OnePlus Wireless Z Review: Reasonable Wireless Earphone Under Rs 2000? Should You Buy It?

The last time I tested a pair of OnePlus earphones, I was still the Product PR Lead at OnePlus India and about to launch the OnePlus Bullets Wireless. The critical feature of OnePlus products is that they are value for money (VFM), and the bullets were no exception to it. They were superb for the price point but had annoying problems like:  

1. the in-ear tips were prone to falling off, a common complaint amongst OnePlus earphones 

2. the product failure rate was high, the one I had just died one day 

3. the in-ear mechanism with the external protrusion was not ideal for extended use 

Design and Color

The OnePlus Wireless Z (Z’s) retail at Rs. 1,999 and is available in four colors: Mint, Black, Blue, and Oat. I generally like LOUD colors, but I decided to be mellow, and I bought the Oat color. The color surprised me, pleasantly, it is not egg-white, nor is it pastel white, it is something in the middle. People do notice it, but the earphones do not demand attention. Subtle. 

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The OnePlus Wireless Z follows the design philosophy of the original Bullets. The Z’s have a rubbery neckband that sits well on your neck; they are not intrusive. They exist behind your neck to settle in nicely. The quick USB-C charging mechanism is on the left with an identical dummy unit sitting on the left – balanced. The magnetic control clasps serve the purpose of ensuring longer battery life when not in use, unhindered mobility when dangling from your neck, and the ability to connect and disconnect. All in all, these are worth the Rs. 1,999 just for the magnetic control. 

Sound & Calling 

If you enjoy skull candy bass, then Z’s are not the ones for you. These earphones are good for easy listening. The sound is optimum; they do not blow your mind with the details; neither do they disappoint. I mentioned at the start of the article OnePlus products are value for money, and the Z’s are no different. The treble with rap music can be piercing when listening to YouTube Music. What you will miss is the vacuum before the beat drops, especially when listening to electronic music. However, with electronica like Safri Duo, you will hear the percussions in great detail. Enjoyable. The best experience was with the AppleTV while watching AV entertainment using apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Superlative. 

It is a season of Zoom calls, and I am not alien to them. They worked great with the MacBook Air and iPhone. The calling is crystal clear; however, I have not used it extensively outdoors to judge it.  

 I have used the earphones with the following -> an iPhone, MacBook Air, OnePlus 5T, and AppleTV. They do not falter and have a consistent performance, which brings me to the next point -> connectivity. 

Connectivity 

Excellent. That is all that I want to say. The OnePlus team has done a great job making sure that a user can switch between devices flawlessly. Connectivity was a key feature for me to switch, and I am glad to say that Z’s performed exceedingly well. I tried to replicate the same with 1More TWS and realme buds, while the former has a persistent connection issue; the latter is unable to hold onto devices. You get a bunch of extra features when you connect to an OnePlus phone. 

Battery life and charging 

Astounding. I got the earphones on Friday, and I have been using them continuously since on two charges. Like a Duracell battery, they keep going on and on. There is nothing important than that. Nothing! I am amazed at how efficiently they perform. I have not used a quick (Warp) charger to juice them up; instead, I have charged them using my MacBook Air. If these are anything like the bullets, then it is fair to assume that you don’t require a Warp charger to enable the quick charge feature. 

Nitpicking 

I wish there were an ability to know the charge remaining on the device. A welcome message or syncing notification would go a long way for new users. That is it. I have nothing else bad to say about them. I am happy to shift from Apple’s 3.5 mm standard earphones. 

Conclusion 

If you are looking for decently priced & sounding earphones with the ability to switch between devices seamlessly with long battery life and short charging cycles, the OnePlus Wireless Z’s are for you.