. The buds also fast-charge in typical OnePlus fashion so it never feels like you need to power them up, as long as they briefly touch a charger each week.
In terms of cool features, you get Google Fast Pair, which works great with the OnePlus Open and Pixel 9. It also has a dual connection setting that works pretty well. It’s not perfect, and you can’t really stress test it by going back and forth a bunch of times in a row, but if you use it as intended, which is a few times throughout the day as you move devices, it mostly works.
When it all comes down to it, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are above-average earbuds, and I don’t have a lot of complaints. They sound good, and I’ve had a good track record with the company’s buds in the past, so I have no problem recommending these. As of the time of writing, they’re also down to $80 on sale, which is a really appealing price for these buds since they’re usually $120.
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