OnePlus Buds Z: Everything you need to know

Alongside the OnePlus 8T launch last night, OnePlus also dropped a new release: the OnePlus Buds Z. Building upon the company’s first TWS headphones, the OnePlus Buds Z now feature an in-ear design that should offer better passive noise isolation, and they also come with a cheaper price tag than its predecessor.

Despite a more affordable price tag, the OnePlus Buds Z come with a lot under the hood. This includes an IP55 rating (better than the AirPods Pro!), new Bass Boost technology, and “3D audio” via Dolby Atmos. This supposedly offers better soundstaging, with OnePlus promising “heart-pounding audio” with increased bass frequencies.

Additionally, OnePlus promises up to 20 hours of total playback time including the charging case; for the earbuds themselves, you’re looking at up to five hours on a single charge. A 10-minute charge should offer enough juice for three hours of playback, and charging is done via USB-C.

At this price point, it’s no surprise that the OnePlus Buds Z miss out on active noise cancellation (ANC), while the charging case doesn’t support wireless charging. Still, OnePlus promises that voice (and video) call quality should be improved with the help of environmental noise reduction tech and two microphones.

And, as mentioned, the in-ear design should offer better isolation than the AirPods-like design of the OnePlus Buds; you get three additional silicone tips in the box to ensure that you get a better seal. Meanwhile, you also get a handy “quick switch” feature that allows you to switch between two paired devices—by simply holding down on the touch controls of the earbuds.

For gamers, OnePlus promises ultra-low latency with the OnePlus Buds Z. However, the latency time of 103ms is only available when Fnatic Mode (OnePlus’ in-house gamer mode on their smartphones) is enabled on a compatible OnePlus smartphone. And finally, Google Assistant access is available (when connected to an Android smartphone). All you need to do to activate it is to double tap the earbuds.

Price and availability

The OnePlus Buds Z will be available in White, Gray, and a special edition designed by Steven Harrington—one that resembles a “polished seashell pattern”. Availability has been announced for select markets, with official pricing as follows:

OnePlus Buds Z – GBP 55 (~RM296)

At the moment, we don’t have official word on Malaysian pricing and availability. However, OnePlus has announced a local launch for the OnePlus 8T for the 22nd of October 2020—perhaps we’ll have more information then.

For more information, head over to the official OnePlus site here.

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