Skip to main content

OnePlus teases the arrival of the Buds Pro 3

OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
OnePlus

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.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
OnePlus

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.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
OnePlus

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.”

OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
OnePlus

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.

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
JBL’s $200 Live 3 earbuds get the Tour Pro 2’s touchscreen charging case
JBL Live Flex 3 in silver.

JBL's smart, touchscreen-equipped charging case is coming to the company's latest generation of Live wireless earbuds. JBL says that the $250 Tour Pro 2 -- the wireless earbuds that debuted the smart charging case in 2023 -- rapidly sold out after they went on sale, proof, perhaps, that there's an untapped need that the touchscreen case meets.

The Live 3 were announced at CES 2024 alongside JBL's new Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones, and party speakers and will sell for $200 when they're released in summer 2024. Like previous JBL Live wireless earbuds, the Live 3 come in three versions, but JBL has changed the naming convention to match its Tune family of wireless earbuds. The new models are the Live Flex 3, the Live Beam 3, and the Live Buds 3. Each comes in a choice of two colors: black and silver.

Read more
Apple lets AirPods Pro owners upgrade to USB-C
Apple AirPods Pro Second Gen charging case with USB-C.

Apple now sells the USB-C version of its AirPods Pro Gen 2 charging case on its own, which is good news for anyone who wants to switch to USB-C charging for their existing second-gen AirPods Pro. However, the switch from lightning to USB-C will come with a hefty premium: Apple is asking $99 for the , as noted by the Verge, or half the price that's currently advertised on Amazon for a new, complete set of AirPods Pro second-gen with USB-C.

Apple AirPods Pro second-gen charging case with USB-C (left) and the second-gen charging case with Lightning. Caleb Denison / Digital Trends

Read more
What we want from the AirPods Pro in 2024
Apple AirPods Pro 2 sitting beside iPhone 14 and charging case.

It’s not that easy to criticize the Apple AirPods Pro. Apple’s iconic white wireless earbuds get a lot of things right. If you’re an iPhone user, they’re one of the easiest products to recommend, even though there are plenty of competitors at the same or lower price.

Still, there are a few areas where Apple still has room for improvement. Here’s what we’d like to see in 2024.

Read more