OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Review: The Easy Recommendation Under ₹3,000

At around ₹3,000, the budget TWS segment has become incredibly competitive. Almost every brand promises strong ANC, long battery life, gaming features, and companion apps packed with extras. The problem is that many of these earbuds usually get one or two things right and compromise elsewhere.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 manage to avoid most of those compromises. In many ways, these feel like a trimmed-down version of the Nord Buds 4 Pro with a few missing features such as swipe volume controls, while retaining almost everything that actually matters in daily use.

I’ve been using these for music, calls, workouts, gaming, and commuting over the past few days, and for the asking price, these deliver a surprisingly complete experience. Let’s get into it.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Sound

The Nord Buds 4 come with 12 mm titanium-coated dynamic drivers. Out of the box, the sound signature is heavily bass-focused. You immediately notice the strong low-end response, which most casual listeners will probably enjoy. Tracks from artists like Travis Scott or Karan Aujla sound energetic and punchy.

Personally, I found the bass slightly overpowering on certain tracks, especially in the default Balanced mode. Vocals occasionally take a small step back, particularly in busy songs.

Thankfully, OnePlus gives you enough tools to tweak the sound according to your taste. Serenade (with some adjustments to the BassWave slider) improves the presentation quite a bit when adjusted properly, and the full 10-band EQ gives you complete control over the tuning. After a bit of tweaking, these sound really good.

The earbuds support a frequency response range of up to 20 Hz to 20 kHz and use AAC and SBC codecs. Unfortunately, there’s no LHDC or LDAC support here. Still, sound quality is good for the segment, especially considering the price.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Design and Fit

The overall design remains familiar. The charging case has a pebble-like shape that is compact enough to fit comfortably in any pocket. The matte finish also does a good job resisting fingerprints.

The earbuds themselves weigh around 4.3 grams each, while the entire package comes in at roughly 42.5 grams. They are lightweight enough that you can comfortably wear them for long listening sessions (although prolonged usage is not recommended for your ear health). 

During my usage, I rarely had to readjust the fit, whether I was walking, working out, or simply sitting at my desk. The magnets inside the case are strong, and the hinge quality is solid as well. You also get IP55 dust and water resistance on the earbuds, so sweat and light rain shouldn’t be an issue.

One thing worth mentioning is that OnePlus doesn’t include a charging cable inside the box. Honestly, this shouldn’t bother most people since the bundled cables are usually very short and almost everyone already has a USB Type-C cable lying around.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: App and Features

This is easily one of the strongest aspects of the Nord Buds 4. If you’re using a OnePlus or OPPO smartphone, most settings are integrated directly into the Bluetooth menu, which makes the entire experience very seamless. On iOS and other Android devices, you’ll need the HeyMelody app, and thankfully, the app remains clean with no ads or mandatory sign-ins.

You get ANC controls, transparency mode, wear detection, Find My Earbuds, firmware updates, camera controls, and voice assistant support.

As mentioned earlier, the Sound Master section includes three presets alongside the full 10-band EQ. This level of customization is still uncommon at this price.

Controls are generally responsive, though unlike the Nord Buds 4 Pro, you don’t get swipe gestures for volume adjustment. You still get the standard double tap, triple tap, and press-and-hold gestures, which work reliably. And of course, the controls are completely customizable. 

Dual-device connection is also supported and works very well in day-to-day use. AI features like live translation are available on supported OnePlus devices as well.

Game mode reduces latency to around 47 ms, and OnePlus also includes Game Sound Spatial Audio for supported titles. While casual gamers will appreciate the lower latency, competitive players would want to go for wired earphones for a better experience. 

Overall, this is easily one of the most feature-packed earbuds available under ₹3,000.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Microphones and Calling

Call quality is surprisingly decent for this segment. The Nord Buds 4 feature a six-microphone setup, with three microphones on each earbud. Combined with AI noise reduction, voice clarity remains good in most situations.

During outdoor calls, surrounding traffic noise was reduced to a good extent, and people on the other side generally had no issues understanding me. Wind noise suppression also works fairly well, with OnePlus claiming support for wind speeds of up to 25 km/h. For everyday calls and meetings, these get the job done comfortably.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Connectivity

The earbuds support Bluetooth 6.1 and the connection has been stable for me throughout regular usage. Pairing is quick, and reconnection happens almost instantly once you take the earbuds out of the case. There’s also a pairing button on the case to help you out. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are supported, which makes setup across devices very straightforward. 

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Noise Cancellation

The Nord Buds 4 support up to 52 dB real-time ANC, which sounds impressive at this price point. In real-world usage, constant sounds such as ceiling fans, AC noise, traffic, and office chatter are reduced significantly. Commuting becomes noticeably more pleasant with ANC enabled.

You also get adaptive ANC, which automatically adjusts the cancellation level based on your surroundings. In most situations, the High mode works best. Transparency mode is decent at best.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro Review: Battery and Charging

Each earbud on the Nord Buds 4 packs a 62 mAh battery, while the charging case houses a 530 mAh cell. OnePlus claims up to 13 hours of playback on the earbuds and up to 54 hours of total playback with the case when ANC is disabled. 

With ANC enabled, OnePlus claims up to 6.5 hours on the earbuds and 27 hours combined.

In mixed real-world usage involving ANC, calls, and music playback, the battery life I got was very close to OnePlus’ claims. It can comfortably last several days on a single charge. 

As for charging, a quick 10-minute charge provides up to 11 hours of total playback with the charging case. A full charge takes about an hour and 30 minutes.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro?

If your budget is around ₹3,000, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 are extremely easy to recommend. You’re getting very good ANC, strong battery life, a good app experience, excellent customization options, reliable connectivity, and useful everyday features like dual-device support.

In many ways, these feel like the Nord Buds 4 Pro with only a handful of premium extras removed. For most people, the overall experience will remain largely the same. If you’re looking for feature-packed earbuds under ₹3,000, these should be right at the top of your shortlist.

Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 8.7/10

• Sound: 8.5/10
• Design and Fit: 8.8/10
• App and Features: 9/10
• Microphones: 8.3/10
• Connectivity: 8.8/10
• Noise Cancellation: 8.8/10
• Battery and Charging: 9/10

First reviewed in June 2026.

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