OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 review: Solid battery life, good audio quality for the price tag

True wireless earbuds (TWS) have taken away the spotlight from Bluetooth neckbands over the past few years, with several companies launching TWSs across different budget segments. Having said that, every now and then, the likes of OnePlus and realme do give us a new pair of neckbands – there are still some people who prefer the neckbands over TWSs.

 

The new OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 is the latest neckband – priced at Rs 1,699 – and is aimed for both work and music. The look and feel of the Bullets Wireless Z3 are familiar if you have used a pair of neckbands before, especially from OnePlus. There’s a matte silicone finish on the neckbands with the control buttons on the left side – volume buttons in red, longer black multi-function key between the two, then a small LED indicator and USB type C port. The right side has the OnePlus branding.

 

The multi-function key can be pressed once to take a call, twice to change the track or reject a call, thrice to go back to the previous track, or long press it to bring up Gemini AI assistant. The buttons’ placement do require getting a bit used to if you have never used a pair of neckbands before, but otherwise, they are quite responsive and comfortable to reach with your fingers for calls.

 

Having used a pair from OnePlus years back, I expected the Z3 to be comfortable to wear and that is exactly the case here. Whether for long calls or for commute, you can expect these to not become overwhelming to wear along. The IP55 dust and water splash-resistant neckbands weigh 26gm and come in Mambo Midnight and Samba Sunset colour options.

 

Coming to the audio quality, the pair is powered by 1.2mm drivers with support for Bluetooth 5.4 and AAC as well as SBC audio codecs. You can put it in pairing mode by long-pressing the multi-function key, and to pair with an existing device, simply untag the two buds, which attach to each other’s back magnetically, and it’s done (attach them again to switch them off). There’s Google Fast Pair for Android but no Swift Pair for Windows, though I found it connects with a Windows device fairly quickly, too. The Z3 sounded clear and fuller than the previous buds to me. They have decent bass for bassheads and don’t necessarily struggle on treble either for most genres from electronic, Bollywood to some rock, though some background instruments can sound a little softer than some TWS at under ₹2,000. Using the HeyMelody app, or just Bluetooth Settings for OnePlus devices, you can adjust EQ if you want.

 

Mic quality for calls is good, too, with clear sound delivered even when used outdoors. OnePlus says there’s some AI-based noise cancellation for calls but can’t say I saw anything major here. You won’t mind using these for calls when connected to a Windows PC or an Android phone.

 

With a 220mAh unit, battery life is one of the better things about Z3. While OnePlus promises 36 hours of use in one full charge, I had to charge it only once when used for a week – for both calls as well as music so as to not hear the battery low indicator sound once – using for about 18 hours with 40 per cent left in the tank.

 

In conclusion, if you are looking for a pair of Bluetooth neckbands under ₹2,000, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 is certainly something to consider. Not only does it have a great battery life, but also has good audio output quality while being comfortable, too.

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