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Not long after Apple ditched the headphone jack, TWS earbuds became ubiquitous. Interestingly, while legacy audio brands like Sennheiser took their sweet time to launch their wire-free earphones, smartphone vendors quickly jumped on the TWS bandwagon, with some brands even mimicking the design of the AirPods.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the scenery has changed quite a bit. Although Apple still owns the preponderance of the TWS market share, the competition has started to catch up. In particular, we’re seeing more feature-rich TWS earbuds launch for a fraction of the price of Apple’s AirPods.
Case in point, the all-new OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which brings a treasure trove of tech and costs well under $200. This begs the question — how does the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 stack up against Apple’s flagship AirPods Pro 2? Well, let’s find out, shall we?
Before we get on with the comparison, here are the specs of our two contenders.
| AirPods Pro 2 | OnePlus Buds Pro 2 | |
| Weight | Earbuds – 5.3 grams each Case – 50.8 grams |
Earbuds – 4.9 grams each Case – 47.3 grams |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth v5.3 | Bluetooth v5.3 |
| Codecs supported | SBC and AAC | SBC, AAC, LC3, and LHDC |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours (with the case) and ANC | Up to 25 hours (with the case) and ANC |
| IP rating | Earbuds – IPX4 Case – IPX4 |
Earbuds – IP55 Case – IPX4 |
Let’s kick things off by taking a closer look at the design of our two contenders. Here, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 takes an emphatic lead, and for a number of reasons. For one, the earbuds feel every bit as premium and luxurious as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 headset. At the same time, the individual earpieces as well as the case weigh less than their Apple counterpart.
To that end, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2’s earpieces tip the scales at just 4.9 grams. The AirPods Pro 2’s earpieces, on the other hand, weigh 5.3 grams each. Do note that the difference isn’t night and day, so you should find both earbuds superbly comfortable to listen to music for hours on end.
With that said, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is available in more colors. On that note, you can pick up the buds in an Arbor Green or an Obsidian Black hue. In contrast, the AirPods Pro 2 can only be purchased in a white colorway.
Furthermore, OnePlus has stylized the Buds Pro 2 in a unique, two-tone finish. So, you’ll notice that the stem of the earbuds offers a glossy finish, whereas the rest of the headset is enveloped in a matte finish.
That’s not all, as the Buds Pro 2 is impervious to dust particulates too – at least, to a certain degree. To wit, the AirPods Pro 2 comes with IPX4 certification that should safeguard the buds against sweat and splashes of water. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2, on the other hand, ship with a more resilient IP55 rating.
I’d also like to add that the Buds Pro 2 look eerily similar to the AirPods Pro 2. In fact, upon closer inspection, you’ll observe that the length of the stems, as well as the curvature of the outer casing, is near-identical on the two earphones. If anything, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 ships with a thicker stem. Other than that, though, the earbuds look like a facsimile of one another.
As prefaced previously, both earbuds score high in terms of comfort too. Now, I did notice the AirPods Pro 2 stick to my ear better. To wit, I had to reposition the Buds Pro 2 time and again when I was working out. Thankfully, I was able to get a better in-ear seal with a different set of ear tips I had lying around.
And since we’re on the subject of comfort, you should note that both the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro 2 will bite your ear if you go to bed wearing the earbuds. In particular, if you’re a side sleeper, then you might want to opt for a different headset with an even smaller casing.
As for the carrying case, both earphones come bundled in high-quality receptacles that double up as a battery bank too. Interestingly, both cases come with a dedicated button to put the earbuds in pairing mode. Further, you’ll also get an LED indicator with the cases that can help you ascertain when the earphones are connected, or in pairing mode.
The carrying case for the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro 2 also features magnetic latches that should keep the buds from falling out on the off chance you drop the case. Moreover, both cases come with IPX4 certification as well. If anything, I like the clasping mechanism of the AirPods Pro 2’s case a bit more and the unit snaps shut with a satisfying slam.
Moreover, the AirPods Pro 2’s case features a slot to tie a lanyard loop too. On the flip side, I wish the company would’ve opted for a Type-C connector to charge the case and the earbuds. Don’t get me wrong – the AirPods Pro 2’s lightning connector is most certainly not a deal-breaker, especially if you already have an iPhone. If anything, I won’t have to worry about carrying an additional cable if I’m traveling with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.
