OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Review: 52dB ANC at Rs 3,299 With 54-Hour Battery

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 launched in India on June 25, 2026, priced at Rs 3,299, with retail availability from June 29 in Stellar Black and Astral Teal. On paper, the entry-level pair borrows heavily from premium territory: 52dB active noise cancellation, a 12mm titanium-coated dynamic driver, Bluetooth 6.1, and a claimed 54-hour total battery life with the charging case.

The comparison worth making is not with peers in the same price bracket. It is with OnePlus’s own older, premium-tier Nord Buds 3 Pro, which launched globally back in June 2024 at $80 in the US and is now selling at around Rs 3,099 on discount in India. The new pair’s sticker price is Rs 3,299.

What Just Landed at Rs 3,299

OnePlus officially launched the Nord Buds 4 in India on June 25, with retail availability from June 29. The earbuds ship in two colourways: Stellar Black and Astral Teal. The launch lands weeks after the company introduced the Nord Buds 4 Pro in India, positioning the regular Nord Buds 4 as the cheapest entry in the current Nord lineup.

The headline specs are competitive for the price band. The earbuds carry a 12mm titanium-coated dynamic driver, six microphones split across the two buds (three per side), and an IP55 dust and water resistance rating. OnePlus quotes up to 52dB of active noise cancellation with a 5,000Hz ultra-wide noise cancellation range, calling the figure among the highest in this bracket. The case supports USB Type-C charging and pairs via Bluetooth 6.1.

Battery life is the other headline number. With ANC off, the case plus earbuds are rated for up to 54 hours of total playback. With ANC on, that drops to 27 hours. The charging case itself carries a 530mAh cell, while each earbud holds a 62mAh battery. A 10-minute top-up, per OnePlus, returns 11 hours of playback.

Where It Out-Specs Its Own Older Sibling

The comparison that matters is between the new pair and OnePlus’s own older premium tier, the Nord Buds 3 Pro. The 3 Pro launched globally back in June 2024 and is still on sale in India at a discounted Rs 3,099.

On noise cancellation, the Nord Buds 4 quotes up to 52dB versus up to 49dB on the older 3 Pro. Microphones have gone from four to six across the pair. Total battery life with the case has stretched from 44 hours to 54 hours. Bluetooth has stepped up from 5.4 to 6.1. Even the individual earbud cells have grown: 62mAh in the Nord Buds 4 versus 58mAh in the 3 Pro, with the case jumping from 440mAh to 530mAh. The 3 Pro retains one slight edge on paper with 12.4mm drivers, against the Nord Buds 4’s 12mm units.

Here is how the two stack up on the headline numbers.

The Nord Buds 4 also picks up the same fast-charging standard the 3 Pro introduced: an 11-hour playback top-up from 10 minutes in the case. Both carry the same IP55 rating.

Design That Ditches the Gloss

OnePlus has moved the Nord Buds 4 away from the glossy, fingerprint-prone finishes of earlier generations. The pebble-shaped case now carries a clean matte treatment with rounded edges, a sturdy hinge, and a lid that closes with a satisfying click. It is nearly identical in footprint to the higher-end Nord Buds 4 Pro.

The Astral Teal review unit carries subtle speckling across the case surface, giving it a premium look out of the box. After weeks of pocket carry during testing, the matte surface has resisted smudges and the light surface scratches that would have shown up on the older glossy shells, while the Stellar Black variant is the safer long-term pick for buyers who prefer their gear to hide everyday wear.

• Earbud weight: 4.3g each
• Case weight: 42.5g with buds
• IP rating: IP55 dust and water resistance
• Colours: Stellar Black, Astral Teal

The earbuds themselves adopt the conventional stem-and-silicone-tip design. OnePlus says the shape was tested across more than 1,000 ear models. Each bud weighs 4.3g and sits light enough to disappear during long sessions, even for extended work calls. Touch controls on the stems are responsive, and the gesture map is customisable through the HeyMelody app.

Sound and Noise Cancellation in Real Use

The signature out of the box is consumer-friendly: extended highs, restrained but present bass, clear vocals, and enough mid-range for podcasts and acoustic tracks. BassWave in the EQ layer adds impact on demand without tipping into muddiness. Instrument separation is airy, and the soundstage is wider than the Rs 3,299 price tag would suggest.

Active noise cancellation is one of the stronger showings in this price band. Indoors, the earbuds convincingly cut the constant hum of an air conditioner and a ceiling fan. The metro is a harder test, though the buds still take enough edge off the rumble to make music and podcasts listenable at moderate volume. Sudden, sharp sounds like a horn blast or a slammed door still slip through, as they do on every pair in this bracket.

