OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: Affordable and trendy earphones, but should you buy?

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: One thing smartphone companies should thank Apple for is this important lesson  - one product can’t make you a hit. To develop a loyal customer base that remains with you for a longer period of time, you need to create an ecosystem with offerings across segments and price points. Most budget brands like Xiaomi and Realme have been doing that by aggressively launching products in different segments for a while now. 

OnePlus made a similar effort a few years back when it launched the OnePlus Bullets, though aimed at a more premium set of customers. The company has taken a major step ahead by making its audio device more accessible, with the launch of OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z. Unveiled alongside the OnePlus 8 series in April, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z have been one of the most exciting products to have launched in last few months, simply because of the features offered at a bold price. 

At Rs 1,999, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z make for a compelling option, especially for those who are using their company’s smartphone. They are equipped with features such as quick charge, low latency mode, long battery life and more. But, is that really enough to spend money on this pair of earphones? Let’s find out. 

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OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: A snake that doesn’t bite 

‘Wow, that looks like a snake!’ - I don’t know whether it’s the colour or the design, but that’s how a friend of mine referred to this pair of earphones as soon as I took them out of the box. Thankfully, these don’t bite. The design essentially remains the same as any other wireless earphones in the market but it’s the OnePlus touch on the earcups that makes the difference. The fitting is unbelievably good and this feels to be the most comfortable pair I have tested in a long time.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z cost you less than half than last year’s Bullets Wireless 2, so a few sacrifices have been made in terms of build quality. The earcups are made of plastic now, giving them a glossy finish. On the bright side, it reduces the weight of the device to just 28 grams, making it more comfortable to carry around. 

While we hear that OnePlus is working on its true wireless earphones, this one continues to flaunt a flexible neckband design. A lot of people would see this as a positive as it reduces the chance of losing the device, especially while running or working out. 

You get the OnePlus branding on the left side on the band along with the pairing button, followed by the inline remote which contains buttons for volume and voice assistant. There is also a Type-C USB charging port. The earcups are connected to each other through magnetic back and covered by silicone ear tips.

Inside the box, you get a charging cable and extra ear tips of different sizes. And yes, there is no charging case or pouch with this one. 

There are three colours to choose from – Black, Blue and Oat. We had the black colour variant for review purposes (which earned it the nickname Snake) but, the Oat coloured option looks the most exciting of all. 

If I have to be a bit critical, I can say OnePlus has not done anything new with the design. The earphones seem like a re-worked version of a product I have used several times in the past. Yet, it must be said that they offer the kind of comfort I don’t remember having before. 

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: Crystal Clear Sound, Easy to Use

The comfort offered goes beyond fit and design. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z come with support for quick pairing. This allows your phone to identify that headset as soon you separate the magnetic buds. Sadly, the feature only works with OnePlus smartphones. Others need to long press the physical button on the neckband to activate the pairing mode. Once activated, the headset automatically connects to your smartphone or any other device. 

I liked the response time on this pair. It hardly took a second for the earphones to detect the smartphone and connect. There is also play/pause functionality on the earcups. That is the music is paused when you connect the earcups and detaching them resumes the music. 

The pair comes with a 9.2mm drivers with support for high-quality AAC audio files. The overall audio quality is impressive and crystal clear, even at higher volumes. Yet, you can feel that the tuning is slightly on the bass heavy side, with additional thump making the difference. Despite this, the instruments and vocals are clear too. 

One major miss here is the noise cancellation. OnePlus has skipped the feature, probably to keep the cost down. Ideally, you would want this to avoid external sounds. But, the exceptional fitting of these earphones come to your rescue. The ear tips fit so well in your ears that most unwanted sounds are avoided anyway. 

OnePlus has also equipped the device with a low latency mode for gaming, which again works with only OnePlus smartphones. Since I had none at home, couldn’t really test this feature.

I did face issues during calls though. While the microphone has been positioned well and there were no complaints from the person at the other end, the voice that I got was lower than on normal calls. Initially I thought it could be because of some connection issues but the problem remained throughout my time with the device. 

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: Refuses to Die 

If there is one thing that you should consider this pair of earphones for, is its battery life. The battery on the Bullets Wireless Z is rated for around 20 hours which is highly impressive. When I connected the pair for the first time, it was charged at 80 per cent and even after about four hours of usage, the battery was drained by only 10 per cent. 

OnePlus has also included support for Warp Charging, a feature that is a massive hit among company’s smartphone users. It claims to give you 10 hours of battery life with just 10 minutes of charge. What else do you want?

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z review: Should you buy?

The sub-Rs 2000 wireless earphone segment (if there’s any) in India really lacks good options. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z emerge as a great product for those looking to get rid of wires from their daily life or want to create a OnePlus ecosystem for themselves. With this pair, you get good audio quality, value for money and OnePlus’ reliable branding. 

But, if you could push your budget a bit, then it is worth waiting for at least a couple of months when the company is likely to launch its first truly wireless earbuds. That is one product you should keep an eye on.