Why you possibly can belief TechRadar
We spend hours testing each services or products we assessment, so that you could be certain you’re shopping for one of the best. Find out more about how we test.
OnePlus Buds 4: Two-minute assessment
It’s simple to dismiss earbuds made by smartphone firms as an affordable add-on made to promote alongside a handset, a job made simpler by the truth that many are. However the OnePlus Buds 4 reveals that this isn’t at all times the case.
Let me communicate plain: these earbuds are actually good for ANC. Among the best noise-cancelling earbuds round, then? Completely, however that is not the top of the story – if it have been, you would be proper to utter ‘So, why the four-star assessment, not 5?’ and I will get to that, I promise.
The OnePlus Buds 4 are the successors to final yr’s OnePlus Buds 3, however with just a little of the DNA of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. And these new fourth-gen buds are unbiased from OnePlus phones to such a level that they weren’t really launched alongside any flagship handset from the corporate (although their launch did coincide with some new cheaper Nord 5 phones from the model).
I recognize it when firms do what OnePlus has finished right here: create buds that concentrate on providing a number of key excellent promoting factors that beat the competitors. It ensures it’s simple to match them positively to different buds, and makes my job of writing an intro that a lot simpler!
One such division on the OnePlus Buds 4 is the Energetic Noise Cancellation, or ANC. As soon as an important arms-race of any headphone maker, although now barely forgotten within the reverse arms-race of open earbuds, ANC remains to be an necessary characteristic for a lot of consumers… and the Buds 4 have simply one of the best noise cancelling efficiency in any earbuds or headphones I’ve examined at this value. It completely eradicates background sound, regardless of how noisy, and also you’d have to purchase buds for double the worth to get one thing aggressive.
The design of the buds additionally must be counseled. You may not be capable of inform from photographs, however these earbuds themselves are maybe the lightest I’ve ever examined at underneath 5g (I haven’t gone by way of each assessment I’ve written to examine, however fairly a number of!) they usually’re actually comfy because of this. The case can also be actually small, and equally light-weight (see above, about me having written too many critiques to examine these in opposition to each one). Generally, incredible design isn’t a cool look or bizarre options or LEDs, however the meat-and-potatoes of a lightweight, comfy put on.
You’re getting a (largely) incredible characteristic set from the OnePlus Buds 4 too, once more among the finest choices of extras in any buds I’ve examined at this value. I gained’t undergo all of them, as I’ve already exceeded my phrase depend within the Options part speaking about them, however goodies like a listening check, Spatial Audio and high-res listening are all working nicely.
However wait! I haven’t talked about how the issues sound but! That isn’t as a result of it’s dangerous, simply that the options and design are so nice I bought distracted. Just like the Buds 3, there is a sturdy give attention to bassy booming sound, but it surely’s significantly better balanced this time round. Music is punchy and thrilling, with loads of customization choices to take it additional.
The primary subject I had with the OnePlus Buds 4? It is a massive one I am afraid: the app had a ton of connectivity issues, which actually affected my expertise with the buds. I must preface this assertion by saying that I used the buds earlier than their official launch and it’s very doable that by the point they’re in your ears, these software program kinks will probably be ironed out, but it surely’s additionally necessary for me to be sincere in my write ups – and this was my expertise. I’ve examined myriad units of earbuds, and if it was difficult to me, it can absolutely be for any proprietor.
Some consumers may also discover the worth enhance over the OnePlus Buds 3 onerous to swallow, however the important uptick in ANC efficacy justifies it.
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Value and launch date
- Unveiled in June 2025, formally launched July 8, 2025
- Prices $129.99 / £119 (roughly AU$200)
- Value hike over predecessor
The OnePlus Buds 4 grew to become out there on July 8 2025, alongside a Nord-y line-up of telephones from the corporate’s inexpensive line of Androids.
TechRadar was supplied with the buds’ UK value previous to launch: £119, they usually’ve been launched within the US for $129.99, which suggests in Australia they’re going to set you again round AU$200 or simply above.
Many consumers will most likely get these buds without spending a dime, although, as OnePlus likes to supply devices like this without spending a dime if you happen to purchase its mobiles.
It’s price declaring that this value is a noticeable hike from the $99 / £89 / AU$179 value level of the previous-gen buds, however remains to be far south of the $179 / £199 (roughly AU$400) value of the Buds 3 Professional.
At that value, I may hear arguments for these counting as low-cost earbuds, and different factors in favor of those being mid-rangers. Both manner, there are many rivals at this value level, and you’ll find them described within the Competitors part under.
