- OnePlus revealed the OnePlus Buds 4 exclusively to TechRadar
- Landing July 8, alongside Nord 5 Series phones, Pad Lite and Watch 3 43mm
- LHDC 5.0 support listed and given price of the older Buds 3, I’m stoked
OnePlus is a formidable name in portable tech, although not necessarily one celebrated for its crystal-clear naming strategies.
It’s hardly alone in that respect, given Apple’s decision to skip straight to iOS 26 (from iOS 18) and Samsung seemingly set to bypass the Buds 2 FE to go straight to the Buds 3 FE, but anyway, 2025 is not looking any different for the Chinese tech giant.
Today (Monday, June 16) the company has exclusively revealed to TechRadar its five newest products: the OnePlus Nord 5 Series (comprising two smartphones: the OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus CE5), the OnePlus Buds 4, the OnePlus Pad Lite and a new, smaller OnePlus Watch 3 – it’s got a 43mm dial.
Important things to note on the Buds 4? Firstly, there’s no ‘Nord’ prefix, which typically denotes OnePlus’ mid-range propositions. So while the incoming phones might sit within the brand’s more affordable handsets, it’s flagship territory where its earbuds are concerned.
OnePlus Buds 4: specs and everything we know so far
You’d be forgiven for experiencing a modicum of confusion when gazing upon OnePlus’ current earbuds lineup – so allow me.
A quick look on the OnePlus website reveals a trio consisting of the newest OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (which launched in August 2024), the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro (which arrived in July 2024 and despite our best efforts, we never managed to source a set for review) and the January 2024-issue OnePlus Buds 3.
If you really want to get granular on their respective spec sheets or you’re thinking of snapping up a deal on the outgoing model when the Buds 4 hit shelves (clever), our OnePlus Buds Pro 3 vs OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro explainer can help.
But this changes everything! OnePlus Buds 4 – so simple. So stylish. I don’t have too much information on the design or colorway options, but the case echoes the design language of the Buds 3 Pro, rather than the Buds 3, which is a good thing since I found it much more secure.
OnePlus tells me the Buds 4 feature dual drivers and dual DACs (read: the kind of audio architecture that ought to promote much-better-than-average audio quality), LHDC 5.0 (a higher-resolution audio codec similar to LDAC in that it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution) and OnePlus’ 3D Audio software, which we really liked in the OnePlus Buds 3 because it’ll even level up Spotify’s lossy files, making them more immersive.
For gamers, the OnePlus Buds 4 also offer 47ms ultra-low latency in Game Mode and while I’m no avid gamer, the Buds Pro 3 included the perk and we liked it a lot, so it’s good to see it included in non-Pro Buds.
Anything missing here? Well, there’s no mention yet of noise cancellation which, if that plays out, might be a deal-breaker for some buyers. Again, this is an early exclusive (we’ve no concrete information on pricing either) so there are plenty of details still to come, but it’s worth mentioning.
Thus far, OnePlus has yet to really make a dent in our roundup of the best earbuds – but perhaps that’s set to change. We’ll be giving them a full-fat review, so watch this space…
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