Oppo Enco Air 3 Guide

Oppo's range of true wireless earphones is quite possibly among the most impressive in the budget and mid-range price segments. The brand has a few products that are widely considered best-in-class, thanks to strong focus on design and the value-for-money proposition. Despite the attention typically going towards products from brands such as OnePlus, Realme, and JBL, I would consider Oppo as the brand with perhaps the strongest and most capable product range — at least when it comes to the affordable segment for this form factor.

The latest in Oppo's lineup of true wireless earphones is the Enco Air 3, which is priced at Rs. 2,999 in India. The successor to the Enco Air 2, the new headset follows the same general approach, including a see-through charging case, outer-ear fit, and light weight, with the earpieces weighing less than 4g each. Is this the best true wireless headset under Rs. 3,000 that you can buy right now? Find out in this review.

Oppo Enco Air 3 design and features
As the name suggests, the Oppo Enco Air 3 is pitched as a lightweight true wireless headset. Similar to the Oppo Enco Air 2, the Air 3 earphones have an outer-ear fit (no in-canal tips) that is very comfortable even for long listening sessions. Available in just a single ‘glaze white' colour option, the Oppo Enco Air 3 earpieces have an interesting translucent finish for the stems, which blends with the see-through lid of the charging case.

The upper parts of the stems are touch-sensitive for controls, which can be customised through the companion app. The Oppo Enco Air 3 earpieces are IP54 rated for dust and water resistance, and there are no markings or branding on the earpieces themselves.

The charging case of the Oppo Enco Air 3 is quite interesting and unlike much of what you tend to see on affordable true wireless earphones. The transparent lid lets you see the entirety of the earpieces, which don't really ‘slot' into place; instead, they magnetically hold in place in a ‘display' of sorts. An indicator light just under the lid can be seen even with the lid closed because of the design, and the Oppo logo is visible at the front.

At the bottom of the case is the USB Type-C port for charging, while the back is quite unpleasant to look at because of regulatory text. There are no extra features such as wireless charging or active noise cancellation on the Oppo Enco Air 3, but the headset does have some app-based features which add some customisability, including multi-point connectivity for up to two devices simultaneously.

Oppo Enco Air 3 app and specifications
Just like other Oppo headsets, the Enco Air 3 has its settings baked into the Bluetooth menu of select Oppo and OnePlus smartphones. For all other devices, the HeyMelody app is available on both Android and iOS, and the Enco Air 3 is also supported by the app on both platforms.

The Oppo Enco Air 3 is an affordable true wireless headset without many features, and the app is expectedly geared for just the basic features of the headset. You get battery levels for the earpieces and charging case, three equaliser presets, Oppo Alive Audio for spatial sound (only works with supported audio apps and formats), game mode for low-latency audio, dual connection toggle, and detailed customisation of the touch controls.

Touch controls are fairly detailed, letting you control everything including playback, volume, invoking the default voice assistant, and turning on game mode, all directly from the headset. I preferred keeping the single-tap gesture deactivated to avoid accidental taps, which obviously also reduced the number of controls I could access on the earpieces, but you can find a combination that works for you.