OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r as the successor to Nord Buds 2r recently. It still doesn’t have ANC, and retains 12.4mm drivers, AAC codec, but promises up to 54h total playback and the design has also changed. Are these the best budget true wireless earbuds from OnePlus? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box contents
- OnePlus Nord Buds 3r in Aura Blue Colour
- Ear tips in Small and Large sizes (Medium sized tips pre-installed)
- Stickers
- Quick start guide and Safety guide
Design and Build Quality
Starting with the design, the headset is housed in a squaring charging case that fits in your pocket, and it opens from the top, a change in design compared to the Buds 2r. The case has a matte finish, so it doesn’t easily attract fingerprints or smudges easily. The Aura Blue colour that we have is eye-catching, and it also comes in Ash Black.
The charging case measures 60.2×47.5×24 and weighs 47.6g, which is compact and light. There is a tiny LED indicator on the front that glows in green, yellow and red colours to indicate the charge.
The USB Type-C port is present in the bottom, but there is no set up button, which is common in budget models.
The headset has a plastic build that has a matte finish throughout, so it doesn’t attract fingerprints. There are microphones are present on the top and the bottom of each earbud.
The earbuds weigh about 4.5 grams, which is almost similar to the 2r, which weighs 4.3g. The earbuds feature an in-ear design and also come with medium-sized ear tips pre-installed. You can change to bundled Large or Small sized ear tips if you wish. It doesn’t have an Optical Sensor for Wear Detection, so you have to use the touch interface for play or pause.
Overall, the headset offers good build quality and fits your ears perfectly so that they don’t fall off your ears easily, even during outdoor activities. The earphones have IP55 ratings for dust and water resistance, so it can withstand splashes or light rain, but you can’t use it when swimming. There is no IP ratings for the case.
Connectivity, Pairing, and Controls
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r supports Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC audio codec. The pairing process is very easy for OnePlus devices. Just enable Bluetooth on the OnePlus phone, open the charging case of the buds, place the charging case close to the phone, and follow the prompts. This works even with phones with the ColorOS base, such as OPPO and realme.
Since the case doesn’t have a pairing button, you have to hold the touch-sensitive area on both earbuds simultaneously to enter pairing mode to connect to non-OnePlus phones or other Bluetooth devices. Then, select OnePlus Nord Buds 3r.
There is a fast pair option which works in latest Android phones. We tested it on the Pixel 10, vivo T4 Pro and the TECNO POVA Slim 5G, and never faced any pairing or disconnection issues. Since the phone pairs with the case and not the headset, you will need the case if you want to reconnect it or even turn on the headset if it’s disconnected from the phone.
| Function | Left earphone (L) | Right earphone (R) |
| Play / Pause and | Single tap | |
| Play next track or Answer call / Hang calls | Double Tap | |
| Play previous track | Triple Tap | |
| Long touch and hold | Volume down | Volume up |
You can customize the controls from the settings from a OnePlus or other ColorOS-based phones, and for other phones you can use the HeyMelody app on Android and iOS. You can change single tap, double tap and triple tap control options, but not the Long touch and hold option.
There are options to choose from different equalizer settings such as Balanced (Default), Bold and Bass. There is also a custom equalizer option.
You can enable dual connection option that lets you connect to two devices at the same time and switch the audio playback between them. There is a Tap 2 Take (double-tap to capture photos) option for compatible OnePlus or ColorOS phones, and the Find my earbuds option makes a noise so that you can find the earbuds when it is connected to the phone.
The Nord Buds 3r brings advanced functions such as AI Translation for real-time language support, but it only works with compatible OnePlus phones.
Audio Quality and Call Performance
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r packs a 12.4mm dynamic driver, similar to the Nord Buds 2r. The earbuds are capable of getting very loud without significant distortion, even at maximum volume, which is a notable plus. The default “Balanced” tuning is heavily skewed towards the low-end, providing a powerful, boomy bass. However, there is no basswave option to boost the bass further.
It offers low-latency experience as low as 47ms that is useful when gaming which is good with other phones, but with OnePlus phones it is better since it is integrated with Pro Gaming mode.
Coming to the call noise cancellation, it uses dual on each earbud that work together to filter out unwanted noise. This does a good job in cutting down noise. During my use, wind noise and traffic was cut out to the receiver.
Battery Life
The earphones pack 58mAh battery that promises about 12 hours of standalone battery, way better than the Nord Buds 2r. During my use with AAC, I got about 11 hours of battery life in about 60% volume, so it is good. For calls, it lasts for is less since it uses AI call noise cancellation tech.
With the 560mAh charging case, it promises up to 54 hours of total battery life. The green light in the case indicates that the battery is high, and it turns yellow when it’s medium and red when it is low. You can also see the charge left in the case in the HeyMelody app or on the OnePlus phone’s screen itself when the earbuds are placed in the case.
It also has fast charge, so 10 minutes charge offers 8 hours playback (Buds + Case). It takes about an hour to charge the buds fully, and charging the case takes about 2 hours.
Conclusion
Overall, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r are a compelling option in the budget true wireless earbud market, though they might not be the “best” for every user. While there is no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and wear detection, they excel in the fundamentals. The standout feature is the exceptional battery life, which is a significant upgrade over the previous model.
The durable, IP55-rated build, secure in-ear fit, and clear call quality make them a reliable choice for everyday use and outdoor activities. Ultimately, if your top priorities are long-lasting battery, solid performance, and a durable design without the need for ANC, the Nord Buds 3r offer excellent value and a strong case for being among the best budget earbuds from OnePlus under the Rs. 2000 price segment.
Priced at Rs. 1,799, it will be available at a special launch price of Rs. 1,599 from OnePlus.in, the OnePlus Store App, OnePlus Experience Stores, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Croma, Reliance, Vijay Sales, Bajaj Electronics, and other leading mainline partners and stores, starting today, 8th September 2025 at 12 noon.