TOP 15 best Huawei wireless headphones: rating 2020-2021, technical specifications, pros and cons, customer reviews

Huawei FreeBuds Pro are flagship TWS headphones that are positioned as an analogue of AirPods Pro. The Huawei model has a very unusual shape and non-standard controls; it has an active noise reduction function, a transparency mode and a bone conduction sensor.

This set of features makes FreeBuds Pro a very interesting solution, but the price of 13,000 rubles may be off-putting. Are the headphones worth the money and can they be considered a competitor to the Apple headset? We’ll tell you in this review.

Specifications

Appearance and equipment

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker
The device comes in a compact box. Inside are the headphones themselves in a charging case, a USB cable - USB Type C and two pairs of additional silicone tips. They are not quite ordinary: they have an oval shape and are made of a slightly thicker material than most analogues. Plus they have an additional mesh to protect against dirt. They are put on a fairly wide sound guide, for which it will be difficult to find suitable attachments, so it is better not to lose the complete ones.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

The headphones, like the case, are made of glossy plastic. The gloss, of course, collects all the fingerprints, dust and greasy stains. There's nothing you can do about it, you just have to come to terms with it.

We received a black version for review, but it is also available in white and silver. In the latter case, the case is matte, and the headphones themselves seem to be mirrored - pay attention to this option if you are planning to buy FreeBuds Pro.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

The hinge of the case is metal, but also with a glossy finish. The mechanism itself looks reliable, there are no backlashes - everything fits perfectly. The magnetic lid holds well, accidental openings are excluded.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

When you open the lid, two three-color LEDs light up: one inside, between the headphones, the other on the bottom edge of the case, next to the USB-C connector. The first diode shows the charge of the headphones, and the second - the charge of the case.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

Taking out the headphones is not very convenient: you first need to pry them with your thumb to lift them up, and only then try to grab them and pull them out.

The shape of the FreeBuds Pro is very unusual - Huawei decided to combine a rectangular leg with an oval part, which is fixed in the auricle. The device looks original.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

Features and benefits of wireless devices from HUAWEI

Equipment from the Chinese brand HUAWEI is distinguished by its wide functionality, high technical performance and presentable design , which has become the main reason for the increase in demand for wireless headsets.

For your information! Experts also point to the reasonable cost of the devices as a clear advantage – often this factor becomes decisive when choosing an accessory.

All models of wire-free headphones developed by the company have their own distinctive features, but they have a common set of advantages.

Worth highlighting:

• presence of a noise reduction system and detailed sound reproduction;
• fast recharging and long-term battery life;
• high-quality assembly and hypoallergenic materials used;
• the ability to easily adjust the headset as desired;
• decent equipment and the presence of informative instructions;
• light weight and modest dimensions of the device;
• long warranty and operation period.

Control

The rectangular base hides several controls that allow you to change tracks and perform other actions by pinching and swiping. Here's how it works:

• squeezing and holding the leg - changing the operating mode (noise reduction, transparency);
• swipe up or down (precisely along the edge, and not along the edge with the Huawei inscription) - volume control;
• compress once - play and stop music or answer an incoming call and hang up;
• compress twice - play the next track;
• compress three times - play the previous track.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker
At first glance, all this looks complicated, especially if you are used to simple touches. But in practice, the compressions turned out to be very comfortable, and the rectangular shape of the leg is ideal for them. The main thing is to choose silicone tips that are suitable in size so that the headphones sit tightly in your ears and do not move with each squeeze.

How to choose wireless headphones?

Huawei offers consumers a large selection of wireless headphones of excellent quality at different prices. But in order to purchase a model that meets all the requirements, it is better to study all the technical specifications before purchasing.

These include:

• data transmission technology;
• sound scheme format;
• presence of a microphone;
• independent work time;
• additional functionality;
• equipment.

All Huawei headphones have both their advantages and disadvantages.

Connection and application

Huawei FreeBuds Pro are just as tailored for Huawei smartphones as AirPods Pro are for iPhones. The first connection to smartphones with EMUI 11 occurs automatically when you open the headphone case.

In other cases, it is recommended to connect devices through the Bluetooth menu or the AI ​​Life application, which will allow you to unlock the full potential of the headphones. However, the version of the program available on Google Play with FreeBuds Pro turned out to be unfamiliar, so I had to download a more recent one from the App Gallery. You can also do this on the official website or using the QR code from the included instructions.

If your smartphone does not see the headphones, open the case and hold down the button on its right side for a few seconds. The diode inside should light up white - this means the accessory will go into pairing mode.

