OnePlus has a new set of wireless earbuds on the way, but for the moment, the company is being very coy about the details. We know the name — the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 — and we’ve been given some teaser photos to share (you might also see some unboxing videos starting today), but otherwise, there’s little else to go on.
We know that the Buds Pro 3 will once again be offered in two different colors, and the images clearly reveal that OnePlus has taken a new approach to the charging case.
Instead of a flat, clamshell design, the Buds Pro 3 are now housed in a vertically oriented case with a flip-top lid. The case has also been treated with a leather-like texture — it should be interesting to see how well that wears over time.
To my eyes, the Buds Pro 3 look a lot like the Oppo Enco X and Enco X2 — right down to the branding on the rear hinge. That’s not coincidental — until 2023, both brands were owned by the same China-based parent, BKK Electronics. And just like the Enco X2, the Buds Pro 3 were co-designed with Dynaudio.
Speaking of Dynaudio, it’s great to see the Danish audio pioneers have returned for an encore. OnePlus brought Dynaudio in on the design of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, a decision that helped those earbuds earn praise for their audio quality. Our reviewer noted that the Buds Pro 2 were especially good at rendering vocals, calling them “superb for vocal-forward music.”
However, the Buds Pro 2 didn’t do as good a job with noise cancellation as they did with sound quality. That’s an area that OnePlus has hopefully improved on the Buds Pro 3. Another Buds Pro 2 weakness identified by our reviewer was spatial audio.
Want to know more about the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 like pricing, full specifications, and availability? We’ll be able to share more soon — very soon. Check back with us on August 20 for an update.