In the world of wireless audio, there is still a heavy reliance on the work Apple has previously done with the tried-and-tested AirPods. While the design is derivative of the AirPods, the OnePlus Buds are about the closest experience thus far on the Android side of things.
Smartphones and tablet accessories have become a growing battleground as a way to expand existing ecosystems beyond the “traditional” hardware and software. OnePlus has already made some fantastic Bluetooth earbuds but unfortunately, if you are averse to wires or tethers, then they have been a hard sell.
With the release of the OnePlus Nord, we finally got a pair of true wireless earbuds from the firm. The OnePlus Buds could easily be confused for their Apple counterparts and while I would love to have seen some design changes, it’s a tried and tested shape, look and feel that “general buyers” are looking for.
Although even though the OnePlus Buds are aimed at mass-market appeal, there are a few quirks that prevent them from truly achieving that — save the enticing sub-$80 entry-price.
Design
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Starting with the carry case, as this is a major step up from previous OnePlus earbuds and one of the most enticing portions of the entire OnePlus Buds package in my humble opinion. The matte finish carry case acts as – you guessed it – a vessel to both protect and charge your earbuds.
My personal first impressions were it looks like a hybrid of the AirPods and Google Pixel Buds cases — which is not a bad thing by any means. The matte finish is really good long-term design decision too because it’s far more likely to repel dings and scrapes as a result – plus it just looks better than glossy plastic.
You get a battery/charge indicator at the front of the case with a metallic hinge and pairing button at the rear. It’s like a small soft satin pebble, which I just love picking up. Yes, the case looks familiar to many other similar TWS earbuds, but I do really love the OnePlus Buds case.
The resemblance between the OnePlus Buds and the original AirPods is pretty uncanny at first glance, but there is a little nuance to the OnePlus design that I think does separate them from the Apple model. Let’s talk about the shape first, which takes the common shape and stem design and puts a minor spin.
The “tip” is enlarged with a rounded head for ear placement, while the stem should stabilize each bud when fitted. There is a small rounded touch-enabled portion that allows you to perform some basic controls without needing to reach for your phone.
You’ve seen this design a million times since Apple basically introduced it to the masses. The metallic tip at the bottom of each stem is another “borrowed” design choice but it helps the buds stay magnetically attached to the inner charge case.
I have the Nord Blue-colored OnePlus Buds to match my OnePlus Nord device, and the two-tone glossy buds and inner green case color does feel a little cheap. I think our own Ben Schoon summed them up well by suggesting that the “the hardware was cheap — cheap enough to be expected at a dollar store” but that you actually appreciate that in a weird way the more you use them. My advice would be to pick them up in white or gray, as the Nord blue earbuds are not the most attractive.
There is a small sensor in each earbud that is also able to detect when you’ve got them seated within your ears. This is great for being able to remove an earbud and speak to someone, with the audio resuming when you put a OnePlus Bud back in. Although there is a small issue I have, this does mean that you can only listen when both earbuds are in your ears. It’s annoying but it’s something I hope that OnePlus can fix with a software update.
Comfort & Fit
Because the OnePlus Buds have that “generic” shape that has worked so successfully for Apple, you’ll either love or hate the fit. Now, this simultaneously is where the earbuds will pose the most problems by far. They are light and plastic dominates here quite substantially.
For the most part, I have had no major problems when fitting the earbuds in my ears. However, the right earbud just doesn’t play nicely and will often fall out if I don’t seat it in my ear canal properly. Would I suggest these earbuds for the active person? Honestly, no I wouldn’t. Any minor movement and I end up having to pick them up off the ground – which could be a serious problem on a run.
At the risk of contradicting myself though, the lack of proper seal will be a problem for some people out there for sure but probably not all people. I can’t say they are uncomfortable even with some issues keeping them in my ears. Even though I prefer silicone-tipped earbuds, the OnePlus Buds are pretty much fine. They are also not designed to give you a “sealed” feeling though, which I think is really important to note.
While I find the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z to be the most comfortable earbuds I have worn, the OnePlus Buds are in the middle of the pack. I personally am unable to wear them for hours at a time because they fall out, but have worn them for up to an hour on long walks without major discomfort. Take all of that with a grain of salt though, as comfort is notoriously hard to quantify though due to all of our differing physical ear shapes.
Sound quality
Let me first absolve myself of any upcoming sins by uttering that: “I am not an audiophile.” Now with that out of the way you can take my opinion of the OnePlus Buds sound quality with a little bit more leniency. Although I like to think I know what I’m talking about to a decent extent.
If you want proper sound isolation then I would say avoid the OnePlus Buds. The slightly open design means that you can’t get a true “seal” which results in instrumentals and intricate tracks sometimes feeling lackluster or “thin.”
However, 13.4mm drivers can produce very good sound when in the right environments. Because there is no proper seal bass can feel overemphasized but as someone who listens to the genres where this really benefits, I have found it ideal. The soundstage is quite thin but well pronounced, although they are ridiculously close in sound profile to that of regular AirPods.
