OnePlus Buds Z2 With ANC, Low-Latency Audio Launched In China

The OnePlus 9RT was launched in China earlier today and it didn’t come with a 3.5mm audio jack, as expected. However, it was accompanied by the new OnePlus Buds Z2 truly wireless earphones, which bring ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), audio quality improvements, and improved battery life compared to their predecessors. OnePlus had launched the original Buds Z in India last year, but it had a few shortcomings such as the absence of ANC, which is essential if you intend to use the earphones outdoors. Also, the battery life of the Buds Z was below par compared to TWS earbuds from rivals. OnePlus has addressed those drawbacks with the Buds Z2, but it also added a higher price tag.

OnePlus Buds Z2 Features, Specifications

The OnePlus Buds Z2’s design is somewhat similar to the Apple Airpods Pro, with its longish stems and in-ear-canal type fit. It comes with a charging case made of polycarbonate, which promises to offer up to 38 hours of combined battery backup (with ANC turned off). Each earbud houses an 11mm dynamic driver. The earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.2 and support for AAC and SBC audio codecs.

The Buds Z2 now come with three microphones on each earbud as opposed to two on its predecessor. This enables the ANC technology to suppress ambient noises by up to 40dB. The earbuds also get a transparency mode to pass ambient noises to the user, if required. There are capacitive buttons on the earbuds, which let you control your music with just taps.

The original Buds Z had no latency issues while watching videos or listening to music. It was also decent enough for casual gamers. The OnePlus Buds Z2 is expected to perform slightly better with its 94ms low-latency mode.

The OnePlus Buds Z2 earbuds are sweat-proof and come with an IP55 rating for splash and dust resistance, while the case is IPX4 rated. The Buds Z2 come with a USB Type-C port and Warp Charge feature, promising up to five hours of playback with just a 10-minute charge. However, it takes a leisurely 90 minutes to get fully charged.

OnePlus Buds Z2 Price, Availability

The OnePlus Buds Z2 price is CNY 499 (₹5,850 approx) in China, which is a premium over Buds Z, which retail for ₹2,999 in India. It comes in two colours: Day White and Night Black. Expect the Buds Z2 to make an appearance in India along with the OnePlus 9RT in the coming weeks. It will have to fight it out against the Nothing Ear 1 TWS that are designed and developed by OnePlus Co-Founder, Carl Pei’s new venture. They also need to compete with the cheaper models like the Xiaomi Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro (Review) and slightly higher priced Jabra Elite 2.