So, I was scrolling through my phone catching up on the latest news India, when a friend mentioned she had just tried a new pair of true‑wireless earbuds that were supposedly good for the price. Naturally, being a bit of an audio geek, I had to check it out myself. The device in question is the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, and after a few days of using it on my daily Mumbai local rides, on my weekend road trips and while binge‑watching the trending news India on Netflix, I felt I could share a fairly honest take.
First off, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro is marketed as the budget version of the brand’s premium lineup – it promises active noise cancellation (ANC), long battery life and a decent audio experience without the premium price tag. The real question for any Indian buyer is whether it actually delivers on those promises, especially when you compare it with other ANC earbuds that often cost twice as much.
New Look – A Matte Finish That Stands Up to Indian Streets
When I opened the box, the first thing that caught my eye was the new squarish charging case. Unlike the older oval design of the Buds 3 Pro, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro case has a more rectangular silhouette with rounded edges, which feels natural to hold in a palm that’s used to juggling a train ticket, a chai cup, and a smartphone.
The matte finish is not just about looks; it works well against the grime of Indian pockets. I noticed that after a few weeks of slipping the case into my denim jacket pocket, fingerprint smudges were minimal, and wiping it with a cloth restored the look instantly. The rounded edges also mean the case slides out of my back‑pocket without digging into the fabric – a small but appreciated design tweak for anyone who’s constantly on the move.
Silicone ear‑tips are supplied in multiple sizes, and the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro lets you swap them easily. I tried the medium size first, and they stayed snug during a three‑hour train journey even when the carriage was packed and the air‑conditioning kept turning on and off. The earbuds themselves weigh about 4.4 grams each, which is light enough that I hardly felt any ear fatigue, though after a marathon listening session I did notice a slight itch – something that happens with any earbuds once they’re worn for a long stretch.
What It Offers – Features Packed Into a Budget Package
OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro comes equipped with 12 mm dynamic drivers – a common size for true‑wireless earbuds in this price segment. The sound codecs supported include LHDC, SBC and AAC, which means you can stream higher‑quality audio from services that provide these formats. For an Indian user who streams a lot of Bollywood tracks on platforms that use AAC, this is a nice bonus.
Active noise cancellation is present, and you can toggle it through the dedicated HeyMelody app or directly from the earbuds themselves. The device features six microphones and also supports spatial audio, allowing a slightly more immersive experience when watching movies that support it. There are also a few AI‑driven sound‑tuning options in the HeyMelody app, where you can select preset profiles or create a custom one if you feel the default isn’t to your taste.
Pairing is straightforward – the HeyMelody app gives you the option of dual‑connectivity, so you can keep the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro linked to both your phone and your tablet at the same time. The app also displays battery percentages for each earbud and the case, which is handy because the case’s 530 mAh battery can be a lifesaver when you’re out on a long day without a charger.
How It Sounds – Bass‑Heavy but Manageable
The moment you start playing music, the first thing you notice with OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro is the emphasis on the low end. The bass is pronounced, which works well for most Indian pop songs that rely heavily on thumping beats. However, the device also offers a ‘bass‑centric tweak’ that you can enable via the HeyMelody app. In my tests, the default setting actually sounded more balanced, so I kept that.
Regarding ANC, the cancellation is decent when you’re in a fairly quiet environment – say, your home office or a small café. In a noisy public place like a Delhi bus or a Chennai metro, the ANC can reduce some background hum but it doesn’t completely silence the chatter, which is expected for a budget ANC solution. The transparent mode exists too, but the way it mixes ambient sound can feel a bit vague, especially when you’re trying to catch an announcement over the loudspeaker.
When it comes to calls, the microphone array – a total of six mics across the two earbuds – captures the voice clearly enough for most regular conversations. I tried a voice call while walking through a bustling market, and the person on the other end could hear me without much distortion. It’s not the premium‑grade call clarity you get from high‑end flagships, but it’s reliable for everyday use.
Battery Life – Staying Power That Keeps Up With Your Day
One of the biggest selling points for OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro is its battery life. Each earbud houses a 62 mAh cell, while the charging case contains a 530 mAh battery. According to OnePlus, you can get up to 56 hours of playback when ANC is turned off and around 26 hours with ANC active.
In real‑world usage, I managed to stretch the playback to about 48 hours across different scenarios – listening to music during a weekend getaway, using the earbuds for podcasts on a long car ride, and even having them on standby while I worked from a coworking space. The battery indicator in the HeyMelody app is accurate, and you can also check the status from your phone’s Bluetooth settings.
The quick‑charge feature is another plus. A 10‑minute charge in the case gives me roughly an hour of playback, which is handy when I forget to charge them overnight and need a boost before heading out for an evening meet‑up.
Overall Verdict – A Practical Choice for the Indian Budget‑Conscious Listener
Putting it all together, OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro manages to strike a solid balance between comfort, sound quality and endurance without breaking the bank. The ANC isn’t going to rival flagship models, but for a city dweller who wants to cut down on the rumble of traffic while listening to the latest Bollywood hits, it does the job.
The design feels sturdy enough to survive the daily grind of Indian life – the matte finish resists fingerprints, the case’s rectangular shape slips neatly into pockets, and the silicone tips stay put even when you’re moving around a crowded train. The sound profile leans on the bass, which aligns with most Indian music preferences, and the codec support ensures that you can get decent quality from streaming platforms.
Battery life is perhaps the strongest suit; with the ability to go nearly two full days without a charge even while using ANC, you won’t find yourself scrambling for a power bank during a long commute. All these factors make OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro a compelling option in the budget TWS earbud segment, especially when you’re scrolling through viral news India about the latest tech releases and looking for something reliable.
In short, if you’re after a pair of earbuds that give you decent ANC, solid playback time, and a sound signature that matches the Indian music palate – all at a price that leaves some rupees left for your next chai – OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro is worth a try.
