The OnePlus Buds Pro blew us away with their great sound quality and effective noise cancellation – and the true wireless earbuds have just got even better thanks to a new firmware update.
The update will bring a new feature called Dual Connection, which gives you the ability to pair the OnePlus Buds Pro with two different devices at the same time, and switch between them seamlessly when music is played from either of the two Bluetooth devices.
In a post on the OnePlus forums, the company said that the update will initially reach a small percentage of users with a broader rollout taking place "over the next few days".
If you have a OnePlus phone and have auto updates switched on, you won't need to do anything to get the new firmware. You'll be able to enable the Dual Connection feature by opening your phone's Bluetooth settings, and pressing the cogwheel in front of the OnePlus Buds Pro to open your Headphone settings. Non-OnePlus users will need to download the HeyMelody app to get the update.
A more convincing AirPods Pro rival
As much as we like the OnePlus Buds Pro, we still don't think the wireless earbuds were are as good as the immensely popular Apple AirPods Pro, which offer unmatched connectivity within the Apple ecosystem.
However, the new update brings the OnePlus earbuds much closer to Apple's noise-cancelling earbuds, making it easier to use them with a range of Bluetooth devices without the need to pair and unpair them every time you want to switch over.
Multi-point pairing and automatic switching between devices is particularly useful for those working from home. Being able to swap from a video call on your laptop to playing music on your smartphone without digging through your Bluetooth settings makes the experience of using a pair of earbuds much more seamless and convenient.
The OnePlus Buds Pro do still come with some drawbacks, though. While they do sound great, they aren't the best true wireless earbuds for audiophiles, as they can't match the sonic detail offered by models like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus or the Grado GT220.
Saying that, OnePlus phone users can enjoy Dolby Atmos with the Buds Pro, just as AirPods Pro users can hear immersive three-dimensional sound thanks to Apple's Spatial Audio, making both models excellent for watching films.
Also, the OnePlus Buds Pro are much cheaper than Apple's noise-cancelling earbuds, costing $149.99 / £139 (about AU$200) compared to $249 / £249 / AU$399. A price tag that's $100 / £110 cheaper than their biggest competitors already made the OnePlus Buds Pro an attractive prospect – and now, Dual Connection is just one more reason to try them out over the AirPods Pro.
- Read our guide to the best earbuds you can buy today
