Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 4 are an impressive set of true wireless earbuds priced at €199, featuring a stylish design, advanced noise cancellation, and Hi-Res audio capabilities. The eco-friendly packaging and comfortable fit, aided by customizable ear tips, enhance the user experience. Seamless connectivity through the Huawei AI Life app allows for firmware updates and personalized settings. With exceptional audio performance and impressive ANC, they excel in various environments. The earbuds offer reliable battery life, making them ideal for extended use.
Huawei has introduced the FreeBuds Pro 4, a remarkable addition to its true wireless earbuds lineup. These in-ear headphones are designed to elevate sound quality and functionality to new heights. Featuring a sleek design, top-tier noise cancellation, and Hi-Res audio capabilities, they are priced at €199. But how do they stack up in real-life situations? We conducted a thorough evaluation of the FreeBuds Pro 4, covering everything from packaging and design to audio performance and the functionality of the Huawei AI Life app.
Unboxing Experience: Premium and Eco-Friendly
The packaging of the FreeBuds Pro 4 reflects Huawei’s commitment to sustainability and quality. The box is entirely plastic-free, crafted from high-grade cardboard, showcasing an eco-conscious approach while maintaining an air of sophistication.
The charging case leaves a strong first impression with its robust build and precise craftsmanship, featuring a magnetic closure that operates smoothly. Upon opening, the headphones are revealed in a minimalist yet contemporary style, available in black, white, and green. While they bear a resemblance to Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds, they retain a unique charm with their subtle elegance.
In a drop test from a height of one meter, the case opened on three occasions, causing the earbuds to fall out each time. Thus, it’s advisable to keep a close watch on them.
Comfort Fit: Ideal for Daily Use
The FreeBuds Pro 4 excel in comfort, featuring silicone tips that fit snugly without pressure or movement. Huawei includes seven pairs of ear tips: four silicone and three memory foam, ensuring a perfect fit for various ear shapes and sizes.
A standout feature is the fit test available in the Huawei AI Life app, which determines if the chosen ear tips provide an optimal fit. This not only enhances comfort but also improves noise cancellation and audio quality.
Seamless Setup and Connectivity
Setting up the FreeBuds Pro 4 is a breeze. A simple press of a button on the charging case activates pairing mode, allowing the headphones to connect effortlessly with smartphones and tablets. Our tests showed flawless compatibility with both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and an Android device.
The Huawei AI Life app, accessible on both iOS and Android, significantly enhances the headphones’ capabilities. Users can perform firmware updates and tweak various settings, including sound profiles and noise cancellation options, directly through the app.
Exploring the Huawei AI Life App
The Huawei AI Life app boasts a sleek and user-friendly interface. After installation, it requests necessary permissions for location and Bluetooth access to facilitate pairing. Users can choose to ignore the prompt for local network access.
Key Features and Overview
One of the app’s highlights is the ability to conduct firmware updates smoothly. Our experience showed that the update process was quick and reliable, even when the charging case was closed.
Customization Capabilities
The app provides a variety of functions for personalized settings, catering to individual preferences.
Limitations of the App
Despite its many features, the app exhibited some weaknesses during our evaluation.
Audio Performance: A Powerful Sound Experience
The FreeBuds Pro 4 are equipped with a dual-driver setup, featuring a dynamic quad-magnet driver alongside a planar diaphragm driver. This powerful combination delivers a vast audio range from 14 Hz to 48 kHz.
Audio Play Test: John Sinclair in Lossless Quality
For our audio test, we selected three episodes from the remastered audio series John Sinclair, available in lossless quality on Apple Music. The FreeBuds Pro 4 provided an exceptional sound experience, making listeners feel as if they were part of John Sinclair’s thrilling adventures.
Music Performance: Hi-Res Tracks and Timeless Classics
The FreeBuds Pro 4 truly shine with music playback. Whether listening to contemporary Hi-Res tracks from platforms like Apple Music and Qobuz or enjoying classics such as the remastered version of Hotel California by the Eagles, the headphones delivered outstanding sound quality across all genres.
Moreover, the Huawei AI Life app allows for sound customization, making it particularly rewarding to experiment with different settings for high-resolution recordings.
Voice Clarity for Calls and Audiobooks
The FreeBuds Pro 4 excel in voice reproduction, enhancing the enjoyment of podcasts, audiobooks, and phone calls. Even in noisy environments, the voice clarity remained impeccable, thanks to the advanced noise cancellation technology.
Active Noise Cancelling: Exceptional Performance for Calls
The FreeBuds Pro 4 feature one of the best active noise cancellation (ANC) systems available. Their intelligent dynamic ANC automatically adapts to surrounding noise levels.
Real-World Test: Washington Airport Experience
We evaluated the ANC capabilities of the FreeBuds Pro 4 in the bustling departure hall of Washington Airport. Compared to the Apple AirPods Pro, the FreeBuds effectively blocked out nearly all ambient noise. During a phone call, my conversation partner noted they could only hear my voice, devoid of background disturbances – a significant advantage of the Huawei earbuds.
With four ANC modes—Dynamic, Comfortable, Balanced, and Ultra—these headphones provide the perfect setting for any environment. The Ultra mode, in particular, showcased impressive performance in extremely loud surroundings during our tests.
Battery Life: Long-lasting and Dependable
The battery life of the FreeBuds Pro 4 is commendable, offering up to 7 hours of continuous playback without ANC and 5 hours with active noise cancellation activated. This makes them suitable for extended use. When combined with the charging case, the total runtime reaches an impressive 33 hours. Throughout my journey from CES in Las Vegas to Hamburg, which spanned over 24 hours, the FreeBuds delivered uninterrupted audio enjoyment, only requiring a brief charge during layovers in Washington and Frankfurt.
Additionally, the fast charging feature allows the earbuds to charge fully within 38 minutes, while the charging case itself requires about an hour for a complete recharge.