OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 are coming to rival Apple AirPods

The OnePlus 7 launch event on May 14 won't just be about the new flagship smartphones, it seems. Leaked packaging has seemingly confirmed the existence of a second-generation pair of its Bullet Wireless headphones.

The first-generation Bullet Bluetooth headphones were launched last year alongside the OnePlus 6. The £69 headphones include magnets in each earbud, so they'll automatically snap together whenever they're dangling around your neck not in use. This will automatically pause any music or podcasts, and switches the settings so that your smartphone notifications sound out-loud – not through the earbuds.

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The Bullets Wireless also support wired fast-charging (née Dash Charging) which means you'll get 5 hours of listening time on a single 10 minute charge. In total, OnePlus Bullets Wireless boast 8 hours of wireless listening time.

So, what about the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2? Well, information on the as-yet unannounced headphones is a little thin on the ground at the moment. However, tipster Ishan Agarwal – who has a pretty solid track record when it comes to unreleased hardware – claims the second-generation headphones will boast improved sound this time around.

Given the fact that OnePlus will purportedly include its improved 30W Warp Charging speeds, which debuted last year with the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition, to both OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro at the launch event on May 14, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see the faster wired charging speeds make an appearance in the new Bullets Wireless, too. That could dramatically reduce the amount of time your headphones need to be on-charge before you dash out the door.

Adding fuel to that theory is the fact that Ishan Agarwal has also shared an image that purports to show the retail packaging for a new 30W Warp Car Charger that fits into the cigarette lighter and offers the same speedy charging speeds.

The latest leak follows a cryptic comment from OnePlus CEO Pete Lau earlier this year. Speaking about the current-generation Bullets Wireless, Lau praised the headphones, calling them "very good", but suggested that a new version "can be even more extreme".

The 43-year-old executive made the comment in a post on Chinese social network Weibo defending the decision to drop the 3.5mm headphone port from the OnePlus 6T. According to CEO Lau, this allowed the company to focus on "polishing" its wireless headphone experience.

As well as taunting fans with details about the new headphones, Pete Lau has also tweeted about the next-generation OnePlus smartphone, posting that it is "just beautiful – I can't wait for you to see it!"

Thankfully, we won't have to wait long. OnePlus will hold its launch event on May 14. T3 will be in the audience, bringing you all of the latest hardware announcements and more as soon as they happen. Stay tuned.