Besides its phones, OnePlus has made a name for itself with its Buds lineup of earphones. TheOnePlus Buds Pro 2delivered power sound at a reasonable price, making it a great alternative to some of thebest wireless earphones. The BBK-owned company is now set to announce a new pair of earbuds, the OnePlus Buds 3. Despite lacking a Pro moniker, the earphones will apparently pack key upgrades over its predecessor while carrying a lower price tag.
In typical OnePlus fashion, the company has been teasing the Buds 3 launch onWeiboahead of its launch in China on July 14, 2025. The marketing posters reveal that OnePlus' upcoming earphones will sport a 10.4mm woofer with a 6mm tweeter in each bud. For comparison, the Buds Pro 2 packs an 11mm and 6mm dual-driver setup. Despite the slightly smaller driver, OnePlus claims the Buds 3 will deliver better audio and call quality.
The earbuds will also have ANC, which will be good enough to cancel up to 48dB of noise, the same as the Buds Pro 2.
Other features include IP55 certification, meaning limited protection against dust and water, allowing you to use the earphones while working out or in light rain. Thanks to Fast Pair support, pairing the Buds 3 to your Android device should be quick and easy. Both these features are also available on OnePlus' previous flagship earbuds.
LeakerDigital Chat Stationclaims the OnePlus Buds 3 could feature 3D surround sound, LHDC 5.0 support, and an alleged battery life of up to 44 hours. That’s about five hours longer than the claimed 39 hours battery life of the Buds Pro 2. There’s no mention of wireless charging and head tracking/spatial audio, which OnePlus could omit as a cost-cutting measure.
While the Buds 3 are slated to launch in China later this week (January 4), their international launch is still a few weeks away. They should debut globally alongside theOnePlus 12series, whose launch event is scheduled for January 23 in India. While there’s no word on the earphones' pricing in China,All-round PCbelieves the OnePlus Buds 3 will cost €99 in Europe. If true, this would make the earbuds substantially cheaper than the Buds Pro 2, which is sold for €179. However, it is currently available with some heavy discounts.
It will be interesting to see how OnePlus will ensure there’s enough price and feature gap between its cheaper Nord earbuds and the upcoming Buds 3. There’s also the Buds Pro 2R, which launched for €149 but is typically available at a lower price.
If you are interested in the OnePlus Buds 3, you will only have to wait for about a day to know more about its detailed specs and features.
