Review: OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) and OnePlus Buds 4 Hands-On

Last month, OnePlus announced its new OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) and OnePlus Buds 4 would launch in Canada soon, and both of these new devices are now available. We had the chance to go hands-on with both of these new products from OnePlus, so here’s our quick first impressions.

OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) Hands-On

The OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) has a sleek and round design (2.5D micro-curved glass) but now comes with a stainless steel case and a more polished overall finish, in a smaller package. It’s lightweight, looks premium, and wears comfortably. It will look great for workouts and even if you’re wearing it out to dinner. The steel case feels premium. This is definitely smaller than the 46mm OnePlus Watch 3.

The 1.32-inch AMOLED screen is sharp and bright that’s super easy to see–even outdoors. The 352ppi pixel density is super crisp. Navigation feels snappy, and the new ColorOS for Watch has a cleaner layout, so it’s easy to find what you need. Setting up the watch required us to head to “Other” and the Watch 3 (43mm) shows up in the list. The watch runs Android’s WearOS 5.

The black steel casing in our sample has a matching fluoroelastomer strap and has a sandblasted matte finish. It looks pretty sleek.

Health tracking brings all the important visuals—heart rate, steps, sleep—but now it also includes more accurate blood oxygen tracking, skin temperature sensing, and ECG. Fitness modes? Over 100 of them, including automatic workout detection. The data syncs nicely with the OnePlus Health app, and the battery lasts several days, depending on how much you use GPS and tracking features.

With Power Saver Mode, you can get 7 days of battery life, while Smart Mode offers 60 hours, which is definitely impressive. With the OnePlus VOOC Charging, 10 minutes gives you enough juice to last a full day.

For everyday use, you’ll get call and message alerts, weather updates, music control, and even a quick reply feature when paired with a OnePlus phone. Plus, the magnetic charger is super easy to use (if you’ve ever used a OnePlus Watch it’s super simple again as it’s the same one).

If you’re in the OnePlus ecosystem and want a sharp-looking smartwatch that actually helps you stay on top of your health, the Watch 3 in 43mm is a solid pick, especially if you want a smaller smartwatch on your wrist that supports IP68 water and dust resistance.

You can buy the OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) in Black and Silver Steel for $399.99 on the OnePlus website and from Best Buy. If you trade in an eligible device, you can get an extra $70 off. If you’re a student you can save 10% off as well on top, via the OnePlus website.

OnePlus Buds 4: Big Sound and Smart Features

The OnePlus Buds 4 are built for people who care about sound but also want something simple that just works. They look clean and modern, with a smooth finish and comfy fit that stays in place even during workouts. These buds, like most on the market have a charging case and design that look similar to Apple’s AirPods.

The sound quality is pretty good in our quick testing listening to some hip hop tracks and R&B, with the Buds 4 supporting Hi-Res Wireless Audio certification. Dual drivers and dual Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs) bring some deep bass and clear highs, with the Buds 4 offering full, crisp sound. The Golden Sound feature also personalizes the audio based on your ears—kind of like a hearing test, but built-in.

Noise cancellation is pretty strong–you can feel the pressure as well. We were able to ignore people trying to talk to us in the same room while we had music playing. It adjusts in real time to block out the world (OnePlus says it’s an “industry-leading noise reduction depth of
up to 55dB across an ultra-wide 5500Hz frequency range”), but there’s also an Adaptive Mode that lets in sound from your environment (so you don’t get sideswiped by a car). On calls, your voice stays clear even in windy or loud places, thanks to three mics and some smart AI filtering.

OnePlus says battery life is supposed to be 11 hours on a charge, and up to 45 hours total with the case. We didn’t put these through a stress test but we never were worried about the battery life. With 10 minutes of fast charging gets you hours of listening time. They’re water and sweat-resistant so they’ll work fine in the gym.

Extra features like swipe volume control (it can be a bit finicky if you have large fingers), fast pairing, dual-device connection, and even real-time translation with certain OnePlus phones make these buds feel pretty high-end for the price.

The OnePlus Buds 4 offer great sound, smart noise cancellation, and battery life that will last more than enough for a busy day with the charging case.

The OnePlus Buds 4 are available in Storm Gray and Zen Green, priced at $169.99 on the OnePlus website and from Best Buy Canada. You can save $40 off with code ONEPLUSBUDS4 while students also get an extra 10% off. So with the coupon you can get the Buds 4 for $129.99, which is pretty good.