Unfortunately, there is only one high-quality Bluetooth codec supported by these earbuds too. AAC is supported but aptX is still locked to the Bullets Wireless 2. That means if you are a codec snob, the OnePlus Buds might not be for you.
The sound quality in calls is good, but the microphone can be a little tinny at times — or so I have been told by those I have called. You’ll still be able to hear the caller at the end of the line with no issues though and they should hear you in normal conditions just fine.
Integration & Controls
Let’s get some pitfalls out of the way first. If you do not own a OnePlus smartphone, then you will not be able to update your OnePlus Buds. That is a really big problem from the outset, as you won’t get access to software fixes and important tweaks. It also makes the OnePlus Buds really hard to recommend if you don’t have a companion device.
Google Fast Pair is included, which makes light work of keeping track of battery levels, connecting, and just keeping aware of where your OnePlus Buds are — I love the “ping” feature to find each individual earbud. Beyond that though, there really isn’t a wealth of controls but I’d imagine they will be fine but it’s annoying that you can’t skip back tracks or customize these options if you do not have a OnePlus-branded smartphone:
Swap to the last connected device — Touch and hold either side for three seconds
Reject call — hold either side for five seconds
Answer call — double-tap either side
Skip a track — double-tap either side
Although this is not all the touch controls can do if you do happen to have a OnePlus smartphone. With the latest OxygenOS updates you’ll get access to a number of extra controls including the ability to alter the double-tap action. This does allow you to add the skip back option and even activate your voice assistant of choice. At present there no way to tweak equalizer settings or sound profiles but that could be possible with a software update.
OnePlus has also touted low-latency gaming with the Fnatic gaming mode that is built into OxygenOS. I haven’t really noticed any major increases or boosts during my limited mobile gaming. Latency doesn’t appear to be a problem when watching YouTube videos or Netflix either.
Battery Life
I’ve been very impressed after a few weeks using the OnePlus Buds almost daily. I haven’t had to reach for the charger all too often which is one of the most frustrating aspects of many other similarly priced and competing wireless earbuds.
OnePlus rates the buds at around seven hours, which I would say is not far off correct from my own usage pattern. Between five and six hours were the norm before I needed to put the buds back into the charging case. I’m still sad that there is no wireless charging option for the Buds but I use the same charger for the OnePlus Nord and it takes a little over an hour to go from 0 to 100%.
Final thoughts
The OnePlus Buds are surprisingly good wireless earbuds. The case and battery are particular highlights in my experience but I would also say the consist-but-modest sound profile is yet another impressive aspect. As far as experience goes, they are by far the closest to the Apple AirPods you can get from and Android OEM.
A huge gripe is that if you own a smartphone without a OnePlus logo embossed upon it, then they are just another pair of semi-decent wireless earbuds. To access all of the added controls and benefits, you need to own a OnePlus smartphone.
At $79, they are not a bad pair of buds by any stretch of the imagination. However, you’re slightly better off going for something like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for the added extras that work with any Android smartphone. That is unless you own a OnePlus device, in which case they are solid everyday companion if you don’t like the vastly superior OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2.
Where can I get the OnePlus Buds?
The OnePlus Buds are available directly from OnePlus.com or Amazon.com for $79 in three colors: gray, blue, and white.
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Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting anew benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.
The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.
Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer.
The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world.
The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects.
Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.
Universal X-Carriage with Printhead.
Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, andBahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.”
Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”
The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.
COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility.
From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more.
Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.
ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI
PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country.
Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.
ABOUT POWER2BUILD
Reshaping the construction sector and adapting it to urgent human needs.
Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP.
We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.
Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.
Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.
Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?
A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.
Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?
A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.
The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.
Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.
Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?
A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.
Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?
A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.
Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?
A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.
Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.
The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.
Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?
A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it would provide up to $325 million to Hemlock Semiconductor for a new factory, a move that could help give Democrats a political edge in the swing state of Michigan ahead of election day.
The funding would support 180 manufacturing jobs in Saginaw County, where Republicans and Democrats were neck-in-neck for the past two presidential elections. There would also be construction jobs tied to the factory that would produce hyper-pure polysilicon, a building block for electronics and solar panels, among other technologies.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters that the funding came from the CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022. It’s part of a broader industrial strategy that the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, supports, while Republican nominee Donald Trump, the former president, sees tariff hikes and income tax cuts as better to support manufacturing.
“What we’ve been able to do with the CHIPS Act is not just build a few new factories, but fundamentally revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem in our country with American workers,” Raimondo said. “All of this is because of the vision of the Biden-Harris administration.”
A senior administration official said the timing of the announcement reflected the negotiating process for reaching terms on the grant, rather than any political considerations. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the process.
After site work, Hemlock Semiconductor plans to begin construction in 2026 and then start production in 2028, the official said.
Running in 2016, Trump narrowly won Saginaw County and Michigan as a whole. But in 2020 against Biden, both Saginaw County and Michigan flipped to the Democrats.
