Review of wireless headphones Huawei FreeBuds 4i: Inexpensive analogue of Apple AirPods Pro

At the end of August, the new mid-range Huawei FreeBuds 4i wireless headphones entered the Russian market, which offer flagship-level functionality.

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The appearance of Huawei FreeBuds 4i is very different from its predecessor, but the main thing is that the new product retains the in-ear form factor, which provides passive noise cancellation. Huawei FreeBuds 4i received a small oval charging case, which, due to its size, can easily fit into the pocket of even skinny jeans. 

The earbuds themselves fit vertically into the case, like AirPods, but the Huawei option is not as convenient. The fact is that the case magnets are too strong, and the headphone housing is too glossy. Because of this, getting headphones out of the case can be quite difficult (especially if you have oily skin). We found a way out of this situation: if you can’t get the headphones, then try to take them not by the case, but by the ear pads – it’s much easier. 

Huawei FreeBuds 4i is presented in Russia in three colors – white, black and red. It is in the red color that the headphones look especially interesting. Therefore, if you decide to buy these headphones, then we advise you to take this particular color.

The headphone case is equipped with a strong magnet so you don’t have to worry about it opening up in your bag. But the hinge of the case lid does not want to say compliments at all. First, the hinge is plastic. And secondly, it is not tight enough, which gives the impression that it is unreliable.

Functionality

Huawei FreeBuds 4i received an active noise cancellation system, like that of much more expensive market representatives. The system is activated by a long press on the body of one of the headphones. In addition to the noise cancellation itself, the system also has a built-in “transparency” function, which, when activated, allows you to listen to the environment as if the headphones were not inserted into the ear canals at all.

When noise cancellation or transparency is activated, a female voice in English announces which mode is currently being turned on. This is not the most successful implementation, since not everyone in Russia speaks English. Apple and Samsung did much better with this, which in their headphones use short beeps of different tones to indicate the activation of a particular mode.

The main advantage of Huawei FreeBuds 4i is their microphones. In general, according to the experience of testing and long-term use of wireless headphones from different companies, we can confidently say that Huawei headphones (and earlier in Honor, when the brand was still owned by the Chinese telecommunications giant) are always equipped with some of the best microphones on the market. During a conversation, the interlocutor clearly hears your voice without extraneous noise, even on the street. Headphones from Apple and Samsung cannot boast the same microphone quality. However, don’t expect to be able to talk on the phone using the Huawei FreeBuds 4i near a busy road or in a subway car – it’s too noisy for any headphones.

Sound

In terms of sound quality, Huawei FreeBuds 4i can be rated at “four with a minus”. The headphones produce very clear sound, but flat. Most of the songs lack bass.

In addition, the maximum volume of Huawei FreeBuds 4i is lower than other wireless earbuds. During the test, we always wanted to be able to make the sound louder, but the music was already playing at maximum volume.

At the same time, the sound produced by Huawei FreeBuds 4i cannot be called bad – it is normal, at the level of Sony or Phillips wired headphones at a price of 1000-1500 rubles.

Of course, the sound quality of the Huawei FreeBuds 4i cannot be compared to competitors from Samsung and Apple. In any case, only because Huawei headphones are half the price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and three times the price of the Apple AirPods Pro.

Autonomy

Each of the earbuds has a 55 mAh battery, and a 215 mAh battery is installed in the case.

Huawei FreeBuds 4i in normal mode can work up to 10 hours on a single charge. When the noise reduction system or transparency mode is activated, autonomy drops to 7.5 hours. The case provides another 20 additional hours of music listening.

On average, the autonomy of the headphones lasts 3-5 days, depending on how often you listen to music.

Conclusion 

In Russia, Huawei FreeBuds 4i are priced at 7,990 rubles. Now in the official store of the company, they are offered at a discount for 6,990 rubles. 

The advantages of Huawei FreeBuds 4i include stylish design, high autonomy and high-quality microphones. The disadvantages are ill-conceived ergonomics and average sound quality. For its money, this is quite a good product that offers flagship chips of the level of much more expensive devices.

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