Bullets Wireless Z are official: OnePlus keeps the cord, but it’s worth it

Alongside the duo of phones, OnePlus has also announced the third generation of its wireless earbuds. Changing up the naming scheme a little, the new pair is called Bullets Wireless Z.

Despite the name change, the new earbuds appear to be quite similar to the Bullets Wireless 2. It seems OnePlus isn’t following the true wireless trend, keeping instead the two earphones firmly attached to each other with a cable.

The neckband isn’t very elegant and its thickness makes it a bit of a hassle when it comes to putting these away, or at least that was the case with the previous generation. The earpiece design is also in line with older models, so nothing unique there either.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any improvements, however. The band isn’t just to keep you from losing your earbuds, it also contains the battery. Having that advantage, the Bullets Wireless Z offer up to 20 hours of playback time. That’s 9 hours more than the Galaxy Buds+, the current champs in the true-wireless category and 5 hours more than the Beats Powerbeats, another premium pair with a wire between the drivers.

And while we’re on the subject of batteries, you also get Warp Charge, giving you 10 hours of battery life after only 10 minutes of charging.

Beyond batteries, the new Bullets also have improved latency, something Bluetooth headphones often struggle with. According to OnePlus, the new pair manages to react as fast as 110ms, which is quite impressive. That means no noticeable lag in audio when watching YouTube videos or movies.

The Bullets Wireless Z are on the sporty side and their long battery life makes them perfect for working out. To help with that, they have an IP 55 water-resist rating. This means sweat and rain shouldn’t be a problem for them.

Another good news is the price. OnePlus has actually reduced it compared to the Bullets Wireless 2 and the new pair comes at just $49.99. If the goal was to make these more lucrative than some of the true wireless alternatives, then OnePlus might have just succeeded. There are also brand new colors, now four in total, adding some much-needed variety to the lineup. 

Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to try them out soon enough and share our own impressions of the Bullets Wireless Z. Stay tuned!