Also read: Best leather cases for the AirPods Pro 2.
Before I talk about each earbud’s feature set, you should know that you won’t be able to get the most out of any Apple AirPods if you pair them with an Android. Similarly, although the Buds Pro 2 gel well with an iPhone and other Android devices, the earbuds will work best with a OnePlus phone.
Notably, OnePlus’ walled-garden approach restricts non-OnePlus users to tap into select features of the Buds Pro 2. Chief among them, being, support for enhanced audio playback that is facilitated by the company’s LHDC codec. Moreover, you can only use the Buds Spatial Audio feature with the OnePlus 11. And, that’s about it, really.
So, what can you do if you pair the Buds Pro 2 with a non-OnePlus device? Well, a whole lot, if I say so myself. To wit, the Buds Pro 2 gets adaptive ANC with three varying strengths. You also get a transparency mode, which should come in handy when you’re traveling.
The Buds Pro 2 also allows you to tweak the EQ by choosing from one of five pre-installed presets that have been co-created with Dynaudio. You also get the option to whip up a custom EQ too.
Other than that, the Buds Pro 2 ships with ‘pinch’ controls that require the user to press the stem to invoke an action. Although the pinch controls take some time to get used to, they can be customized via the company’s HeyMelody companion app on any phone, which is great.
The AirPods Pro 2 also bar non-iPhone users from accessing some features of the headset. However, the earbuds will sound the same, be it on an iPhone or any modern Android handset. The reason is, the buds relay audio via AAC, which is a more accessible Bluetooth codec.
More notably, you will miss out on seamless pairing and support for spatial audio as well as the brand’s Find My network, which comes in handy should you misplace the buds. Additionally, the earbuds also restrict Android users to leverage automatic ear detection. For those unaware, the feature automatically pauses the music playback if you were to remove an earbud from your ears.
So, what features can you expect to work if you pair your new AirPods Pro to an Android device? Well, you can still leverage the unit’s ANC and transparency modes. Furthermore, the earbuds also let non-iPhone users control their music playback via gesture controls. To that end, you can use pinch controls to pause or go forward / backward a track. You can even swipe up and down on the stem to variate the volume levels. Much to my dismay, you cannot customize the pinch controls on an Android device.
I won’t beat around the bush at all – the Buds Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation cancel out noise equally well. There were instances where one cut down the ambient sound better than the other, but even then, the difference was minute, at best. For instance, both earbuds did a commendable job of suppressing my Uber driver’s voice when he was chatting away on his phone. At the same time, the duo cut down the revs of automobiles when I was out and about too.
As for the battery backup, the AirPods Pro 2 lasted me close to five hours off a single charge, and that’s with ANC enabled. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2, on the other hand, also managed to stay on for up to five hours. Do note that I was using the LHDC codec to relay media via the Buds Pro 2. Additionally, I was using the pair with ANC as well.
Of course, you can always use the bundled case to top up the earbuds. On that note, the case for both earbuds adds an additional 25 hours of music playback, which is great. Moreover, both our contenders support wireless charging too, so you can plonk the cases on a wireless charging pad and top up the buds wirelessly.
Coming to the meat of the matter, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is undeniably the better-sounding TWS headset of the lot. But before we get into that, allow me to run some numbers by you. Starting with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, the headset is backed by a dual-driver array comprising a 6mm planar magnetic driver and an 11mm dynamic driver positioned inside each earpiece.
The Buds Pro 2 can operate across a frequency range of 10Hz to 40KHz and support LHDC, AAC, LC3, and SBC Bluetooth codecs. In contrast, the AirPods Pro 2 is backed by a redesigned 11mm driver that sits inside each earpiece. Also, the earphones support SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs.
Right off the bat, I noticed that the Buds Pro 2 sounded fuller than the AirPods Pro 2. Don’t get me wrong – the AirPods Pro 2 sound surreal as well and the earbuds do justice to songs from a variety of genres. However, the Buds Pro 2 churned out significantly more detail when relaying music over the LHDC codec. AnnenMayKantereit’s Tom’s Diner is a good example of the same, wherein, the Buds Pro 2 reciprocated the grunts in Henning May’s raspy voice to a tee.
