The OnePlus rivals to the Apple AirPods could be called Buds

Such has been the runaway success of the Apple AirPods, it's perhaps no surprise that everyone else is bringing out AirPod clones of their own – even HTC. OnePlus could be next to join the party, with wireless earphones that are now being tipped to be called the OnePlus Buds.

That's according to serial leaker Max J on Twitter, the same source that previously revealed that these wireless earbuds would be shown off to the world in July. While nothing's official yet, the rumors are mounting up.

The same tweet features another sketch of these OnePlus Buds, featuring a charging case that looks a lot like a charging case for some Apple AirPods. An LED light looks to be visible on the front, presumably to tell you about charging status.

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Speculation about some truly wireless earphones from OnePlus has been swirling since at least last December, and July would make sense for a launch window: OnePlus is also expected to unveil a budget OnePlus 8 device very soon, probably called the OnePlus Z.

We haven't heard too much about what to expect from the OnePlus Buds (as we're now calling them), but it's not difficult to guess a few of the features: speedy pairing with OnePlus phones, Google Assistant support, touch controls, and so on.

Given the track record of OnePlus over the last six years in the smartphone market, we'd expect these earbuds to be competitively priced, though perhaps not at a super-low level you could describe as budget.

Pricing is going to be key as to how appealing these wireless earphones end up being, and so will battery life, as well as standard considerations such as sound quality. We're looking forward to seeing what OnePlus comes up with.

In the meantime, when it comes to the actual AirPods, Apple has plenty of new ideas in the pipeline: we're expecting over-ear headphones called the AirPods Studio in the not-too-distant future, as well as budget AirPods that might be called the AirPods X.

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Via Pocketnow