Huawei FreeBuds 3
Recently, thanks to the Insiders UK, I’ve been taking Huawei’s latest wireless in-ear wireless headphones for a spin. Needless to say the thoughts below are my own.
Pity the next generation, they’ll never know the immense satisfaction of untangling a headphone cord, carefully and considerately stowed in a jacket pocket that has somehow become more tangled than the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Wireless earbuds are all the rage and we’re slowly becoming more accustomed to seeing folk with electric toothbrush heads sticking out of their ear holes on the daily commute.
With its latest FreeBuds (we missed the previous two generations), Huawei must be hoping the trend continues and in bringing noise cancelling to the party without the price premium you might expect to pay elsewhere, the FreeBuds 3 are sure to garner some attention. But are they worth shelling out for?
Well, it all depends whether you’re using an Android phone or tablet and, in particular, a Huawei smartphone. And, if you’re an Apple user, your decision is likely to be less clear-cut.
The design
Available in white or black (how refreshing not to have colour options that sound like paint chips) the FreeBuds look exactly how you’d expect them to look! In-ear domes extend down into stalks with metallic stoppers. If imitation is the most-sincere form of flattery than there’s some manufacturers that must be feeling pretty flattered right about now, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Huawei do make a design impact when it comes to the case. Imagine a smooth Babybell-like device made from glossy plastic with a hinged top half that flips open to reveal moulded compartments for each bud and a tiny power indicator to confirm charge. There’s a USB-C port on the rear that connects via the included cable to a plug or PC via USB for charging but it’s worth pointing out that there’s no plug included in the box. The case is also compatible with wireless charging.
It’s also worth noting that there’s a highly discrete button on the right-hand side of the case (which we missed at first glance) to aid with pairing although your device may pick these up without the added action (and Huawei phones with EMUI 10 are likely to need less in the way of manual pairing).
As for the buds themselves, you’ll find an in-ear open-cup design which seems an odd-choice for a device offering noise-cancelling. The buds may be easy to slip on and off and offer a fairly decent fit for most ears the seal is unlikely to be airtight diminishing the noise-cancelling smarts somewhat.
The sounds
Despite the open-cup design, the sound is actually pretty decent. While the low-end doesn’t always hold up for electronic or pop tunes you’re unlikely to be left wanting, though more acoustic pieces feel less rounded. For the spoken word, podcast listeners are likely to be well-served.
As for the noise cancelling? Expect reasonable results in an ambient environment like a coffee shop as the device smarts analyse the environment to provide counterbalancing to cancel out the din. Setting up stall next to building work or traffic is likely to prove more of a challenge for the tech.
Controls
Touch controls are available on both earbuds, with a double tap on the left bud activating the active noise cancellation and the right side takes care of play/pause/skip.
Huawei’s AI Life app provides a dashboard to update software, tweak touch controls and adjust noise cancelling. You’ll only find it on the Google Play store, which immediately lessens the appeal for Apple users. And if you’re hoping removing the buds will pause your play, you’re out of luck unless you’re using a Huawei device.
Features
When it comes to exercise suitability we found it hard to dislodge the buds and with IPX4 water resistance an occasional splash isn’t likely to prove a problem.
As with any wireless device, battery life and fast charging is pretty crucial. Expect four hours of listening on a single charge, and a further 16 from the case. And when it comes to topping up the juice re-charging via cable or wireless is a swift affair.
Worth shelling out for?
At just £169 you’re getting a lot of tech for your cash. If you’ve been tempted to join the wireless-bud revolution then Huawei’s FreeBuds are a decent investment. Sure, you could pay considerably more and expect better sound (and more effective noise cancelling) but for most these are likely to do the trick quite nicely.
If you’re a Huawei user the ‘seams’ are knocked off the experience with effortless pairing, 2.3Mbps audio transfer, and access to the controls baked-in and via the AI Life app. For Android users, you get most of the benefits. For Apple users, you get some decent buds but little in the way of controls.
In conclusion…
Having put these through their paces for the past week I’ve been impressed as I’ve paired fairly effortlessly with tablets and PCs, found charging simple and effective, and enjoyed the wireless revolution. If these fit your needs and ecosystem there’s much to recommend them, though Apple users may need to think a little harder before splashing the cash.
You can find more info on the Freebuds 3 at https://consumer.huawei.com/en/audio/freebuds3/
