Today, OnePlus India has expanded its Nord lineup of earbuds with the launch of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 priced at ₹2,299. Positioned as a toned-down variant of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, these earbuds offer a solid range of features at an affordable price point. Key features of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 include 32dB ANC, 12.4mm titanium dynamic drivers, 43 hours of music playback with 10 minutes fast charging, TÜV Rheinland Battery Health certification, dual microphones for clear calls, BassWave Enhancement 2.0, IP55 water-resistant rated, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, and more. Here’s more about the earbuds in our OnePlus Nord Buds 3 review.
Design, Build Quality, & Ergonomics
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 comes in a sleek pebble-shaped vertical case with a matte finish and metallic accents, weighing just 4.2 grams per earbud (46.2 grams for the case) and offering IP55 for water and sweat resistance. It comes in two color options – one with a matte finish in Black and the other glossy in White.
The case includes a USB Type-C port at the bottom supporting a 10-minute quick charge and a pairing/reset button beside it. The front of the case has an LED indicator to display the battery, charging, and pairing status.
The Nord Buds 3 adopts a consistent color scheme inside and out, offering a sleek glossy interior (or matte finish for Black). Opening the case, and you see the matching color earbuds with an ergonomic stem-style design with silicon eartips. The buds fit just fine and don’t fall off easily. The casing is handy and light in weight as well. Both, the Nord Buds 3 and Nord Buds 3 Pro look very similar in terms of design.
Hardware, Audio Performance, & Features
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 is powered by 12.4mm titanium dynamic drivers paired with the BassWave 2.0 Enhancement algorithm and a master EQ promising an immersive sound experience. In addition, 32dB Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and dual microphones ensure clear calls and noise-free audio. Additional features include Bluetooth 5.4 with dual device connection support, Google Fast Pair for quick pairing, touch controls, voice assistant, and low latency mode.
In terms of sound quality, the Nord Buds 3 impresses with its dynamic bass, clear vocals, and crisp audio performance. With support BassWave 2.0 Enhancement for punchy bass, and EQ Master for tuning the sound, you get immersive quality. Using the HeyMelody app, users can access the Sound Master Equalizer, which offers three preset audio profiles – Balanced, Serenade, and Bass – along with the option to create a custom equalizer for personalized sound preferences. You get touch controls as usual, single tap, double tap, triple tap, touch and hold, and long touch and hold.
The earbuds don’t support Hi-Res LDAC or LDHC wireless transmission, the HD support ensures high-quality audio streaming with as much as 96 kHz sampling rate and 990 kbps transmission rate. This is a significant upgrade if you prefer superior sound over Bluetooth, however, it comes at a premium price. While it doesn’t include support for premium codecs like Hi-Res LDAC, LDHC, or aptX HD – typically found in high-end earbuds – it delivers impressive sound quality for its price.
Battery Runtime & Charging
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 offers impressive audio and battery performance at a budget-friendly price. The earbuds deliver up to 43 hours of total playback time on a single charge with up to 12 hours of standalone playback, both without ANC. With ANC turned On, the earbuds deliver up to 28 hours and 8 hours of standalone playback with support for a 10-minute quick charge.
With as much as 43 hours of total playback and 12 hours for each earbud, the Nord Buds 3 shines out in battery performance for its segment class. One of the standout features is its TÜV Rheinland Battery Health certification, making the Nord Buds 3 the first TWS to receive this, guaranteeing at least 80% battery capacity even after 1,000 charging cycles.
For charging, it supports USB Type-C with 10-minute quick charging delivering 11 hours of battery life (for case) and 4 hours of battery (for earbuds). It takes about 60 minutes to charge the earbuds fully and about 80 minutes to charge alongwith the case.
Verdict – OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review
Overall, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 packs premium features into a budget-friendly package, offering great value for anyone looking for reliable, feature-rich TWS earbuds. With a long-lasting and reliable battery experience, active noise cancellation, sound enhancements, and impressive audio quality for its price, the Nord Buds 3 is recommended for those who have a budget for ANC earbuds under ₹2,500.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 – Where To Buy
The price for the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 is ₹2,299 and will be available from 20th September 2024 at 12 PM on Amazon.in, Flipkart.com, OnePlus.in, OnePlus Store App, Myntra, Blinkit, OnePlus Stores, and select offline partner stores. The launch offers include ₹200 instant discount on ICICI Bank and OneCard users and ₹200 additional exclusive discount for Students.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Price In India, Availability, & Offers
- Price: ₹2,299
- Availability: 20th September 2024 at 12 PM on Amazon.in, Flipkart.com, OnePlus.in, OnePlus Store App, Myntra, Blinkit, OnePlus Stores, and select offline partner stores
- Offers: ₹200 instant discount on ICICI Bank and OneCard users, and ₹200 additional exclusive discount for Students
