Nord Buds CE, the new OnePlus wireless headphones, were released unnoticed. So how do they differ from the original Nord Buds? OnePlus uses the CE suffix to indicate that the product is a lite version of an existing product. Short for Core Edition, OnePlus products with this in the name focus only on basic features and lose the premium in favor of a lower price.
The Nord line is positioned as a budget line of OnePlus, and soon it may become an independent brand. With about a dozen Nord smartphones, a pair of headphones and an upcoming smartwatch, OnePlus will announce that it is allocating Nord to a subsidiary, it’s only a matter of time.
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Nord Buds CE is not like Nord Buds at all. The headphones have an open design with long rods, like the original AirPods. This contrasts with the Nord Buds, which have a closed design, replaceable silicone tips and thick short rods. Another significant difference is that Nord Buds CE has an IPX4 waterproof rating, which is lower than the Nord Buds IP55 dust and water protection rating. The Nord Buds CE from OnePlus has an oval charging case, like the Pixel Buds Pro, and can be purchased in Moonlight White and Misty Grey colors. On the other hand, Nord Buds are available in Black Slate color.
Nord Buds CE has big drivers
The Nord Buds CE has larger drivers than the Nord Buds. While both are titanium coated, the Nord Buds CE drivers have a diameter of 13.4mm and the diameter of the Nord Buds speakers is 12.4 mm. Despite the fact that the Nord Buds CE headphones are larger, they are 3.5 grams lighter per in-ear compared to the Nord Buds headphones, which weigh 4.82 grams. Users can switch between four audio profiles on any pair of headphones, but those who choose Nord Buds should enjoy the best sound thanks to Dolby Atmos support. Both Nord headphones support AAC and SBC audio codecs and have touch controls to control playback and calls. Neither of the two pairs of headphones has active noise cancellation like the OnePlus Buds Z2, but there is noise cancellation software with artificial intelligence that eliminates wind noise and background noise during a conversation. Nord Buds CE and Nord Buds have Bluetooth 5.2 and a low-latency mode of 94 ms, which is useful when watching videos or playing games. Also, none of them supports Google Fast Pair for fast pairing with Android devices. Instead, they have the OnePlus Fast Pair, which allows you to instantly connect to compatible OnePlus devices.
The battery life of the Nord Buds CE is 4.5 hours, and with a charging case — up to 20 hours. There is also support for fast charging, as a 10-minute charge provides up to 81 minutes of playback. On the contrary, the Nord Buds have the best battery life — seven hours (only 30 hours with the case), and a 10-minute charge (also with the case connected) will provide up to five hours of playback. Unfortunately, these are budget headphones, so there is no wireless charging, the only available option is wired charging via the USB—C port. Two pairs of Nord Buds are compatible with Android and iOS devices and have a companion app for phones other than OnePlus.
OnePlus priced the Nord Buds CE at 2,299 pounds, which is about $29. It’s cheaper than the Nord Buds, which sell for £2,599 in India and $39 in the US. At the moment, the Nord Buds CE are exclusive to India, and OnePlus has not made any announcement about a global release.
