OnePlus Buds 3 likely to cost much less than the predecessor model

OnePlus Buds 3
(Image credit: OnePlus)

What you need to know

  • OnePlus Buds 3 will likely be the most affordable flagship-level earbuds launching this week in China.
  • The wireless earbuds are tipped to cost €99 in the European region.
  • The upcoming buds are also dropping the "Pro" moniker, per teased images.

Then newest OnePlus Buds 3 is set to make its debut in China on January 4, with the One Plus Ace 3 (aka the OnePlus 12R)

A new leak hints that the price tag for these buds will be significantly lower than that of the company's predecessor model.

The OnePlus Buds 3 come as the successor to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, that were launched globally in February 2023. They costed €179 and are still priced the same in the European OnePlus website listing. However, the Buds 3 is likely to cost way less. According to leaker Max Jambor via Allround-PC, they're believed to cost €99 and will also likely drop the "Pro" moniker, per recent teasers shared by the company.

Jambor further notes that the OnePlus Buds 3 will also be equipped with Google Fast Pair, similar to the previous models. The other rumored specs of the buds include a 10.4mm woofer coupled with a 6mm tweeter. Further, they will also come with 48dB noise cancellation support. Additionally, the Buds 3 are said to come with a 3D surround sound, LHDC 5.0, and a promised battery life of up to 44 hours, stated another leaker Digital Chat Station in their recent Weibo post. 

With the rumored features and the company's promise of flagship-level sound on the OnePlus Buds 3, they still appear to be a viable, in fact, notable option to consider for €99 — falling under the budget of wireless earbuds. It is still unclear whether we would see another "Pro" variant of the OnePlus Buds 3 in Chinese or global markets.

The global launch of the Buds 3 is likely to take place on January 24 along with the OnePlus 12R, which is set to release alongside the flagship OnePlus 12 in other regions, including India and Europe. These buds are anticipated to come in Space Gray and Clear Sea Blue colors to complement the OnePlus 12R/OnePlus Ace 3's color options.

Vishnu Sarangapurkar
News Writer

Vishnu works as a freelance News Writer for Android Central. For the past four years, he's been writing about consumer technology, primarily involving smartphones, laptops, and every other gizmo connected to the Internet. When he is away from keyboard, you can see him going on a long drive or chilling on a couch binge-watching some crime series.