The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 arrive in India at Rs 3,299, and for that money, the spec sheet reads like a tier above: 52dB of adaptive active noise cancellation, 12mm titanium-coated drivers, six microphones and a 54-hour battery claim. A year ago, a list this long carried a Rs 4,500 sticker. OnePlus has trickled most of it down from the Nord Buds 4 Pro, kept the parts that earn their place in daily use, and parked the result a notch below the Rs 3,999 sibling. The early-bird window drops it to Rs 3,099. At either figure, this is the most loaded pair the Nord Buds name has shipped.Key takeawaysPrice: Rs 3,299, with a Rs 3,099 launch price; on sale 29 June through Amazon, Flipkart, and OnePlus. in - Myntra and BlinkitANC climbs to 52dB from the Nord Buds 3's 32dB - a jump you hear, rather than one you read on a box12mm titanium-coated drivers, bass-forward tuning, SBC and AAC codecs; LHDC stays a Pro feature54 hours total with the case (ANC off), 27 hours with ANC on, and 11 hours of playback from a 10-minute chargeBluetooth 6.1, dual-device pairing, IP55, wear detection, and a six-mic setup with AI call cleanupA budget price, a near-flagship feature list For two generations, the Nord Buds name has run one playbook: take a feature buyers tie to pricier earbuds, fit it into a sub-Rs 3,500 shell, and let the spec sheet do the selling. The Nord Buds 4 push that idea further than any model before them. The standout number is the ANC - 52dB, up from 32dB on the Nord Buds 3. OnePlus pitches that as a 200 per cent gain in noise reduction, and across a week of office hours, daily commutes and a couple of flights, the jump earns the claim.Specs tell half the story. After a few days of work calls, music sessions and light workouts, what held my attention was how the buds behaved under pressure rather than the length of the list. The ANC delivered. Call clarity stayed dependable in noisy streets. The tuning made long listening easy on the ears. The features matter, but the day-to-day showing is what sells these.OnePlus Nord Buds 4: SpecificationsFeatureSpecificationDrivers12mm titanium-coated dynamic driversActive noise cancellationUp to 52dB, real-time adaptive across 5,000HzConnectivityBluetooth 6.1, dual-device pairing, Google Fast PairCodecsSBC, AACAudio features3D Spatial Audio, Game Sound Spatial Audio, Sound Master EQApp supportHeyMelodyMicrophonesSix (three per earbud), AI Clear CallWear detectionYesTouch controlsCustomisableGaming modeYes, 47ms latencyBattery (ANC off)Up to 13 hours per bud, 54 hours total with caseBattery (ANC on)Up to 6.5 hours per bud, 27 hours total with caseFast charging11 hours of playback from a 10-minute chargeWater resistanceIP55Weight4. 3g per earbudColoursStellar Black, Astral TealFeatherweight at 4.3 grams, built to disappear OnePlus has left the design alone, and that reads as confidence rather than laziness. The Nord Buds 4 keep a clean stem shape that sits easily on the ears, with a finish that feels a step above the price. Each bud weighs 4.3 grams. Three ear-tip sizes ship in the box, and the fit is the part most budget pairs get wrong - get it right, and the ANC and the comfort both follow.The mid-sized tips sealed best for me. With that seal, the buds stayed put on stairs, on the walk to work and through a few light workouts. Short runs left them in place, which is more than I can say for several rivals at this price. You can wear them through a film or a long work block and forget they are there.One honest caveat: the longest stretches can leave a mild sense of pressure in the ear. It eases the moment you take a short break, and it stays comfortable enough to keep wearing. Build quality earns goodwill too - a solid case hinge, magnets that hold the buds firm, and a redesigned vertical case that sits flatter in a pocket than the older pebble shape. Colour choice runs to two, an understated Stellar Black and the brighter Astral Teal, and either shrugs off fingerprints better than a glossy shell would. The IP55 rating covers sweat and a light Delhi drizzle, so a gym session or a monsoon dash stays low-stakes.How good is the 52dB ANC at Rs 3,299? This is the part that kept surprising me. Plenty of buds in this bracket list ANC and then let most of the noise through in practice. The Nord Buds 4 cut a real chunk of the world out. In the office, in a coffee shop, on a loud main road, the noise floor dropped, and the music sat forward. Ceiling fans, air-conditioner hum and