Decoding appeal of budget wireless earbuds as OnePlus, Xiaomi write new chapters

There was a wave of concern earlier this month when the latest shipments data suggested India’s wearables market declined in the second quarter of the year. The International Data Corporation’s (IDC) India Monthly Wearable Device Tracker suggested that true wireless earbuds (TWS), smartwatches and fitness band shipments were down to the tune of 10%, compared with the same period last year. Look closely, and it is indeed a worrying time for smartwatches, which registered a 27.4% decline, thereby dragging category numbers down. Earwear, of which true wireless earbuds are a part, remained consistent, with a marginal 0.7% growth.
A lot of that has to do with the volumes that the budget true wireless earbuds do. Indian companies BoAt, Boult and Noise are dominating the space, much like last year – Boult (now 12.9% share) registered a 47.1% year-on-year increase while Noise (now 9.2% share) registered 52% annual growth in earbuds shipments. The three companies, building on this growth, have been diversifying and making moves towards premiumisation too. Noise’s latest Buds Xero (priced around ₹4,499) are a successful example of those attempts. The other element that’s worked well, is the spec-focused development of products that go on sale. Features such as noise cancellation and extended battery life, have trickled down the price bands.
Also read:Tech Tonic | Why Indian tech brands are dominating the wearables industry
The latest shipment numbers would worry global players, including Xiaomi and OnePlus. They have large smartphone user bases, which whom they’d like to build an ecosystem play that would include wireless earbuds as well. It hasn’t happened to the extent OnePlus, Xiaomi and even brands such as Oppo would have hoped. For instance, Oppo and OnePlus combined have 7.4% share now, much behind Noise, a gap that’s widened since the combined efforts have lost 5.2% year-on-year in shipment stakes.
Nevertheless, the two tech companies have wasted no time in responding to market demands with new affordable wireless earbuds that they’d hope find some footing (and quickly) in the fast-moving category. There is greater emphasis on design as well as colours, something the three leading Indian tech companies have done quite well in the past few years. Alongside, OnePlus and Xiaomi are hoping the additional focus on features, will help potential buyers find value. HT reviews the two affordable (yet at different price points) wireless earbuds and works out how the balance is playing out.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro
OnePlus may be hoping the “pro” moniker adds some more seriousness to its newest affordable earbuds, but the fact is, the Nord Buds 3 Pro has enough on the feature set to have done well without it too. This is priced at ₹3,299 and that is the sort of price band that usually finds favour (and budget) with buyers who are a little more discerning. There are 12.4mm titanium coated audio drivers in each ear. OnePlus has tuned the sound signature to emphasise the lower frequencies, again based on an assumption that the buyer demographic is more interested in up-tempo tracks, including remixes. For that genre of music, this works rather well, with a surprisingly wide sound signature that adds a nice sense of space to the music you’re listening to.
The hybrid active noise cancellation is rated up to 49db, or decibels. This proves enough to block out most ambient din you may encounter at home or work, or while travelling. Quite efficiently too, without you needing to change modes. The one thing this ideally doesn’t block out is a typical mechanical humming sound, such as a loud refrigerated display in a departmental store.
As has been the case with OnePlus’ true wireless earbuds for a few years now, they work best with the company’s own smartphones, and to an extent with Android phones (Apple iPhone users will draw little value from broader functionality, such as Google Fast Par). Nevertheless, on any Android device, I’d recommend glancing through the HeyMelody app to customise sound. The Nord Buds 3 Pro has the IP55 water and dust resistance rating, and OnePlus insists the charging case has been tested for 20,000 open and close movements for the hinge of the lid. To be fair, we’ve never encountered an instance where a true wireless earbuds’ case lid has come off.
Also read:Noise Buds Xero underlines a premiumisation aspiration for Indian tech brands
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5c
A cursory glance at the competition landscape around the ₹1,599 sticker price, and the Redmi Buds 5c finds competition aplenty, including the Noise Buds X ANC and the BoAt Nirvana Space. Xiaomi’s given the Redmi Buds 5c enough arsenal in terms of features, which could mean a lot of value for the money buyers spend on what are likely to be their first tryst with true wireless earbuds. In each ear are large 12.4mm titanium audio drivers, with the sound signature gently tuned towards lower frequencies for better base filtering through. There are of course sound profiles to choose from, including a custom one, but you’d expect the Redmi Buds 5c to work best with up-tempo music. That’s an audience preference Xiaomi understood well, many years ago.
Well-built earbuds (they’re quite light too, and therefore comfortable) and if you must, the blue colour option would be my recommendation. The active noise cancellation is rated at 40db or decibels, and in the real world, this is more than adequate in drowning out the traffic noise outside your window, a football match on TV in the same room, as well as children screaming in the park downstairs. However, the humming of an air conditioner remains perceptible. It’s interesting that Xiaomi hasn’t compromised on the dust and water resistance – the Redmi Buds 5c have an IP54 rating.
On Android phones, setup is simpler with Google Fast Pair, but you’d want to download the Xiaomi Earbuds App for extensive controls that are available. These buds can last around 6 hours of music playback with noise cancellation, before you need to put them back into the case to charge again. That cycle can be repeated 5 times, before the case needs to be juiced up again, completely. In essence, there’s very little to complain about with the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5c, even more so with an affordable price tag.