OnePlus Buds 3 leak promises top-tier audio without breaking the bank

New information has found its way online for the OnePlus Buds 3 revealing it may have similar performance to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 while also being cheaper than it.

This leak originates from German tech news site Allround-PC with 9To5Google providing a translation for it. According to the report, the earbuds will each house a 6mm tweeter alongside a 10.4mm woofer. And with the case, they’ll have a 44-hour battery life – five hours longer than the Buds Pro 2. Notable features for the Buds 3 include support for 3D Sound for spatial audio, LHDC 5.0 enabling low latency streaming, Google Fast Pair, plus 48 dB of active noise cancellation. Everything listed so far is nearly identical to what the Buds Pro 2 is capable of although the older devices do have a slightly larger 11mm woofer for bass.

It’s unknown if the two models will share any other features. However, as 9To5Google points out, the OnePlus Buds 3 removes the word “Pro” from its name suggesting it could be considered a “sequel” of sorts to previous releases. So we could see the new pair have similar, if not the same, capabilities as the Buds Pro 2.

Cheaper than expected

Despite potentially being a direct follow-up to a high-end product, the Buds 3 may be cheaper than the previous generation. The report claims it will launch at €99 in Europe, which is considerably cheaper than the €179 price tag on the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The buds will reportedly be available in either Space Gray or Clear Sea Blue.

Design-wise, the Buds 3 have changed considerably these past few weeks. Leaked CAD renders of the earbuds from around mid-December showed each piece sporting a segmented look and an egg-shaped charging case. Since then, OnePlus itself posted official images of what the devices will look like at launch. Gone is the segmented look. Now each bud will be a solid unit housed in a box-shaped case.

The report concludes by stating the OnePlus Buds 3 are expected to release on January 23 alongside the global launch of the flagship OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R smartphones.

If you’re thinking of picking up a OnePlus phone, check out TechRadar’s list of the best OnePlus models featuring all of the best premium and bargain devices.

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