traffic faded into the background while the audio held its shape.The cancellation works in real time across a 5,000Hz band, adjusting to whatever is around you rather than running one fixed profile. HeyMelody adds environment presets for indoor, commute and travel use, and the differences are audible - the indoor mode suited a quiet office, the commute mode earned its keep on a noisy street. A Smart Mode shifts the audio handling between music, video and games on its own, and it does the kind of quiet background work you stop noticing, which is the highest compliment a feature like this can earn. Set against pricier pairs I have tested, the isolation holds up far better than the Rs 3,299 sticker suggests.On both flights, the cabin drone settled into a low hush, which let the podcasts run at a sensible volume instead of a contest against engine noise. Walk into a metro station and the commute preset clamps down on the platform roar while keeping the music intact underneath it. The give-away with cheap ANC is the seasick pressure it leaves behind; here, the cancellation stays clean, and the audio comes through unbothered by the work going on around it.Bass leans forward, vocals stay clear Good ANC needs a sound signature to match, and the Nord Buds 4 deliver one that feels lively from the first track. The bass leads. It carries real punch - enough to lift Bollywood, EDM and hip-hop - and bass-first listeners will warm to the tuning fast. On heavy low-end tracks, the bottom can run a touch strong, yet it stays clear of the vocals each time.Codec support stops at SBC and AAC. The missing LHDC will matter to audiophiles chasing high-resolution wireless audio, who can stretch to the Nord Buds 4 Pro for it; most listeners will hear a full, engaging sound and move on. Vocals come through clean, instrument separation holds, and acoustic tracks, podcasts and film dialogue all land with a clarity that shames the price tag. The composure holds at volume too - push the buds loud on a busy street and the top end keeps its poise rather than turning harsh.The software does its share. Sound Master EQ ships with presets - Balanced, Serenade and a Bass mode - plus a six-band equaliser for anyone who wants to tame or boost the low end and hear the change at once. There is 3D Spatial Audio too, which widens the soundstage for films and supported content; it falls short of premium spatial systems, yet it adds a useful sense of space, with Game Sound Spatial Audio handling directional cues for mobile titles.Six microphones and a scooter test Buds today double as work tools, and the Nord Buds 4 hold up as call companions. The six-mic array - three on each bud - keeps voices clear, with AI Clear Call leaning on the extra microphones to trim background noise. Indoor calls sounded crisp. Outdoor calls stayed dependable in moderate wind, with OnePlus rating the system for gusts up to 25 km/h, which is the figure that matters if you take calls on a scooter or through an open car. A strong gust can still creep in, yet most calls went through clean, with the other side catching my sentences the first time. For anyone who lives on meetings and phone calls, that consistency is worth real money.54 hours, and the day you stop checking Battery is where these buds stop being a worry. OnePlus rates the case-plus-buds combination at 54 hours with ANC off, dropping to 27 hours with ANC running through the day - and even the lower figure clears a long weekend. A single charge gives the buds up to 13 hours with ANC off and 6.5 hours with it on. Real-world use lands close to the claims across music, calls and video. A 10-minute top-up returns 11 hours of playback, which covers a commute you forgot to plan for, and the battery carries a TÜV Rheinland reliability certification - a fair thing to flag at a price where cells tend to fade over a year. The case is small and pocket-friendly, so the top-up is always to hand. After a few days, I stopped checking the percentage and used them, which is the best thing any pair of wireless buds can do for you.The small touches that add up Beyond sound and ANC, a cluster of conveniences lifts the ownership feel. Pairing is quick, fastest with OnePlus phones through Google Fast Pair, and straightforward on any Android handset through HeyMelody. Bluetooth 6.1 held a stable link across an office and a flat, staying connected through every room as I moved around - a notable spec at this price, given it even leapfrogs the Pro's Bluetooth 