Huawei FreeBuds Pro, the alternative to the AirPods Pro that we were waiting for

The arrival of TWS headphones with active noise cancellation was clear. In fact, Huawei was among the first to "take its first steps" by launching the FreeBuds 3, headphones with a somewhat peculiar ANC that we analyzed here some time ago, and that despite its excellent sound quality, we could not say that the noise cancellation was one hundred percent effective. However, they continued to position themselves as one of the best alternatives on the market in terms of quality in all aspects.

Then came the AirPods Pro, and Huawei's counterattack has not been long in coming. Discover with us the new Huawei FreeBuds Pro, direct to position itself as the best TWS headphones with noise cancellation.

As always, We have accompanied this in-depth analysis of a video on our YouTube channel in which you will be able to appreciate the unboxing to take a look at the contents of the box, as well as some in-depth testing and setup. Head over to our YouTube channel where you will be able to see the best video of the analysis and by the way, subscribe for future reviews that you will not want to miss, subscribe and help our community continue to grow.

Design: Huawei differentiates itself and takes risks

We start with the box, which reminds us of the already popular round of the FreeBuds 3 but somewhat oval, with more or less the same thickness. You can buy a model in black, silver and another in white, this is the last one we have had on our test table and these are the measurements:

• Height: 70 mm
• Width: 51,3 mm
• Depth: 24,6 mm
• Weight: 60 g approx.

The headphones offer another small step, with an ergonomic shape designed to be housed in the ear, at the same time that they have rubber bands that make them in-ear headphones.

• Height: 26 mm
• Width: 29,6 mm
• Depth: 21,7 mm
• Weight: 6,1 g approx.

These pads have an elastic coating on the inside that helps us to keep them in place and remarkably supports what is known as "passive" noise cancellation. Moving to the in-ear model was clearly necessary if they wanted to improve noise cancellation.

We have tested them in sessions of more than three hours continuously and we have not found any discomfort. Some sporadic headphone drop, for this we have three pads included in the package of different sizes that will allow us to adapt them to our needs. That will depend on each user, but the fact that they are in-ear is essential if we want quality noise cancellation.

Technical characteristics

The heart of these headphones is the Huawei's own processor, the Kirin A1 that has already demonstrated its solvency in wearables with enough ease and on which we do not need to elaborate further.

Regarding connectivity we have Bluetooth 5.2, which together with the rest of the hardware will allow us to memorize five devices. In this regard, the connectivity is fast and we have not found any cuts in any of our tests carried out throughout these days.

One of the most curious improvements of the product is that has a bone sensor in each earbud that improves the sound of calls and the overall quality of the product, it is a technology that is honestly beyond my knowledge and I could not determine to what extent it improves performance, but it never hurts.

They have a use detection sensor, that will stop the music when we take them off and play it again when we put them on our ear. In addition, it has a 360º smart dual antenna on each earbud, three microphones (two outside and one outside) and one 11mm driver for sound.

The true noise cancellation in TWS

The inner microphone, the Kirin A1 processor and the pads They carry out all the work for the active noise cancellation of these Huawei FreeBuds Pro. We have mainly three degrees of noise cancellation that we can select with a long press or through the Huawei AI application:

• Ultra Mode: Full Active Noise Cancellation
• Cozy Mode: Reduces residual noises, but not loud ones
• General Mode: Eliminate repetitive and ambient noises
• Voice Mode: Reduces ambient sounds but lets through outside voices
• Alert Mode: Captures and emits powerful sounds that may cause an alert through the headset

In practice I have only used two modes, or the total rude cancellation or the cancellation deactivation of noise with the intention of maximizing the autonomy of the FreeBuds Pro. The reality is that in a relatively noisy work environment the FreeBuds Pro have allowed me to concentrate solely on the work they have shown more than enough.

Obviously, in especially noisy environments such as the subway, some sound is filtered, without actually disturbing it, despite the fact that the FreeBuds Pro achieve noise cancellation of up to 40 dB. For an office environment, sports or walking on the street, the FreeBuds Pro have offered me a performance that until now I had only experienced with the AirPods Pro. 

User experience and autonomy

It is true that the FreeBuds Pro are compatible with both iOS and Android thanks to the synchronization button that the box has. However, I highly recommend installing the Huawei application through Android. App Gallery called Huawei AI Life (link), This will allow us both to adjust the controls of the FreeBuds Pro and to carry out the corresponding software updates. Further, I am curious about the kind of "feedback" that headphones offer when you press.

• Maintained Pressure: Activate ANC or Alert Mode
• One press: Play / Pause
• Slide: Volume Up / Down
• Double tap: Next song
• Triple tap: Previous song

Regarding autonomy, a little over three hours in mixed use (ANC and normal) with a volume of 80% in our working days. All this with making calls where the other party can be heard clearly and they hear us exceptionally well with the voice processing carried out by the Kirin A1 and the microphones, something very important for most of the users.

• 55 mAh earphone
• Charging case: 580 mAh

We will be able to charge the case up to 6W through USB-C and with wireless charging of up to 2W. This gives us a full charge in approximately 40 minutes through the cable.

You can buy these Huawei FreeBuds Pro from € 179 on the official Huawei website (link) and on Amazon (link)