Contents
Pros of the OnePlus Buds 4
- Fantastic sound quality thanks to dual DAC, dual drivers, and 3D audio
- ANC is also very impressive
- Simpler design with a better charging case than its predecessor
- Very secure fit and good wearing comfort
Cons of the OnePlus Buds 4
- AI translations and voice assistant remain OnePlus-exclusive
- High pressure due to the silicone tips can be uncomfortable
- Advertised runtime of 11h only without ANC and with AAC codec
- No wireless charging support
Price and availability
OnePlus launched the OnePlus Buds 4 on July 8, 2025, with an asking price of $119.99. If you want to pick up a pair, you have to choose between Zen Green and Storm Gray colors.
Design & wearing comfort
| Design & wearing comfort | |
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| Size |
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| Weight |
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| Choice of material |
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| IP certification |
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OnePlus completely revamped the earbuds’ design. For instance, the charging case no longer opens based on a pocket mirror design, but is opened from the top, similar to a dental floss box. The earbuds themselves are now a little more discreet thanks to their matte case, and are less noticeable when worn in the ears. OnePlus also offers two colors, the tried-and-tested Zen Green version and an even more discreet matte Storm Gray version.
The new charging case was particularly impressive in the review due to its convenient handling. Although the earbuds now offer less contact surface when removing them, the act of doing so is easy. Simultaneously, there is less risk of the earbuds falling out of the case if you were to drop it. Build quality is very good, up to a point where the gaps are almost non-existent when the charging case is closed — certainly elegant to look at!
The earbuds themselves come in a classic design with a silicone tip, and OnePlus includes three variants of these in different sizes with the earbuds. Another practical aspect? You can check whether you have chosen the right size in the app using a fit test. As a result, the earbuds are very comfortable to wear, and I was able to keep them in my ears for several hours without running into any problems.
However, you can feel a rather high pressure when worn, which ensures the earbuds remain in your ears particularly well. When removing the earbuds, however, it can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience, with the pressure being so strong that the silicone tips even turn inside out at times. You should therefore carefully and gently remove the earbuds from your ears.
App & convenience functions
| Software | |
|---|---|
| Software |
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| Comfort functions |
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The OnePlus Buds 4 can connect to Android and Apple smartphones via the HeyMelody app. If you use a OnePlus smartphone, the earbuds can also connect natively. Additional functions, such as AI-based translation or a shortcut to the voice assistant, can be used with OnePlus phones.
Basic functions such as wear detection, a 6-band equalizer, the “Golden Sound” function to adjust the sound settings via an approximately 5-minute listening test, and 3D audio to expand the virtual sound space are all part of the deal, like what many other models offer today. OnePlus also gives us some settings options for us to control the earbuds without having to reach for our smartphone.
In addition to wear detection, which pauses active music playback when the earbuds are removed, the OnePlus Buds 4 boast touch-sensitive surfaces. By default, these can pause your music or podcasts, reduce and increase the volume, and also allow you to skip to the next track by tapping and swiping in the correct direction.
We can also use the HeyMelody app to customize or completely deactivate the earbuds’ controls. This is recommended, for instance, if we were to wear the earbuds while out in the rain, and the touch surfaces register incorrect inputs.
The in-ear earbuds also support dual pairing. We can register an additional device via the app for the earbuds to automatically switch between both devices. It worked reliably throughout our review and is not just limited to OnePlus devices!
Sound & ANC
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Drivers |
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| Frequency response |
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| Codecs |
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In this fourth generation of earbuds, OnePlus combines an 11 mm bass driver with a 6 mm tweeter, packing both sound sources into the compact housing of the earbuds. As a result, the earbuds claim to offer particularly good differentiation between highs and lows, which was actually confirmed in reality. At 15 Hz to 40 kHz, the frequency range of the earbuds is not unusual.