The texture in the singer’s voice was relayed beautifully by the earbuds and I couldn’t help but bob my head to the lyrics. In other words, the Buds Pro 2 excel at delivering nuanced details in any soundtrack. The same can be accredited to the unit’s dual-driver array that segregates frequencies better. Moreover, the headset can relay a truckload of information owing to the high-bandwidth LHDC codec. A fringe benefit of the same is that the pair offers exceptional imaging too. To that end, you will be able to decipher each and every instrument in a chaotic ballad with the Buds Pro 2 at your disposal.
The Avalanches’ Frontier Psychiatrist is a great example of the same wherein, the Buds Pro 2 manages to make sense of the cacophony of sounds after the first verse. In contrast, the song sounds a bit congested on the AirPods Pro 2. I also found the Buds Pro 2’s sound signature more to my liking. To that end, while both of our contenders favor the low-end, the Buds Pro 2’s sonic profile adds a certain vigor and energy to the beats.
For instance, listening to Stormzy’s Vossi Bop, the beats offered a more satisfying slam when relayed through the Buds Pro 2. At the same time, the low-end didn’t eat into the rest of the frequency spectrum and allowed the singer’s voice a spot under the limelight too. The AirPods Pro 2 did justice to the soundtrack as well, however, the bass output felt a bit feeble when compared to the Buds Pro 2. Interestingly, the low end felt a tad too emphasized when I was using the AAC codec with the Buds Pro 2. As such, I would recommend you use the headset with LHDC codec for the best results.
As for the highs, the AirPods Pro 2 sound a tad brighter but the wealth of information you get with the Buds Pro 2 makes listening to songs from the rock genre more fun as well. Santana’s Into the Night is a testament to the same. Here, the strums from the guitar had a bite to them when relayed via the AirPods Pro 2. And, although the Buds Pro 2’s sound output wasn’t as bright, the unit’s superior imaging made listening to track an enjoyable experience, nonetheless.
Apple has been the trendsetter in the audio space for a hot minute and it was not long after the company ditched the headphone jack that other brands followed suit. Similarly, the company played an integral role in popularizing the TWS earbuds as well. It’s not surprising then, that smartphone vendors want to create an ecosystem of sorts that mimics Apple’s walled-garden approach too.
So, where does that leave us? Well, if you’re team Android, then it makes little sense to buy the AirPods Pro 2. Although the earbuds offer decent sound quality and ANC tech, you will miss out on a plethora of features, including automatic ear detection and the works.
On the flip side, the Buds Pro 2 gel well with most Androids as well as Apple’s iPhone range. You can simply download the company’s HeyMelody app and customize the bud’s sound profile as well as music playback controls to your liking.
That said, the earbuds work best with a OnePlus phone. So, if you are rocking an Android – in particular, a OnePlus device – you should get the Buds Pro 2 in a heartbeat. Similarly, the Buds Pro 2 is a good option for iPhone users who can make do without the company’s seamless pairing features. But, if you have more than one Apple device at your disposal and don’t mind spending a couple more bucks, it’s hard to beat the AirPods Pro 2’s feature set.
Do let us know which earbud you would rather buy in the comments below! And, for more comparisons, stay glued to our blog.
If Samsung sticks to the same schedule as last year, then the successor to the Galaxy Watch 5 could be with us in August – and the latest updates from the rumor mill suggest that the Galaxy Watch 6 could beat it in terms of battery life.
This is from GalaxyClub (opens in new tab) (via Phandroid (opens in new tab)), and according to certifications for the upcoming smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 6 will carry either a 300 mAh or 425 mAh capacity battery depending on its size (40 mm or 44 mm, if it follows last year's lead).
That's up from 284 mAh and 410 mAh respectively, so while we're not talking about a massive leap in terms of battery sizes, we're hoping that the extra capacity and a few extra hardware and software tweaks mean noticeable improvements in battery life.
Officially, Samsung says that you can expect "up to 40 hours" between charges for the 40 mm and 44 mm Galaxy Watch 5 models, so we're talking about a day and a half before you have to start reaching for your charger again.
Check our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review, and you'll see that we managed to get the smartwatch to last a day with an exercise session included. If you want to get more than that, then you need to be careful in how you use the wearable.
