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OnePlus Buds 4: Two-minute review
It’s easy to dismiss earbuds made by smartphone companies as a cheap add-on made to sell alongside a handset, a job made easier by the fact that many are. But the OnePlus Buds 4 shows that this isn’t always the case.
Let me speak plain: these earbuds are really good for ANC. Some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds around, then? Absolutely, but that’s not the end of the story – if it were, you’d be right to utter ‘So, why the four-star review, not five?’ and I’ll get to that, I promise.
The OnePlus Buds 4 are the successors to last year’s OnePlus Buds 3, but with a little of the DNA of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. And these new fourth-gen buds are independent from OnePlus phones to such a degree that they weren’t actually released alongside any flagship handset from the company (though their launch did coincide with some new cheaper Nord 5 phones from the brand).
I appreciate it when companies do what OnePlus has done here: create buds that focus on offering a few key superb selling points that beat the competition. It ensures it’s easy to compare them positively to other buds, and makes my job of writing an intro that much easier!
One such department on the OnePlus Buds 4 is the Active Noise Cancellation, or ANC. Once the most important arms-race of any headphone maker, though now slightly forgotten in the reverse arms-race of open earbuds, ANC is still an important feature for many buyers… and the Buds 4 have easily the best noise cancelling performance in any earbuds or headphones I’ve tested at this price. It absolutely eradicates background sound, no matter how noisy, and you’d have to buy buds for double the price to get something competitive.
The design of the buds also needs to be commended. You might not be able to tell from photos, but these earbuds themselves are perhaps the lightest I’ve ever tested at under 5g (I haven’t gone through every review I’ve written to check, but quite a few!) and they’re really comfortable as a result. The case is also really small, and equally lightweight (see above, about me having written too many reviews to check these against every one). Sometimes, fantastic design isn’t a funky look or weird features or LEDs, but the meat-and-potatoes of a light, comfortable wear.
You’re getting a (mostly) fantastic feature set from the OnePlus Buds 4 too, again one of the best selections of extras in any buds I’ve tested at this price. I won’t go through them all, as I’ve already exceeded my word count in the Features section talking about them, but goodies like a listening test, Spatial Audio and high-res listening are all working well.
But wait! I haven’t mentioned how the things sound yet! That isn’t because it’s bad, just that the features and design are so great I got distracted. Like the Buds 3, there’s a strong focus on bassy booming sound, but it’s much better balanced this time around. Music is punchy and exciting, with plenty of customization options to take it further.
The main issue I had with the OnePlus Buds 4? It’s a big one I’m afraid: the app had a ton of connectivity problems, which really affected my experience with the buds. I need to preface this statement by saying that I used the buds before their official release and it’s very possible that by the time they are in your ears, these software kinks will be ironed out, but it’s also important for me to be honest in my write ups – and this was my experience. I have tested myriad sets of earbuds, and if it was challenging to me, it will surely be for any owner.
Some buyers will also find the price increase over the OnePlus Buds 3 hard to swallow, but the significant uptick in ANC efficacy justifies it.
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Price and release date
- Unveiled in June 2025, officially launched July 8, 2025
- Costs $129.99 / £119 (roughly AU$200)
- Price hike over predecessor
The OnePlus Buds 4 became available on July 8 2025, alongside a Nord-y line-up of phones from the company’s affordable line of Androids.
TechRadar was provided with the buds’ UK price prior to launch: £119, and they’ve been released in the US for $129.99, which means in Australia they’ll set you back around AU$200 or just above.
Many buyers will probably get these buds for free, though, as OnePlus likes to offer gadgets like this for free if you buy its mobiles.
It’s worth pointing out that this price is a noticeable hike from the $99 / £89 / AU$179 price point of the previous-gen buds, but is still far south of the $179 / £199 (roughly AU$400) price of the Buds 3 Pro.
At that price, I could hear arguments for these counting as cheap earbuds, and other points in favor of these being mid-rangers. Either way, there are lots of rivals at this price point, and you can find them described in the Competition section below.