The AI ​​Life application displays information about the charge of each earphone and case, and also makes it possible to quickly switch between noise reduction modes.

In addition, the application has an “Ear Attachment Test”, which allows you to select the size of silicone tips as accurately as possible. We first independently selected the ones that were suitable so that the headphones would fit snugly, and then we tested them - AI Life “approved” our choice.

Also in AI Life, you can disable the function of automatically stopping music when you remove any earphone from your ear, and also study the control scheme. You can’t reconfigure it, just assign calling a voice assistant to one of the actions and disable the unused noise reduction mode (and try not three, but two profiles by compression, for example).

It is worth noting that FreeBuds Pro communicate well with a smartphone, for which we must thank the dual antennas and support for the latest Bluetooth 5.2 standard. We tested the headphones with Honor and Samsung devices, and in both cases there was not a single dropout or lag.

The headphones easily connect to two smartphones at once (not at the same time, of course), so they are convenient to use with two people - FreeBuds Pro will automatically connect either to the last paired one or to the only one available. It is enough to turn off Bluetooth on one device for a couple of seconds so that the headphones can switch to another.

Cost and conclusions

Huawei Freebuds 4i will go on sale in Russia at the end of April. Before this, pre-orders are open at a price of 6,490 rubles

.
For those who didn’t make it in time - 7990 rubles.
And, you know, if we take into account the promotional offer, then there is nothing to discuss, everything is fine.

However, it’s not for nothing that I highlighted the ecosystem in the title, because I think that this headset is more convenient to use in the format of the brand’s ecosystem. But there will be no difficulties with any other device.

Among the shortcomings, I’ll highlight the inconvenience of use, or rather, taking it out of the case - every time it really irritates me; I’ll include the sound for this price as a plus. And the question remains regarding charging - why couldn’t it be added wireless? The Honor sub-brand used to have much cheaper headphones with it, but now they saved money. On the other hand, we need to sell the remaining models.

Sound and noise reduction

In terms of sound, Huawei FreeBuds Pro were a pleasant surprise. They are perfectly tuned and are suitable for listening to songs of almost any genre. There are no raised frequencies, the sound is very smooth, balanced and rich at the same time. The elastic and dense bass is always well felt, which even at full volume does not clog the middle and does not put pressure on the ears.

In terms of noise reduction (ANC), FreeBuds Pro are also good. They perfectly drown out the quiet sounds of the street or the roar of a crowd in a public place. Bass in this mode becomes a little less expressive, but it is not so noticeable that it sacrifices noise reduction.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

Transparency mode in FreeBuds Pro allows you to increase the volume of ambient sounds while listening to music. In this case, the two flows do not interrupt, but complement each other. This mode will definitely come in handy if you often run outside, where it is better to always stay alert.

Rating of the TOP 8 best Huawei wireless headphones 2020-2021

Headset mode

For high-quality voice communication, the manufacturer has provided not only a set of microphones hidden from the wind behind narrow slits, but also a bone conduction sensor. The latter reads the vibrations of your voice that spread throughout the skull and converts them into an audio signal without interference.

And this is not an empty marketing ploy for show, to emphasize “uniqueness and specialness” - it all really works. Interlocutors noted very clear sound and minimal noise, even during a conversation on a busy street. According to these characteristics, FreeBuds Pro are definitely one of the best in their class.

Autonomy

Each earphone has a built-in 55 mAh battery, and the case contains a 580 mAh battery. The manufacturer claims the following autonomy:

• music playback with ANC - 5 hours in conjunction with smartphones with EMUI 11 and 4 hours in other cases;
• music playback without ANC - 8 hours with EMUI 11 and 7 hours in other cases;
• voice calls - 2.5 hours with ANC and 3 hours without ANC;
• total battery life with the case is up to 22 hours with ANC and up to 36 hours without it.

We spent most of our time testing the headphones with the Honor 20 Pro smartphone, and the battery life results were close to those stated. With noise reduction turned on, the FreeBuds Pro lasted about four hours, and without it - about six. Moreover, in both cases, the left earphone discharged a little faster. Probably, it acts as the main one in the bunch, and therefore consumes the charge more actively. In any case, the autonomy indicators are excellent.

Photo: Victor Podvolotsky / Lifehacker

The FreeBuds Pro case charges via USB-C or wirelessly, but in the latter case the power is limited to 2 W, so you shouldn’t count on fast charging. In this mode, charging the case will take more than two hours, and by wire - about an hour. The headphones themselves in the case are charged to 100% in about 40 minutes, which is not bad.