They say you get what you pay for when you settle for a cheaper version of something that’s hugely popular but also so expensive. But you still expect that thing to actually work even though it won’t be perfect. Some buyers of the OnePlus Buds may be experiencing buyers’ remorse as reports of the left earbud failing to work have been spreading in forums and social media. It looks like it’s a hardware problem but even the replacement earbuds are also not working as they should be.
According to Android Police, users have been reporting that after a few days of using the truly wireless earbuds, the left earbud of the OnePlus Buds goes “completely silent”. While you can still use the tap function, you won’t hear anything on it. And even when they unpair and pair it again or reconnect and reset it, it still won’t work. Since this is just a recently released product, they’re most likely still under warranty, users can actually exchange their earbuds for a new pair.
Unfortunately, even the replacement pair seems to have a problem as well. The left piece once again stops playing after some time. Obviously, this seems to be a hardware defect as confirmed by a OnePlus support representative. This makes it easier for the OEM and the user as well. If it was simply a software problem, a firmware update should be able to fix the bug. But since it’s the earbud itself that seems to be failing, replacement may not be a solution.
The OnePlus Buds has been branded as a more affordable Apple AirPods alternative. Even the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency was fooled as they seized 2,000 pairs of it as they thought they were “counterfeit AirPods”. Apple’s popular truly wireless earbuds start at $150 while the still legit but way cheaper OnePlus Buds are priced at just $80 with an even cheaper version with OnePlus Buds Z.
But even though it may not be comparable to the AirPods quality-wise, you still expect it to actually work. Having just one earbud working is a major problem and hopefully, OnePlus will be able to solve this or they might have to do the dreaded R word – Recall.