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Specs
|
Drivers |
11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
|
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 review: Features
- Amazing noise cancellation
- …but we need to talk about the app
- 6/24 hour battery life (ANC on)
When I first turned on the OnePlus Buds 4’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), I was in a busy gym – it’s a great test case due to all the noises going on (and the music they play at my local is absolutely awful). I was absolutely floored by how much background sound the buds removed, which I’ll aptly summarize simply as ‘basically all of it’.
This is on the buds’ High ANC mode, which uses an algorithm to automatically adapt for wherever you are. There’s also a moderate and low, and also an Auto which… also chooses between those three automatically. You’ve also also got a Transparency mode to block out ambient noise but allow loud nearby ones, and yet another adaptive mode which selects between Transparency and standard noise cancellation. If you’ve been keeping count, that’s three different auto modes.
Using the HeyMelody app was a pain. It never remembered the buds between listening sessions so I kept having to re-add them, which was hard when it could only detect them about 50% of the time. And when it could and I pressed ‘Connect’, I wouldn’t get taken through the the app pages where I could control the buds. Oh no.
Instead a pop-up would appear telling me that I can find more settings for the earbuds by going to my phone’s Bluetooth settings. Okay, good to know. But pressing ‘Cancel’ just hides the pop-up so I need to press ‘Connect’ again, and pressing ‘Go’ just takes me to my phone’s Bluetooth settings. It took me ages to figure out I’d need to go to this menu (not a page in HeyMelody, I should add), and then select the headphones, and then press ‘Earbud functions’ which would take me back to HeyMelody. It’s an absolutely infuriating and long-winded process and I can’t imagine that this is actually how it’s meant to function.
It’s a shame because you really do need to use the HeyMelody app as most of the Buds 4’s features are within it – and because those features are some of these earbuds’ biggest draws.
You’ve got OnePlus 3D Audio, the company’s version of Spatial Audio. You’ve got an equalizer, which offers a 6-band custom mode or three presets along with a separate bass booster called BassWave. You’ve got the ability to set up ways to control your phone camera with the buds, toggles for High-Res mode, a find-my-earbuds function and, most importantly Golden Sound.
Golden Sound combines two tests we infrequently see in earbuds: an ear canal scan and a listening test, which together create a custom sound profile to enhance your music. I was impressed to see results which back ups hat I’ve independent learnt about my ears (one being better than the other) and the created sound profile did mark an improvement on the buds’ sound (albeit a smaller improvement than on some other buds which also have this test).
Some other features of the Buds 4, like a live translation feature, are exclusive to owners of a OnePlus phone.
Throughout testing, the connection between my phone and the buds was flawless, with the Bluetooth never dropping once. That wasn’t the case with the app itself, as I’ve already said, and every time I plugged the buds in it defaulted to their Transparency ANC mode, so I’d have to open up the app and change it.
With all these features, and more to list in the Sound Quality section, there’s a knock-on effect. The OnePlus Buds 4 battery life is fine, but nothing to write home about, and it can suffer if you’re using all the features.
The buds have a battery life of 11 hours… with ANC switched off. Turn it on and that drops by nearly half to 6 hours, and using LHDC codec drops it even further by about an hour. The case itself has quite a bit of gas in the tank as it starts at 45 hours of listening time, dropping to 24 with ANC and 22 with LHDC.
Those are all OnePlus’ figures but my own testing backed them up. With ANC but without LHDC, I’d get just over 6 hours of listening time on one charge.
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Design
- Incredibly light case and buds
- Fiddly touch controls
- Black or green color options
Banish the thought of the square-cased OnePlus Buds 3; in the Buds 4, the company has borrowed the case design of the Buds Pro 3. That means it’s a pebble-shaped container that opens horizontally to reveal the top of the buds.
The case weighs 40g, so it’s very lightweight, and it’s certainly one of the smallest I’ve seen recently, clocking in at 65.4 x 52.4 x 25.3mm according to the very-specific figures OnePlus provided TechRadar.
I did find it a bit fiddly to get the buds back into the case at times, frequently putting the wrong one in the gaps. It’s probably only a concern to people who identify as klutzes, so I can’t list it as a ‘Con’, but it’s worth pointing out.
Like the buds themselves, the case comes in green or black. As someone who’s tested loads of OnePlus tech over the years, I’ve got to say the colors are very… ‘OnePlus-y’.