However, thanks to the dual drivers, the OnePlus Buds 4 have a particularly high audio resolution. One of the reasons for this is that OnePlus also processes incoming signals via a pair of DACs — i.e., converters for digital signals into analog signals. This allows the earbuds to better separate individual musical instruments and voices, even when they rely on comparatively low-resolution codecs such as AAC on the iPhone. However, anyone who connects the OnePlus Buds 4 to a compatible Android smartphone will benefit from the very good LDHC codec.
LDHC 5.0 reduces the latency of the earbuds to just 47 ms, which is particularly beneficial when watching movies and playing mobile games. At the same time, the sampling rate increases to 192 kHz at 24 bits with a transmission rate of 1 Mb/s. The earbuds are certified with Wireless HiFi.
We can also adjust the sound of the earbuds using a 6-band equalizer. Alternatively, there are some presets and a setting for 3D sound, which expands your music in a virtual space.
All in all, the dual drivers and dual DACs produce an amazing sound quality even when paired with my iPhone 16 Pro. The OnePlus Buds 4 sound livelier than most other in-ear earbuds and offer significantly better sound than the 4th-generation AirPods with ANC. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to test the sound with the LDHC codec. As soon as I get my hands on an Android smartphone, I’ll adapt this review accordingly.
What won’t change? The OnePlus Buds 4 also offer very good ANC, which is supposed to reduce ambient noise by up to 55 dB. This makes the ANC quite powerful on paper, which was also confirmed when used. OnePlus is competing with significantly more expensive ANC in-ear earbuds here. The adaptive ANC also adapts to the environment, which can be very helpful when you’re on the move. This is because the noise suppression is strong enough to ignore approaching cars.
The three microphones in each earbud are also said to provide particularly good call quality. The person I was talking to on the smartphone confirmed this even when I was out jogging. I also liked the sound quality when I was on the phone — it’s just a shame that the transparency mode for more natural speech doesn’t activate automatically.
Battery & charging
| Battery & runtime | |
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| Battery life |
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| Charging speed |
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While the OnePlus Buds 4 have so far been above average in all respects, they tend to be rather middling in terms of battery life. With ANC activated and high-quality LDHC codec supported, the manufacturer claims up to 5.5 hours of battery life on a single charge. Without ANC and with AAC codec, the number should run up to 11 hours. This means that the battery life can be stretched to its maximum runtime, but I would realistically place the battery life at 5-7 hours in reality.
This is still good, but it is far from being one of the endurance runners in the world of modern in-ear earbuds. The compact charging case with its 530 mAh can extend the runtime to 22 to 45 hours, which is quite good, considering how OnePlus typically features a powerful quick-charging function that delivers 3.5 hours of music playback in 10 minutes. The fact that the earbuds are fully charged within 50 minutes is also a good value.
However, charging is only possible with a cable. Unfortunately, the earbuds do not support wireless charging in this edition.
Are the earbuds worth buying?
OnePlus offers particularly clear and precise sound quality with its new in-ear earbuds. The small and comfortable earbuds not only have two drivers, but OnePlus also uses separate signals from two signal converters. Together with the effective 3D audio, which simulates a virtual sound space, the in-ears sound better than many of their alternatives on the earbuds market.
In my opinion, they also look better than the OnePlus Buds 3 with their redesigned charging case and somewhat simpler design. Handling the small in-ear earbuds is easy thanks to the comfortable charging case, while the good grip ensures a very secure fit in everyday life, despite the slightly too high suction pressure due to the silicone tips.
Looking for an alternative? These are the best in-ear earbuds
The only annoying thing is how OnePlus offers some functions exclusively in its ecosystem. These include the activation of voice assistants via the earbuds and the translation function. If we were to look at the battery life, the OnePlus Buds 4 don’t impress us, either. The earbuds only managed the promised 11 hours with AAC codec and without ANC. If you want to enjoy the best sound quality with very good ANC, you can only listen to music for 5 – 7 hours.
Overall, however, the OnePlus Buds 4 are highly recommended and, with a RRP of $119.99, fall within an attractive price range.
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