OnePlus isn’t just gearing up to launch its Ace 6 Ultra gaming phone later this year-it’s also prepping the Buds Ace 3, affordable true wireless earbuds designed for budget-conscious users.
While many specs remain under wraps, OnePlus has confirmed some key upgrades over the previous generation. Battery life is the headline feature: the Buds Ace 3 promise up to 54 hours of playback, a significant boost from the 43 hours offered by last year’s global Nord Buds 3 model.
OnePlus hasn’t clarified whether that 54-hour figure includes active noise cancellation (ANC) running, but the implication is that this maximum playtime is achieved with ANC off. The earbuds’ ANC can suppress ambient noise up to 55 decibels, which should help block out a lot, even in noisy environments.
The Buds Ace 3’s noise cancellation rating edges past the upcoming Redmi Buds 8, which offers 50 dB of ANC. OnePlus is also pushing the earbuds’ gaming chops, touting features that reduce latency and improve 3D audio positioning-critical for first-person shooter players who need to track sounds precisely and without delay.
Although pricing has not been officially announced, OnePlus aims to keep the Buds Ace 3 affordable. To put that in perspective, the Buds Ace 2 launched in China for around 169 yuan, or roughly $25. The Buds Ace 3 will initially hit the Chinese market in April, with a likely global release under the Nord brand later on.
In an increasingly crowded budget earbuds space dominated by mainstream giants like Apple’s AirPods SE and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds series, OnePlus is sticking to its formula: delivering decent ANC and gaming features at an accessible price point. The true test will be how these earbuds compete on sound quality, latency, and ANC effectiveness outside China.