OnePlus has entered the growing clip-on earbuds market with the Buds Clip, a pair of open-ear headphones that automatically recognize which ear they’re sitting on. Made in cooperation with Dynaudio, they are equipped with two drivers and are light at only 240 grams (with charging case), and can be charged for up to 40 hours using the charging case. High resolution wireless audio is also supported with the earbuds also promising to fit comfortably without blocking the ear canal.
Keeping track of which earbud goes where isn’t particularly difficult, but OnePlus has decided we shouldn’t have to bother. The new Buds Clip feature uses a symmetrical open ear design with automatic detection of which ear it is on and the adjustment of the stereo channels.
The earbuds incorporate a flexible C-shaped bridge made of nickel-titanium memory alloy, which conforms to the shape of the ear without applying excessive pressure. OnePlus claims that the design has been certified as Comfortable Fit by the TÜV Rheinland, while each weighs only 5.2 grams. The Buds Clip are not the same as traditional in-ear buds, as they enable the person to hear what is going on around them.
Denmark’s audio specialist Dynaudio has partnered with OnePlus to handle sound. The earbuds feature 11 mm woofers along with 9 mm tweeters, 2 DACs and the LHDC 5.0 codec for high resolution wireless audio. In addition, there’s a dipole sound system that minimizes sound leakage, but it’s still not clear how effective it will be in non-lab environments.
Six microphones and a dedicated 6 nm audio chip handle calls. The package includes Bluetooth 6.1, dual-device connectivity, IP55 dust and water resistance, and Google Fast pair connectivity and Microsoft Swift pair. It has a battery life of up to 9.5 hours per charge and up to 40 hours with case. Those hours are cut down to eight and 36 hours, respectively, with LHDC.
The Buds Clip available in 3 different color options: Pearl White, Pebble Gray and Twilight Rose. The full specifications have been released on OnePlus’ international website, but the pricing and broader availability have not been announced yet.
