Late last month, we heard rumors about OnePlus working on a new pair of true wireless earbuds called the OnePlus Buds Z. A few weeks later, OnePlus confirmed that a new wearable audio device is indeed in the pipeline and will break cover during an online event on October 14, which is also when the OnePlus 8T goes official. While leaks and speculations have been aplenty, we might finally have our first look at the OnePlus Buds Z (via XDA-Developers). XDA senior member Some_Random_Username claims to have extracted renders of the OnePlus Buds Z from an APK file.

Starting with the design, the OnePlus Buds looks somewhat similar to the Oppo’s Enco W31 and the Honor Magic Earbuds, thanks to the angular design of the main earpiece. Unlike the vanilla OnePlus Buds, the OnePlus Buds Z rock an in-ear design with silicone ear tips. The elongated capsule-shaped charging case has a USB Type-C port and an LED on the front. We get to see the OnePlus Buds Z in White and Silver colors, but the APK also mentions the existence of a third black color option

But as per a report from 91Mobiles (in collaboration with leakster Ishan Agarwal), OnePlus is gearing up to launch not one, but two true wireless earbuds – the standard OnePlus Buds Z and the OnePlus Buds Z Bass Edition. Starting with the OnePlus Buds Z, they will reportedly come with an IP55 rating and are said to pack 10mm drivers will audio tuning done by Dirac Audio and Dolby Atmos. They are said to last 5 hours on a single charge while the charging case will add another 15 hours of playtime. Fast charging support is also on the table, while Bluetooth v5.0 will handle wireless connectivity. The OnePlus Buds Z will rely on passive noise cancellation. 

As for the OnePlus Buds Z Bass Edition, they are claimed to pack 9.2mm drivers and will offer an extra dose of bass output. But the latter also means the battery life takes a hit, and as a result, they will offer 17 hours of playtime (earbuds + case) on a single charge. However, support for fast charging ensures that the OnePlus Buds Z can last up to 10 hours with just 10 minutes of charging time