Transparency mode works but slightly artificialises voices, a quirk shared by most budget peers. Call quality is decent indoors through the six-mic array, with voices coming through clean.

Outdoors, voices hold up in moderate wind. OnePlus claims clean calls at 25 km/h cycling speeds, a mark the review notes the buds do not reach in practice. The six-mic array still handles the average commute without trouble.

App Controls, AI Features, and Smart Pairing

The companion app is HeyMelody, OnePlus and Oppo’s shared headset manager. From its home screen, users can flip between ANC modes (ANC on, Adaptive, Transparency, ANC off), customise touch gestures, update firmware, toggle Game Mode, set up dual-device connections, and pick from the Sound Master EQ presets: Balanced, Serenade, and Bass Mode. A 10-level custom equaliser handles finer tuning, and firmware updates also flow through the app.

AI features such as AI Translate and AI Assistant work only when paired with a select OnePlus phone. 3D Spatial Audio and Game Sound Spatial Audio work with the earbuds themselves on any paired device. Game Mode drops latency to 47ms when connected to a OnePlus handset, which is where the audio chain is best optimised.

Pairing is handled by Google Fast Pair on Android and Microsoft Swift Pair on Windows, so the buds surface as soon as the case lid is opened near a supported device. Dual-device connection lets a tablet and a phone stay linked at the same time. The earbuds switch automatically when a call comes in on the phone, even if audio was playing on the tablet. The full details for managing the buds live on the HeyMelody companion app page.

The Codec Trade-Off and What the Pro Adds

The clearest difference between the Nord Buds 4 and its pricier sibling, the Nord Buds 4 Pro, is codec support. The Pro adds LHDC, the codec that enables high-resolution audio streaming over Bluetooth. The standard Nord Buds 4 ships with SBC and AAC only.

The difference matters most for listeners running lossless or hi-res sources. AAC handles most mainstream streaming services, including Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music at standard quality without breaking a sweat. LHDC pushes well beyond that for higher-resolution streams, which is the territory audiophiles tend to chase. The 3 Pro and the current Nord Buds 4 Pro both support LHDC on top of SBC and AAC.

For buyers on a budget, the trade-off is the right one. OnePlus kept the codec support simple and put the cost into the parts users notice more: ANC, battery life, microphone count, and Bluetooth stability. The full specifications, including the codec note, are on the official OnePlus India product page.

Battery Life and Final Verdict

Battery life on the Nord Buds 4 extends well past a week of mixed use with ANC on. With ANC enabled for most of the day during testing, the earbuds comfortably went several days between charges, with the case top-up adding only occasional top-offs. The case supports fast charging: a 10-minute plug-in returns 11 hours of playback per OnePlus. Real-world performance tracks the official claims closely enough that the gap is not worth noting.

The 54-hour number with ANC off is the headline figure. With moderate volume use for commuting and work calls, that total is reachable. With ANC on for most listening sessions, the 27-hour figure lands closer to what most users will see across a week of mixed use.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 is a great budget-friendly package that punches far above its weight class. At Rs 3,299, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 are an easy recommendation and among the strongest all-rounders in their price segment.

The fit is comfortable, the design reads premium, ANC is dependable, and the sound is enjoyable. The LHDC omission may give purists pause, though it is not a dealbreaker for casual listeners. For everyone else, the trade-off is straightforward to live with at Rs 3,299. The Nord Buds 4 lands as an easy recommendation in a crowded budget TWS market.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 available in India?

OnePlus officially launched the Nord Buds 4 in India on June 25, 2026. Retail availability started June 29, 2026, in Stellar Black and Astral Teal at Rs 3,299.

Does the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 support LHDC?

No, the Nord Buds 4 ships with SBC and AAC codec support only. The pricier Nord Buds 4 Pro adds LHDC for high-resolution streams. The older Nord Buds 3 Pro also supported LHDC alongside SBC and AAC.

How long does the battery last with ANC on?

OnePlus rates the Nord Buds 4 at up to 27 hours of total playback with the charging case and ANC on. With ANC off, the same setup reaches up to 54 hours.

Is the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 waterproof?

The earbuds carry an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. That covers sweat from workouts and light rain during commutes. It does not cover submersion or shower use.

How does the Nord Buds 4 compare to the Nord Buds 3 Pro?

The new pair out-specs the older Nord Buds 3 Pro on noise cancellation (52dB vs 49dB), microphones (six vs four), battery life (54 hours vs 44 hours with case), and Bluetooth (6.1 vs 5.4). The 3 Pro retains a slight edge with 12.4mm drivers versus 12mm on the new pair.