We tested Huawei’s FreeBuds 4i headphones – 20 minutes
Sales stars since the arrival of Apple’s AirPods, True Wireless headphones make us look to find their place in our ears. With its new FreeBuds 4i, Huawei wants to offer 100% wireless headphones with noise reduction capable of appealing to the greatest number. Faced with exacerbated competition in which tenors like Apple, Sony, Jabra, or Sennheiser are playing a beautiful score, can the new melody at a tight price from the Chinese manufacturer seduce?
“Accessible, but not cheap”
Spending $ 99 for True Wireless headphones with active noise canceling is a good price. Typically, this is the average price for quality, but basic, 100% wireless headphones. “With the FreeBuds 4i, we will find a concentrate of quality for all. These are accessible headphones, but especially not cheap », Confides Huawei France to 20 minutes.
Succeeding the FreeBuds 3i, the latest ones are becoming more compact. Their small, very “AirPods like” rod is more discreet, and their charging case has also slimmed down. The FreeBuds 4i are available in white, black, but also red, the tone of the latter color fiercely reminiscent of some Beats Audio headphones.
Up to 22 hours of battery life
With its lacquered finish, their case is caressing. Soft to the touch, this little pebble can give the FreeBuds 4i up to 22 hours of battery life (that’s 10 hours on a single charge). Which is not bad. The more expensive headphones do a little better though, like Marshall’s Mode II (179 euros / 25 hours); the T5 II True Wireless from Klipsch (179 euros / 24 hours) or the True Wireless II from Sennheiser (299 euros / 28 hours). Note that the FreedBuds 4i are charged by USB-C but not by induction. Too bad for the smartphone manufacturer which, with its Mate 20 Pro and P30 Pro, was the first to offer mobile terminals with reverse wireless charging. Thus, the back of these phones acts as a charging plate for compatible headphones …
Observation in use: the pretty colored coating that applies to the FreeBuds 4i makes them a little tricky to extract from their case. The fingers struggle to take hold of the small, very smooth appendages that slide off the first time.
The iPhone addicts little at the party
If the headphones pair automatically with a Huawei smartphone (they are instantly recognized, like Apple’s AirPods with an iPhone), you have to go through a classic Bluetooth pairing with another brand of mobile. On Android, the Huawei AI Life application will then serve as a gateway. Under iOS, “there is no up-to-date application,” Huawei says. This war of bell towers may put off iPhone users. Failing to invest in more expensive AirPods (from 179 euros), they may not want to entrust their funds to the Huawei parish …
Once planted in the ears, the FreeBuds 4i do not move. Perfectly maintained, they cheerfully support movements. Great for going for a run within a 10 km radius of your home! Except … the headphones do not display any waterproof index. It is therefore clearly not possible to recommend them for a sporting activity.
For their part, the earphone controls are tactile, but very limited: a double tap on one of the rods activates reading, pausing music, or taking calls, while a long press module noise reduction. Choice of: active reduction, passive reduction or Tansparence mode, the latter being particularly recommended in transport.
Limited noise reduction
Teleworking requires, we were not able to test the noise reduction of the FreeBuds 4i in the metro, the RER and even less by plane, as we usually do. We set our sights on the area around the A15 motorway, near Paris, and saw that the noise reduction from the headphones was felt, but that it was still quite limited.
Even 100 meters from the track, the comings and goings of vehicles can still be heard clearly. In the middle of a group of friends (six people max, eh!), The noise of the conversations is also largely attenuated, but the sound peaks, the more piercing voices, therefore shrill, are still intelligible.
Clear sound without excessive bass
Musically, the FreeBuds 4i do not necessarily have to be ashamed of headphones sold over 99 euros. Nevertheless, if the broadcast sound is clear, precise, rather suited to most repertoires, in our opinion they lack a little bass. Several times, we have found ourselves wanting to push the two headphones a little deeper into our ears in an attempt to artificially obtain this additional low frequency by playing on the passive isolation of the FreeBuds 4i. Nothing really embarrassing, but there are True Wireless headphones on the market at the same price that are a little more muscular in bass, such as the Elite 65t from Jabra, or even the Enco W51 from Oppo.
Huawei, currently struggling with its smartphones deprived of Google services due to an American embargo, wants to assert itself on other types of products. Thus, the Chinese manufacturer is also trying to make a name for itself in the world of headphones, headsets, audio speakers and wearables (watches and connected bracelets). It is also in the PC world that Huawei could differentiate itself, as with its new MateBook D16 and MateBook X Pro, two new computers which, in spring 2021, have serious claims.