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Specs
|
Drivers |
11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter |
|
Energetic noise cancellation |
Sure |
|
Battery life (ANC off) |
11 hours (buds) 45 hours (case) |
|
Weight |
4.73g (buds) 40g (case) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Options
- Superb noise cancellation
- …however we have to discuss in regards to the app
- 6/24 hour battery life (ANC on)
After I first turned on the OnePlus Buds 4’s Energetic Noise Cancellation (ANC), I used to be in a busy health club – it’s a fantastic check case resulting from all of the noises happening (and the music they play at my native is totally terrible). I used to be completely floored by how a lot background sound the buds eliminated, which I’ll aptly summarize merely as ‘principally all of it’.
That is on the buds’ Excessive ANC mode, which makes use of an algorithm to routinely adapt for wherever you might be. There’s additionally a reasonable and low, and likewise an Auto which… additionally chooses between these three routinely. You’ve additionally additionally bought a Transparency mode to dam out ambient noise however permit loud close by ones, and but one other adaptive mode which selects between Transparency and customary noise cancellation. In case you’ve been maintaining depend, that’s three completely different auto modes.
Utilizing the HeyMelody app was a ache. It by no means remembered the buds between listening periods so I stored having to re-add them, which was onerous when it may solely detect them about 50% of the time. And when it may and I pressed ‘Join’, I wouldn’t get taken by way of the the app pages the place I may management the buds. Oh no.
As an alternative a pop-up would seem telling me that I can discover extra settings for the earbuds by going to my telephone’s Bluetooth settings. Okay, good to know. However urgent ‘Cancel’ simply hides the pop-up so I must press ‘Join’ once more, and urgent ‘Go’ simply takes me to my telephone’s Bluetooth settings. It took me ages to determine I’d must go to this menu (not a web page in HeyMelody, I ought to add), after which choose the headphones, after which press ‘Earbud capabilities’ which might take me again to HeyMelody. It’s a fully infuriating and long-winded course of and I can’t think about that that is really the way it’s meant to operate.
It’s a disgrace since you actually do want to make use of the HeyMelody app as a lot of the Buds 4’s options are inside it – and since these options are a few of these earbuds’ largest attracts.
You’ve bought OnePlus 3D Audio, the corporate’s model of Spatial Audio. You’ve bought an equalizer, which affords a 6-band customized mode or three presets together with a separate bass booster referred to as BassWave. You’ve bought the power to arrange methods to manage your telephone digicam with the buds, toggles for Excessive-Res mode, a find-my-earbuds operate and, most significantly Golden Sound.
Golden Sound combines two exams we occasionally see in earbuds: an ear canal scan and a listening check, which collectively create a customized sound profile to boost your music. I used to be impressed to see outcomes which again ups hat I’ve unbiased learnt about my ears (one being higher than the opposite) and the created sound profile did mark an enchancment on the buds’ sound (albeit a smaller enchancment than on another buds which even have this check).
Another options of the Buds 4, like a dwell translation characteristic, are unique to homeowners of a OnePlus telephone.
All through testing, the connection between my telephone and the buds was flawless, with the Bluetooth by no means dropping as soon as. That wasn’t the case with the app itself, as I’ve already stated, and each time I plugged the buds in it defaulted to their Transparency ANC mode, so I’d must open up the app and alter it.
With all these options, and extra to listing within the Sound High quality part, there’s a knock-on impact. The OnePlus Buds 4 battery life is fantastic, however nothing to write down house about, and it might probably endure if you happen to’re utilizing all of the options.
The buds have a battery lifetime of 11 hours… with ANC switched off. Flip it on and that drops by practically half to six hours, and utilizing LHDC codec drops it even additional by about an hour. The case itself has fairly a little bit of gasoline within the tank because it begins at 45 hours of listening time, dropping to 24 with ANC and 22 with LHDC.
These are all OnePlus’ figures however my very own testing backed them up. With ANC however with out LHDC, I’d get simply over 6 hours of listening time on one cost.
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Design
- Extremely gentle case and buds
- Fiddly contact controls
- Black or inexperienced shade choices
Banish the considered the square-cased OnePlus Buds 3; within the Buds 4, the corporate has borrowed the case design of the Buds Professional 3. Which means it’s a pebble-shaped container that opens horizontally to disclose the highest of the buds.
The case weighs 40g, so it’s very light-weight, and it’s actually one of many smallest I’ve seen lately, clocking in at 65.4 x 52.4 x 25.3mm in response to the very-specific figures OnePlus supplied TechRadar.
I did discover it a bit fiddly to get the buds again into the case at occasions, often placing the fallacious one within the gaps. It’s most likely solely a priority to individuals who establish as klutzes, so I can’t listing it as a ‘Con’, but it surely’s price declaring.
Just like the buds themselves, the case is available in inexperienced or black. As somebody who’s examined a great deal of OnePlus tech over time, I’ve bought to say the colours are very… ‘OnePlus-y’.
