Huawei have released their latest FreeBuds Pro bringing a lot to the table, going head to head with Apple’s AirPods Pro. Huawei’s latest true wireless earbuds support dynamic active noise cancellation and are super compact, comfortable and have excellent sound compared to older generations.
Design & Connectivity
let’s start with the battery case which is chargeable either via USB Type-C or a Qi charging pad. The case, although a little bulky is comfortable to hold / slide in your pocket, with a rounded design and comes in 3 colors: Ceramic White, Carbon Black and Silver Frost.
There is a 580 mAh battery packed inside. Huawei promises around 30 hours battery life in the case, with 4 hours of music playback with the ANC enabled or 7 hours when disabled. Charging the FreeBuds in its case, would take around 18 minutes.
Huawei is one of the first to use Bluetooth 5.2 on the FreeBuds Pro. Pairing is very simple, with any phone by long pressing the pairing button on the right side. On your Huawei device, a popup will appear on the lower side for quick setup. Once setup is complete, you can manage the FreeBuds through the Huawei AI life app, which handles update and various customization options.
Huawei also bundles three silicon earbuds: small, medium, and large. The AI Life app can recommend the perfect fit for your ear by doing its magic. The earbud are curved to help fit the shape of your ear and feel lightweight.
Sound & Control
The FreeBuds Pro are loaded with 3 profiles: General, Cosy, and Ultimate which can be used based on the surrounding. Noise control wise, the FreeBuds can switch between Awareness, and Noise canceling. The awareness function amplifies the ambient noise around you so you can hear essential sounds. Additionally there’s an option called Enhance voices which well….enhances voices. The FreeBuds Pro is driven by two 11mm drivers that produces crisp sounds, with great mids and bass.
When it comes to ANC, The Huawei FreeBuds Pro shine, it’s one of the best we’ve tested so far in this size category with super immersive sound. The FreeBuds Pro pack three different microphones on each bud to help isolate your voice from the background noise, and 2 Bluetooth antennas in each earbud to achieve noise-cancellation and stable connections to devices. Overall, Vocals are clear and there’s good sound separation and deep bass.
A pinch will play/pause your music and answer calls, with a sliding control to change the volume. Pinch and hold activates the Awareness mode so you can hear your surroundings and have a quick conversation without having to take the earbuds out. You can change what the gestures do for both sides through the AI life app.
Verdict
Huawei seems to be taking its non-phone business seriously, the FreeBuds Pro have a great ANC, coupled with a battery life that’s superb. They are easily one of the best products in the category for 2020.
The FreeBud Pro retails at AED 649 and is available in Ceramic White, Silver Frost, Carbon Black, and can be ordered from the Huawei Experience stores, and in select retailers across the UAE.