6.0.Dual-device pairing is the feature you miss once you have lived with it. I kept the buds tied to a phone and a laptop at once, jumping from music on one to a meeting on the other while the buds handled the reconnect themselves. Wear detection paused playback the moment I pulled a bud out and resumed within a second of putting it back. Touch controls are customisable in the app, and the camera-shutter shortcut - a double-tap to fire the phone's camera - proved handier than expected for group shots from a distance. HeyMelody rounds it out with firmware updates, EQ controls, ANC settings, battery readouts and a Find My Earbuds tool, plus AI Translate and AI Assistant on supported OnePlus phones. Together they make the Nord Buds 4 feel richer than most rivals on the shelf.Where Rs 3,299 sits on a crowded shelf The sub-Rs 3,500 bracket is busy, and the most useful comparison is the one inside OnePlus's own range. The Nord Buds 4 Pro, launched earlier this year at Rs 3,999, adds LHDC 5.0 for hi-res audio and 3dB more ANC at 55dB. The standard Nord Buds 4 trade those two for a Rs 700 saving - and, in a twist, gain a newer Bluetooth 6.1 radio in the swap. For most listeners, that is an easy call; the LHDC headroom and the extra ANC margin reward a narrow slice of buyers.Look wider and the rivals stack up fast. CMF Buds 2 sit lower at Rs 2,499 for buyers chasing the floor, while Realme's sub-Rs 4,000 options crowd the same aisle. OnePlus is betting that a known brand and a deep feature list carry the day at Rs 3,299, and on this showing, the bet looks sound.SpecNord Buds 4 (Rs 3,299)Nord Buds 4 Pro (Rs 3,999)ANCUp to 52dBUp to 55dB [advantage]Drivers12mm titanium-coated12mm titanium-coatedCodecsSBC, AACSBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 [advantage]Bluetooth6.1 [advantage]6.0Battery (total)Up to 54 hoursUp to 54 hoursGaming latency47ms47msShould you buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 4? The pitch here is the whole package rather than any single hero feature. The ANC works at a level that the price has every right to deny you. Call quality holds in noise. Battery clears a long week and then some. The sound has the energy to please most ears, and the software layer - dual-device pairing, wear detection, customisable touch, 3D Spatial Audio, the HeyMelody app - turns a good pair into a well-rounded one.A few things could sharpen up. The bass-forward tuning will read as heavy for listeners who like a flat sound, the EQ aside. Marathon sessions can bring on that mild ear pressure. And the SBC-and-AAC ceiling closes the door on hi-res streaming. Stacked against everything these get right at Rs 3,299, those are small dents in a strong case.If you want feature-rich earbuds with ANC that perform, calls that hold up and a battery you stop thinking about - and you want all of it while staying inside the budget aisle - the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 make an easy recommendation for commuters, students, gamers and everyday listeners alike.RatingsParameterRatingVerdictDesign & comfort4/5Featherweight fit that vanishes; mild pressure on the longest sessionsSound quality3.5/5Bass-forward and lively, mids intact; held back by the SBC/AAC ceilingANC & transparency4.5/5The reason to buy at this priceBattery life4.5/5Two casual work weeks between case chargesConnectivity & features4/5Bluetooth 6.1, dual-device, wear detection and a deep appValue for money4.5/5Rs 3,299 buys a feature list from a tier aboveOverall4/5A loaded budget pair that earns its shelf spaceFrequently Asked Questions1. How much do the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 cost in India? Rs 3,299, with a Rs 3,099 launch price, on sale from 29 June through Amazon, Flipkart, OnePlus. in, Myntra and Blinkit.2. How strong is the ANC on the Nord Buds 4? Up to 52dB, adaptive in real time across a 5,000Hz band - a step up from the 32dB on the Nord Buds 3.3. Do the Nord Buds 4 support Dolby Atmos or LHDC? They use OnePlus 3D Spatial Audio and Game Sound Spatial Audio rather than Dolby Atmos, and the codec support runs to SBC and AAC; LHDC is reserved for the Nord Buds 4 Pro.4. What is the battery life? Up to 54 hours total with the case (ANC off), 27 hours with ANC on, and 11 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.5. Nord Buds 4 or Nord Buds 4 Pro? The Pro adds LHDC and 3dB more ANC (55dB) for Rs 700; the standard Nord Buds 4 answer with a newer Bluetooth 6.1 radio and a lower price.end of article