There's no mention in this leak of the Galaxy Watch Pro 5, which offers around double the battery life of the cheaper model, thanks to a 590 mAh battery. We'll have to wait and see whether Samsung is able to improve on that this year.
More battery life is always better of course, whether we're talking smartphones, laptops, or any other kind of electronic device. With wearables though, it's particularly important: these gadgets are designed to be worn at all times, not sat on a charging stand.
With smartwatches, for example, they're keeping tabs on your steps, your heart rate, your sleep patterns and more besides. Whenever you're not wearing them, there are gaps in the data that's being collected, making these devices less useful.
By their very nature though, these wearables are small and light. No one wants a chunky smartwatch weighing down their wrist – and that means there's not much room for a battery. Manufacturers are essentially in a no-win situation for the time being.
Perhaps the best approach as far as smartwatches go is something like the Garmin Instinct 2: it uses a monochrome screen and can last a month between charges, while the solar powered option might never need recharging if you live somewhere sunny.
Brave Search has introduced Summarizer, a new AI-powered feature with similarities to Google’s featured snippets and Perspectives SERP features. It’s also like what BingGPT is doing, generating answers to questions in near real-time.
Summarizer provides concise answers (generally two or three sentences), with one or multiple citations, to user search queries.
Brave’s Summarizer answers are based on search results found on the web. This is a key point Brave called out in their announcement:
What it looks like. Here’s an example of a search for [how many days until Christmas]:
Brave’s Summarizer tells me:
This answer also includes three original sources (which I’ve annotated in red). Those numbered citations aren’t clickable. Hovering over them will tell you the website this information came from. Searchers will have to click on the websites below the summaries.
Interestingly, Brave doesn’t simply pull the information from the top 3 organic search results. Citation 0 was in 10th position; Citation 1 was 4th position; and Citation 2 was the top organic result.
Summaries are shown for 17% of queries. Brave said that using web results helps Summarizer provide real-time, up-to-date information to searchers. But Brave also noted that summaries are only being generated for about 17% of queries – though Brave plans to grow that number “in the near future.”
Brave’s result snippets also get summaries. Brave Search will also be highlighting (i.e., bolding) answers as opposed to bolding keywords on searches. Brave said:
Here’s a before and after on a query for [what happened in east Palestine ohio]:
So instead of just bolding keywords from the search query, Brave is trying to actually provide full answers in result snippets. And as Brave notes, queries can trigger both these summarized snippets, as well as the Summarizer.
Why we care. Although privacy-focused search engine Brave trails far behind Google and Microsoft Bing, it may be worth your time to explore Brave’s Summarizer, to test examples of how it works on various queries. While this particular feature won’t change any of your search strategies, as Google and Bing evolve their AI chat features, Brave may provide some inspiration to the larger search engines.
Available now. Brave Summarizer is available today for all users on desktop and mobile. Users can opt out under Search settings.
Now at 22 million queries per day. As of last April, Brave said it passed 12 million queries per day. Now they are seeing 22 million queries per day.
While that’s solid growth, for comparison, we know DuckDuckGo dropped below 100 million queries per day in April 2022 and was unable to get back above that mark again before they stopped publicly sharing their traffic data. And for an even bigger comparison, an estimated 8.5 billion searches are conducted on Google every day. So that means Google sees more queries in a day than Brave will likely see in a year.
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With the introduction of ChatGPT and Whisper models to the API, developers now have access to cutting-edge language and speech-to-text features, the company said in a blog post.
"Through a series of system-wide optimizations, we’ve achieved 90% cost reduction for ChatGPT since December; we’re now passing through those savings to API users. Developers can now use our open-source Whisper large-v2 model in the API with much faster and cost-effective results," it added.
For the ChatGPT API, OpenAI is offering 1,000 tokens for $0.002 and said that is "10x cheaper than our existing GPT-3.5 models."
"Developers who use the gpt-3.5-turbo model will always get our recommended stable model, while still having the flexibility to opt for a specific model version," it added.
For Whisper API, the company said developers can use it to transcribe audio at $0.006 per minute. Whisper is a speech-to-text model which the company open-sourced in September last year.
"We believe that AI can provide incredible opportunities and economic empowerment to everyone, and the best way to achieve that is to allow everyone to build with it," it added.
