Charles Darwin once said, “it is not the strongest that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” I believe this tenet applies to companies as well.
Huawei is not the biggest company in the world but it is arguably the most adaptable one. HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i is the latest earbuds from the Chinese company.
Undoubtedly you’d think, hang on, isn’t the current market already saturated with all kinds of variants of Bluetooth earbuds? Thankfully, this latest iteration of Huawei FreeBuds surely packs some punches.
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i comes in White or Black colour. It’s got 10 hours of continuous playback, ergonomic design and Active Noise Cancellation.
When I opened the box, I found a note with a QR code that prompts me to download the Huawei AI Life app. Please note that these earbuds only work with the Huawei AI Life app on the web page provided by the QR code. It doesn’t work with the Huawei AI Life app on Google Play.
After the manual installation, you’ll need to register before using the app.
The pairing process is super simple. You just open the case, and a pop-up notification will prompt you to pair. Once it’s paired and from then it will auto-connect whenever you open the case.
Packaging & Unboxing
Packaging Contents:
- Earbuds
- Silicone ear tips (3 sizes)
- Charging case
- USB-C charging cable
- Quick start guide
- Safety information
- Warranty card
Comfort
These earbuds are supremely comfortable. I don’t notice them whilst wearing them which is a big plus.
Controls
Both earbuds use touch controls for ease of use and I do find them easy to control. You have basic gesture controls such as tapping twice to play/pause music or answer/end phone calls. You can also activate ANC by doing a long press. There is also an Awareness mode to let in the ambient sound without taking the earbuds off. This can be done by pressing and holding down the earbud.
Sound Quality
After reviewing more than ten earbuds from various companies in the past few years, I’d say the sound quality of this Huawei FreeBuds 4i belongs in the top three.
The sound quality is simply superb. It’s great for music and podcast listening, and for phone calls, it’s crystal clear.
With ANC on, its dual-mic system does an amazing job at reducing outdoor wind noise. When I was doing my morning walk, I could barely hear any wind noise.
Battery Life
I found these earbuds to last a long time before I needed to charge them. Huawei claims the battery life to be 10 hours on a full charge.
It supports quick charging as well so when you run out of juice, it only needs a 10-minute charge to get extra 4 hours of battery life.
Specs
Per earbud:
- Height: 37.5 mm
- Width: 21 mm
- Depth: 23.9 mm
- Weight: About 5.5 g
Charging case:
- Height: 48.0 mm
- Width: 61.8 mm
- Depth: 27.5 mm
- Weight: About 36.5 g
Sensor: Both earbuds use built-in capacitive sensors
Driver: 10 mm Dynamic
Connectivity:
- Bluetooth Compatibility: BT 5.2
- Pop-up pair: supported (requires smartphones running EMUI10 or above)
- Wear detection: supported
Battery type: Lithium-ion polymer battery
Battery capacity: Per earbud: 55 mAh (min.)*
Charging case: 215 mAh (min.)*
Playtime:
- Music playback duration: 10 hours (with noise-cancelling disabled)**
- Music playback duration: 7.5 hours (with noise-cancelling enabled)**
- Voice call duration: 6.5 hours (with noise-cancelling disabled)***
- Voice call duration: 5.5 hours (with noise-cancelling enabled)***
*Huawei conducted tests with a prototype of the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i earbuds and the accompanying software using the HUAWEI P40 phone.
**Music playback test: The earbuds were connected to the phone over Bluetooth for music playback in the AAC format with the volume set to 50%. The battery was completely discharged until the music stopped playing from one of the earbuds.
***Voice call test: The earbuds were connected to the phone over Bluetooth with the volume set to 50%. A voice call was then conducted until the voice could not be heard from one of the earbuds.
The battery life will vary depending on the device settings, usage, and other factors.
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i Review Verdict
I’d highly recommend this HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i for those who are in the market for Bluetooth earbuds.
At the time of writing, you can get this Huawei FreeBuds 4i on Amazon Australia for AU$138. The price includes a 13% discount from its AU$159 RRP. It’s available in Ceramic White (the one I have here) and Carbon Black.
Disclosure: HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i review sample was supplied for reviewing
