OnePlus Buds 4 review: Big on Noise Cancellation

Time of India

3 days ago

Rating: 3.5/5
OnePlus Buds 4
has officially launched in India with a price tag of Rs 5,999. With the new earbuds, OnePlus continues its push in the budget-to-mid-range audio segment where it has steadily built a reputation over the years. The brand's earlier wireless earbuds, especially the OnePlus Buds 3 were seen as reliable options for those looking for good sound quality, decent battery life, and useful features — all without spending too much. In many ways, OnePlus managed to offer a balance between price and performance, making its earbuds a popular choice for users who wanted something better than the bare minimum but didn't want to spend a fortune.
The Buds 4 arrives at a time when the competition in this price segment has only grown stronger. Brands like Realme, Oppo, and even Boat are offering feature-packed earbuds in the sub-Rs 6,000 category, with ANC, app support, and longer battery life becoming common. So naturally, the question arises — does the OnePlus Buds 4 do enough to stand out in 2025?
With a familiar yet slightly updated design, support for active noise cancellation, and some new features, the Buds 4 tries to maintain OnePlus' usual formula. But as expectations continue to grow and users look for more value, the Buds 4 aims to deliver beyond brand recognition. Do the Buds 4 prove that they can hold their ground — not just because of the brand name, but because they deliver where it really matters. In this review, we find out.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Undo
Design
At first glance, the OnePlus Buds 4 follows a familiar design approach, with an in-ear style and a compact charging case. The buds come in a polished, single-tone finish that looks neat without drawing too much attention. The earbuds are offered in two colour options – Zen Green and Storm Gray. We received the Zen Green model for our review and it looks good.
OnePlus
has opted for a stem-style design once again, something we've seen in their previous models too. At just 4.73 grams, the buds are really lightweight and sit comfortably in the ear for short to moderate durations. The in-ear design with silicone tips gives a snug, sealed fit for commuting or noisy environments.
The case itself is small and pocket-friendly, with a clamshell-style lid that shuts securely. It weighs 40g and slides easily into your pockets without making it heavy. The case uses a gloss finish that does a decent job resisting smudges and fingerprint marks. There's a Type-C port at the bottom for charging and a pairing button inside. The case feels well-built overall, even though it sticks to basic materials.
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Touch controls are located on the stem of each earbud, and they respond with a gentle tap. OnePlus has kept the design simple and functional, which works well if you prefer minimal distractions. While the design doesn't break new ground, it stays practical and consistent with what's worked before.
Performance and battery life
OnePlus Buds 4 are at their best when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). We tested them in a noisy gym, where background music and clanging weights are usually hard to ignore. As soon as we switched on the High ANC mode, the earbuds managed to cut out nearly all of the surrounding sound. Whether it was chatter, loudspeaker announcements, or traffic noise, the Buds 4 filtered most of it out, allowing one to focus on the playlist.
That said, the High ANC mode is just one of several options. You can choose from low, medium, high, and even an Auto mode that adjusts depending on your environment. There's also a Transparency mode, which is useful when you want to hear your surroundings while still listening to music. Another adaptive mode switches between ANC and Transparency automatically. These modes can be controlled through the HeyMelody app, though the app experience was frustrating. It often failed to detect the earbuds and required multiple steps to access basic settings, which affected the overall user experience.
Talking about the sound performance, the Buds 4 clearly favour bass-heavy output. On tracks like 'Malang' or 'Genda Phool,' the bass kicks are prominent and deep. If you enjoy electronic or club music, you'll probably enjoy how punchy the lows feel. On the other hand, in softer songs like 'Raataan Lambiyan' or 'Kesariya,' vocals are sometimes overpowered by the bass, especially if you're not using a custom sound profile.
That's where OnePlus' Golden Sound feature comes in. It creates a personalised sound profile based on a quick hearing test and ear scan. This helped balance the sound better for me, especially in songs with a mix of instruments like 'Shayad' or 'Tum Hi Ho.' Other audio features include 3D Audio (Spatial Audio) and a BassWave enhancer, which boosts low frequencies even more if you want that extra thump.
Connectivity was strong throughout testing — the Bluetooth link stayed stable without any drops.
Battery life is decent, but not great, especially if you're using all the advanced features. With ANC off, you can expect around 11 hours per charge, but switching ANC on drops that to about 6 hours. The charging case adds more juice, taking total playtime to around 24 hours with ANC on, and 45 hours without.
In short, the OnePlus Buds 4 deliver strong ANC and solid bass performance, but battery life and app usability leave some room for improvement.
Verdict
Compared to its predecessor and other earbuds in the Rs 6,000 segment from rival brands, the OnePlus Buds 4 hold their ground mainly due to strong ANC and useful customisation features like Golden Sound. But if you're expecting a significant leap in all-round performance or app experience, the improvements here are more incremental than transformative.
All in all, at Rs 5,999, the OnePlus Buds 4 offers solid value, particularly for users who prioritise bass-heavy audio and noise cancellation. The ANC performance is easily one of the strongest features, making them suitable for noisy environments. Add to that stable connectivity and a comfortable, lightweight design, and the OnePlus Buds 4 covers most of the core needs for daily listening.