Early users of ChatGPT and Whisper APIs
Snapchat, the social media app popular with teens, has introduced a chatbot powered by the most up-to-date version of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Available initially to subscribers, the "MyAI" tab will allow users to interact with a chatbot, much like it were a friend.
It is designed to be pinned at the top of the Chat tab. It provides personalised recommendations for users, such as gift ideas or recipe suggestions.
Quizlet, a global learning platform, is introducing Q-Chat, a fully-adaptive AI tutor that engages students with adaptive questions based on relevant study materials.
Quizlet has worked with OpenAI for the last three years, it said.
Grocery delivery startup Instacart is redesigning its app to enable customers to ask about food and get inspirational, shoppable answers.
The firm is using ChatGPT alongside Instacart’s own AI and product data from its retail partner store locations to help customers discover ideas for open-ended shopping goals, such as “How do I make great fish tacos?” or “What’s a healthy lunch for my kids?”
The company plans to launch “Ask Instacart” later this year, OpenAI said.
Alienware announced a slew of revamped PC gaming peripherals today in a Twitch livestream. In addition, it revealed pricing and release info for its latest laptops from CES.
First, the mechanical Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Keyboard lets you connect in three ways: a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle (including a dongle extender), Bluetooth 5.1 or a detachable USB-A to USB-C paracord cable. The keyboard uses Cherry MX Red switches (with a 100 million actuation lifecycle), a programmable rocker switch and dial, anti-ghosting and N-key rollover. The keyboard starts at $290 and launches in the US and China on April 14th and the rest of the world on May 19th.
Alienware
The wired Tenkeyless Gaming Keyboard is a slimmer and more compact mechanical model. It also uses Cherry MX Red switches, double-shot PBT keycaps, anti-ghosting and N-key rollover. The keyboard has an integrated cable routing on its underside that lets you position it toward the left, right or center, depending on your setup (and the USB cable is detachable). It supports per-key RGB lighting in 16.8 million colors. It’s available today for $160.
Alienware also announced the Dual-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset, which connects to your PC with a bundled USB-C dongle or 3.5mm audio cable. It has a 45mm-wide headband with a sliding adjustment and memory foam ear cups covered in fabric. Alienware says it’s plenty roomy inside with “comfortable contact points with your head.” It includes a retractable boom mic and can cancel out background noise for your audience while you’re speaking (not to be confused with active noise cancelation, which it doesn’t have). In addition, the headset uses 40mm drivers and supports Dolby Atmos. Finally, the company says its battery will last up to 30 hours. The headset is available today, costing $160.
Alienware
The company also revealed a second model, the Alienware Wired Gaming Headset. Although you’ll need to plug it in through USB or a 3.5mm cable, it otherwise has near feature parity with the wireless model. It also supports Dolby Atmos and has RGB lighting; it uses a 45mm sliding headband, memory foam ear cups covered in fabric and a retractable boom mic with AI-powered voice isolation. The headset costs $100 and launches on April 14th in North America and China and May 19th in other parts of the world.
The last of the newly announced gear is the Alienware Wireless Gaming Mouse. It has a sculpted right-handed design with a dedicated thumb channel “to help provide comfortable control during long gaming sessions.” It has independent L / R keyplates and optical switches. Alienware says the mouse’s sensor supports up to 26,000 dots per inch while tracking quick movements with 650 inches per second and 50G max acceleration. Additionally, it has tactile grip zones. Alienware promises up to 140 hours of battery life, and the company says five minutes of charging (while on a low battery) will yield 10 hours of uptime. The mouse (which already launched in China last week) is available today in North America and on March 31st elsewhere; it will cost $100.
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget
The company also announced new pricing and release info for products it announced at CES. The Alienware m16 and m18 laptops will be available in all Intel and Nvidia variants on March 7th. The m16 starts at $1,899, while the m18 starts at $2,099. Meanwhile, the Dell G15 ($899 and up) and G16 ($1,499 and up) launch on March 21st in Intel / Nvidia flavors. (AMD options for all those models will arrive in Q2, with pricing info coming later.) Finally, the Alienware x15 R2 launches in early April with a $1,799 starting price.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
Nothing made a bunch of announcements today. Stand-out among them was the official name drop of its next smartphone. The phone will be call...
