OnePlus goes after Samsung's latest earbuds with a trendy design and standout feature
The OnePlus Buds Clip are the brand's first-ever open-style earbuds, but as exciting as they look, it's hard not to be bothered by their unlikely Western release.
This is still a decidedly unconventional... and pretty attractive design. | Image by OnePlus
Just in case you didn't catch that wireless earbuds sales report from Q1 2026 and you also didn't pay much attention to Samsung or Bose's most recent product announcements in the Apple-dominated market, open-style AirPods alternatives are all the rage nowadays.
Specifically, open clip buds are becoming more and more popular, no longer looking like quirky accessories only the most adventurous Android handset and iPhone owners are willing to try out for fun and only at the right price.
Closely following in the footsteps of the super-premium Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) and slightly humbler Bose Sport Open, as well as the even newer (and not at all affordable) Galaxy Buds On, the aptly named OnePlus Buds Clip are today official with a full (and pretty impressive) list of features and capabilities but unfortunately no price point or global availability information.
This is what the OnePlus Buds Clip are all about
- Open-ear design;
- Dynaudio sound technology;
- 11 + 9mm flagship dual drivers with dual DACs;
- Six microphones with Clear Call technology;
- Either-ear symmetry;
- Up to 9.5 hours of uninterrupted music listening;
- Up to 40 hours of battery life with charging case;
- IP55 water and dust resistance;
- 6nm AI audio chip;
- Bluetooth 6.1;
- Dual-device connection;
- Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair support;
- AI Translate;
- 5.2 grams weight (per bud);
- Pearl White, Pebble Gray, and Twilight Rose color options.
These are clearly no pushovers in any key department
If you're the least bit familiar with this company's activity in the wireless audio industry over the last few years, you probably already know that OnePlus sells many different types of earbuds under both its main banner and the Nord sub-brand, some of which are incredibly affordable and not that impressive compared to the likes of the AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are just as premium on the inside as they look at first glance in this gorgeous Twilight Rose hue. | Image by OnePlus
But the OnePlus Buds Clip look fully capable of going up against the aforementioned Galaxy Buds On and second-gen Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in terms of everything from their overall sound quality to their battery life, voice call clarity, and even cutting-edge AI technologies.
Yes, you're looking at a decidedly premium-sounding product here that packs a large 11mm woofer and 9mm tweeter spanning the full frequency range and promising to have "nothing missing" and "nothing muddy." Of course, active noise cancellation is not possible due to the inherent limitations of an open-ear design, but OnePlus promises to use a bunch of cool proprietary AI tricks to deliver "enhanced call noise cancellation."
What do you think about open-style earbuds?
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Far more importantly, the OnePlus Buds Clip are advertised as capable of offering "all-day comfort" like no "conventional" wireless earbuds, and also like nothing else on the market right now (with or without an open-style design), these bad boys feature "either-ear symmetry", which means you never have to wonder what bud goes in what ear. Now that's what I call a standout functionality every earbuds user in history has probably wished for at least once.
Should you buy the OnePlus Buds Clip?
Before asking yourself that, the first-ever clip-on OnePlus earbuds actually have to go on sale, which only seems to have happened in Hong Kong at the time of this writing.
There, the product is available for the rough equivalent of $153, which unfortunately means nothing for prospective US-based buyers for a very simple and sad reason.
Have you ever suffered from headaches or other types of discomfort from extended earbuds use? The OnePlus Buds Clip could solve all your problems. | Image by OnePlus
The OnePlus Buds Clip are unlikely to ever be officially released stateside... or on the old continent, although miracles have taken place before in the tech industry. If a US commercial debut were to ever happen and if the recommended price was set at, say, $100 or $120, I believe OnePlus could have an instant and massive hit on its hands here. But I remain skeptical for pretty obvious reasons.
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