The buds weigh 4.73g so they’re incredibly lightweight. They use a stem design like previous buds from the company, so they consist of a body which stays wedged in your ear with a rubber tip, and a small stem that dangles down
Both buds have a stem that you can stroke up or down to change the volume. I found these really hard to use, as a light touch wouldn’t be triggered, and a hard one would invariably dislodge the buds in my ears. I quickly figured that it was better to stick to using my phone for volume controls. The actual double-tap controls worked a lot better though.
The buds are IP55 rated which means they’re protected against dust ingress, and can survive against low-pressure water jets. Yes, that includes sweat and rain, but I wouldn’t wear them during a water fight or while you swim.
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Sound quality
- 11mm+6mm drivers, dual DAC
- Emphasis on bassy sound
- Supports Hi-Res Audio, LHDC
OnePlus has absolutely stuffed the Buds 4 full of audio-specific features.
Take, for example the drivers: each has two, an 11mm woofer for bass and 6mm tweeter for the higher stuff. There’s also a dual DAC solution, offering a separate one for each driver, so let each specialise. Buds 3 Pro users might be getting some Deja vu right now.
If you’re picking up what I’m putting down, you will have noticed that I’ve referenced plenty of bass features. Like the previous-gen buds, these models offer absolutely loads of bass – they’re punchy and exciting, but crucially it’s not as lopsidedly-balanced as the last-gen buds.
Vocal lines, guitar rhythms, piano harmonies are all crystal clear and defined, with the buds’ new focus on dynamic balance ensuring other parts of music can cut through the bass surprisingly well.
Listeners who like finely-balanced audio may still find the Buds 4’s heavy bass off-putting (even though you can strip lots of the excess away using the app’s EQ), but if you don’t mind a bit of oomph, the buds are fantastic.
The buds also support streaming High-Res audio via the Hi-Res Audio Wireless standard, the LHDC 5.0 Bluetooth codec and offer a sampling rate of 192Hz.
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Value
- Good value at full price
- Great value on sale
- Incredible value as bundle gift
I mentioned before that you may be receiving these as a pre-order or buying bonus with a phone, and if that’s the case… yep, a 100% discount is pretty good value for money!
In a hypothetical situation in which you’re buying these at full price, they’re still really good value for money due to the stand-out features. You’d be hard-pressed to get buds for cheaper with ANC, a feature set or a design like this.
However, if you don’t mind compromising in a few areas, you can definitely get buds for under $100/£100/AU$200 which equal the Buds 4 in most departments – if not the ANC.
Should I buy the OnePlus Buds 4?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
A fantastic feature set and top-notch ANC are a little hard to use thanks to the app experience. |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
Incredibly lightweight buds that you’ll forget are in your ear. |
4/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Heavy bass that doesn’t obscure the rest of your music and is energetic and punchy. |
4/5 |
|
Value |
They’re not too expensive and the entire package could cost twice as much without it being a rip-off. |
3.5/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
OnePlus Buds 4 review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
OnePlus Buds 4 |
Nothing Ear |
Earfun Free Pro 3 |
OnePlus Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Drivers |
11mm + 6mm |
11mm |
7mm |
10.4mm + 6mm |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
11 hours (buds) 45 hours (case) |
5.2 hours (buds); 24 hours (case) |
7.5 hours (buds) 25.5 hours total (with case) |
10 hours (buds) 44 hours (case) |
|
Weight |
4.73g (buds) 40g (case) |
4.62g (buds); 51.9g (case) |
41.5g total |
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 tested the OnePlus Buds 4
- Tested for 14 days
- Tested at home, in the office and on walks
The testing and writing period of the OnePlus Buds 4 took roughly two weeks, most of which were testing and a few of which were writing.
I used the buds alongside my Realme Android phone and the apps I used included Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, Netflix and various games. I tested at home, around my neighborhood, at the gym and on public transport.
For TechRadar I’ve tested plenty of other earbuds including the previous-gen OnePlus Buds 3, and have other reviewed other gadgets from the company including the buds’ contemporary smartphones.
- First reviewed in July 2025
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tom.bedford@futurenet.com (Tom Bedford)
