HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i Review – If you’re looking for a good pair of wireless earbuds under $200, look no further! HUAWEI Freebuds 5i might be the one. In a nutshell, HUAWEI Freebuds 5i is a wireless Bluetooth earbuds with noise cancellation, high-resolution sound, 28 hours battery life, dual device connection and IP54 water resistance.
The charging case is compact and shiny. It fits into your jeans pocket easily. Please note there is no wireless charging. They come in white, blue and black. The one that I receive is the white one. There is a search function on the app should you lose them.
What’s in the box?
- Earbuds
- Charging case
- Silicone ear tips (three sizes) (Available in large, medium, and small sizes. The medium-sized pair is attached by default.)
- USB-C charging cable
- Quick start guide (including safety information)
- Warranty card
Comfort
I have the previous HUAWEI Freebuds 4i, so I can tell there are some differences between them. The new ones are shorter and lighter (both earbuds and case) than the old ones. Each earbud only weighs 4.9 grams.
Plus, the earbuds are shorter, make them more comfortable and easier to stay in your ears. I just use the default eartip that has been pre-installed. They fit my ears perfectly.
Controls
There are three control modes:
- Long press: toggle ANC on/off/awareness
- Tap Twice: play/pause or answer/end calls
- Swipe up/down: turn up/down volume
You can also tap twice to remotely take a selfie. How nifty is that?
Sound Quality
The HUAWEI Freebuds 5i earbuds are equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver that deliver great sound across all frequencies (low, mid, and high). These earbuds have become my go-to earbuds for the past three weeks and I’ve been using them for both podcast and music listening. They sound great and clear. I particularly love the ANC controls (on, off, and awareness). I normally just leave them on all the time anyway. It’s great for blocking external noise when I’m doing my morning walk. Plus, you can connect them to two devices simultaneously.
Battery Life
These earbuds can deliver up to 28 hours of battery life and you can get an extra 4 hours with just 15 minutes of charge. So I cannot find any downside in the battery department.
Specifications
Per earbud
- Height: 30.9 mm
- Width: 21.7 mm
- Depth: 23.9 mm
- Weight: About 4.9 g ± 0.2 g
Charging case
- Height: 48.2 mm
- Width: 61.8 mm
- Depth: 26.9 mm
- Weight: About 33.9 g ± 1.0 g
*Product size, product weight, and related specifications are theoretical values only. Actual measurements between individual products may vary. All specifications are subject to the actual product.
Battery capacity
- Per earbud: 55 mAh (min)*
- Charging case: 410 mAh (min)*
Playtime
- Music playback on 1 charge: 6.0 hours (with ANC enabled)**
- Music playback on 1 charge: 7.5 hours (with ANC disabled)**
- Music playback with charging case: 18.5 hours (with ANC enabled)**
- Music playback with charging case: 28 hours (with ANC disabled)**
Charging Time
- About 60 minutes for the earbuds (in the charging case)***
- About 110 for charging case without earbuds (wired)***
*Actual capacity may vary slightly.
**The battery life data comes from Huawei labs with conditions by default: volume at 50%, and the AAC mode is enabled. The actual battery life may vary depending on the volume, audio source, environment interference, product features, and usage habits.
***The charging data comes from Huawei labs with the test condition: 25? at normal temperature conditions.
Controls
- Earbuds Press control: twice/long press
- Earbuds Swipe control: up/down
- Charging case: Press
Connectivity
- Bluetooth Compatibility: BT 5.2
- Pop-Up Pair: Supported*
- Simultaneous Bluetooth connection with dual devices: Supported
*Requires smartphones running EMUI10 or above.
Others
- Sensor: Hall sensor/Cap sensor
- Driver: 10 mm dynamic driver
- Audio Technology: Active noise cancellation, Call noise cancellation, Transparency mode
- Splash, Water and Dust Resistant: IP54 (Earbuds)
HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i Review Conclusion
So should you buy the HUAWEI Freebuds 5i? Yes, you definitely should consider getting one if you want something packed in features (ANC, 28 hours of battery, water resistance, etc.) but inexpensive. You can get it at the HUAWEI website or Amazon Australia for $159 (at the time of writing).
Disclosure: HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i review sample was supplied for reviewing
