Why I returned my OnePlus Buds.

I really wanted to love the OnePlus Buds. I was lucky enough to order one on launch day and OnePlus was gracious enough to ship them quickly all the way to Hawaii.

Initial pairing of the device is pretty easy. There is a button on the rear of the OnePlus Buds, hold it, and it’ll pair like any other Bluetooth device.

I liked my experience with the OnePlus Buds. My main go to is the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, but I wanted something that didn’t seal off my ears when walking the dog in the morning, so I can hear my surroundings. Yes, you can enable this on your Buds+, but its creepy amplified noise.

For $79, I thought that was an awesome deal, and I normally don’t like to pay full price for anything. My Buds+ were $100 off from the purchase of a Galaxy S20+ and I wouldn’t mind a second bluetooth device.

I didn’t even mind the fact that I wouldn’t get the full OnePlus Buds experience because I wasn’t using a OnePlus phone. I got my S20+ on Swappa for $700 – so no way I was going to let that go for awhile.

First issue – the OnePlus Buds falls out of my ears at random times. The first time I used them was on a morning walk with the dog. The funny part is that the right one decided to jump out of my ear near the end of a 5k walk. Not only did it jump off, but it bounced on the concrete and I was forced to chase it like (insert something chasing something else).

That wasn’t the only time the OnePlus Buds would fall off. I was cooking in the kitchen and the same culprit decided my ears were not worth its time.

The next time I used them, the left one decided to take the plunge into living room floor – this time, I almost stepped on it (luckily I didn’t).

I would like to think that I have normal sized ears and a device such as this – mass marketed for the masses – that I shouldn’t have had any issues with the OnePlus Buds falling out of my ears. Apparently, I’m special.

OnePlus Buds couldn’t connect to my Galaxy S20+.

The final straw: CONNECTION ISSUES!

I started to have connection issues after a week. The first time it happened, I just ignored it and grabbed my Galaxy Buds+. The next day, it wouldn’t connect again. I tried the usual Bluetooth stuff. Toggled the Bluetooth off and on, on my smartphone. Weird thing is, I tried my bluetooth speakers – yup, no issues whatsoever.

After trying a couple of other things, I decided to log into my OnePlus account and apply for a RMA to return it. They were quick to respond and the next day I have my UPS label to return my OnePlus Buds back to OnePlus.

While it was a short lived experience, I can’t wait to try a similar device – or maybe the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.

Is anyone else having issues with their OnePlus Buds? Or is it just me?