The buds weigh 4.73g in order that they’re extremely light-weight. They use a stem design like earlier buds from the corporate, in order that they encompass a physique which stays wedged in your ear with a rubber tip, and a small stem that dangles down
Each buds have a stem which you can stroke up or down to alter the amount. I discovered these actually onerous to make use of, as a lightweight contact wouldn’t be triggered, and a tough one would invariably dislodge the buds in my ears. I shortly figured that it was higher to stay to utilizing my telephone for quantity controls. The precise double-tap controls labored loads higher although.
The buds are IP55 rated which suggests they’re protected in opposition to mud ingress, and may survive in opposition to low-pressure water jets. Sure, that features sweat and rain, however I wouldn’t put on them throughout a water battle or when you swim.
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Sound high quality
- 11mm+6mm drivers, twin DAC
- Emphasis on bassy sound
- Helps Hello-Res Audio, LHDC
OnePlus has completely stuffed the Buds 4 stuffed with audio-specific options.
Take, for instance the drivers: every has two, an 11mm woofer for bass and 6mm tweeter for the upper stuff. There’s additionally a twin DAC resolution, providing a separate one for every driver, so let every specialise. Buds 3 Professional customers may be getting some Deja vu proper now.
In case you’re selecting up what I’m placing down, you’ll have seen that I’ve referenced loads of bass options. Just like the previous-gen buds, these fashions supply completely hundreds of bass – they’re punchy and thrilling, however crucially it’s not as lopsidedly-balanced because the last-gen buds.
Vocal strains, guitar rhythms, piano harmonies are all crystal clear and outlined, with the buds’ new give attention to dynamic stability guaranteeing different elements of music can lower by way of the bass surprisingly nicely.
Listeners who like finely-balanced audio should discover the Buds 4’s heavy bass off-putting (despite the fact that you possibly can strip plenty of the surplus away utilizing the app’s EQ), however if you happen to don’t thoughts a little bit of oomph, the buds are incredible.
The buds additionally assist streaming Excessive-Res audio by way of the Hello-Res Audio Wi-fi customary, the LHDC 5.0 Bluetooth codec and supply a sampling fee of 192Hz.
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Worth
- Good worth at full value
- Nice worth on sale
- Unbelievable worth as bundle present
I discussed earlier than that you could be be receiving these as a pre-order or shopping for bonus with a telephone, and if that’s the case… yep, a 100% low cost is fairly good worth for cash!
In a hypothetical state of affairs wherein you’re shopping for these at full value, they’re nonetheless actually good worth for cash as a result of stand-out options. You’d be hard-pressed to get buds for cheaper with ANC, a characteristic set or a design like this.
Nevertheless, if you happen to don’t thoughts compromising in a number of areas, you possibly can positively get buds for underneath $100/£100/AU$200 which equal the Buds 4 in most departments – if not the ANC.
Ought to I purchase the OnePlus Buds 4?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Options |
A incredible characteristic set and top-notch ANC are just a little onerous to make use of due to the app expertise. |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
Extremely light-weight buds that you will overlook are in your ear. |
4/5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Heavy bass that does not obscure the remainder of your music and is energetic and punchy. |
4/5 |
|
Worth |
They don’t seem to be too costly and the whole package deal may value twice as a lot with out it being a rip-off. |
3.5/5 |
Purchase them if…
Don’t purchase them if…
OnePlus Buds 4 assessment: Additionally think about
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
OnePlus Buds 4 |
Nothing Ear |
Earfun Free Professional 3 |
OnePlus Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Drivers |
11mm + 6mm |
11mm |
7mm |
10.4mm + 6mm |
|
Energetic noise cancellation |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Battery life |
11 hours (buds) 45 hours (case) |
5.2 hours (buds); 24 hours (case) |
7.5 hours (buds) 25.5 hours whole (with case) |
10 hours (buds) 44 hours (case) |
|
Weight |
4.73g (buds) 40g (case) |
4.62g (buds); 51.9g (case) |
41.5g whole |
4.8g (buds) 40.8g (case) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
IP54 |
IPX5 |
IP55 |
How I examined the OnePlus Buds 4
- Examined for 14 days
- Examined at house, within the workplace and on walks
The testing and writing interval of the OnePlus Buds 4 took roughly two weeks, most of which have been testing and some of which have been writing.
I used the buds alongside my Realme Android telephone and the apps I used included Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, Netflix and varied video games. I examined at house, round my neighborhood, on the health club and on public transport.
For TechRadar I’ve examined loads of different earbuds together with the previous-gen OnePlus Buds 3, and produce other reviewed different devices from the corporate together with the buds’ modern smartphones.
- First reviewed in July 2025