OnePlus Buds Pro To Replace Google Fast Pair

OnePlus has announced that its "OnePlus Buds Pro" will replace Google Fast Pair with its own pairing solution available to only OnePlus phones, apparently with a specific version of OxygenOS as well.

OnePlus Buds Pro ditched Google Fast Pair to establish its own character that would have made it unimportant to pair the earbuds with any Android phone even if it means going its own path.

One of OnePlus’ strengths has always been its commitment to a clean Android experience, one that has kept Android purists satisfied until recently. With OxygenOS 11, it seems that the company is slowly starting to move away from that identity to establish its own character.

However, manufacturers of Google Fast Pair have not been consistent in their Bluetooth-related features which should be a standard Android feature by now in the first place. Fast Pair is just the latest iteration designed to simplify the pairing process and even associate Bluetooth accessories to the same Google account.

Fast Pair uses both Bluetooth and location data to detect nearby accessories and quickly start the pairing process. Those accessories can even be shared with other devices logged into the same Google account as the first paired phone. Both the OnePlus Buds and OnePlus Buds Z followed this staple Android feature, but the company has just confirmed to 9to5Google that the OnePlus Buds Pro won’t.

Rather, OnePlus is offering its own pairing solution that is just as fast as Google Fast Pair. Users can still use the buds on other Android phones, of course, but they’ll have to go through the “normal” process of pairing phone and buds.

Users can also immediately detect the OnePlus Buds Pro and pair with it by using OnePlus’ “HeyMelody” app on those other phones. Although the process is not as instant as Fast Pair.