Huawei FreeBuds 4 are a decent choice if you’re looking for open-fit earbuds that don’t cram in your ears. They’re feature-packed and the ability to control volume by sliding up and down is a welcome addition. If you’re in the market for decent AirPods alternatives, these are worth considering.
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4 KEY FEATURES:
Bluetooth: 5.2
Color: Silver frost, Ceramic white
Wireless range: 10m
Active noise-cancelling: yes
Type: in-ear
Battery life: Earbud: up to 4 hours
Charging case: up to 14 hours
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4 Description:
They sport a familiar open-fit design that’s lightweight and spacious, appealing to those who don’t want to jam silicone tips in their ears. And though open-fit buds don’t offer a solid seal around your ear like their in-ear counterparts, Huawei’s banking on its dual-microphone ANC technology to compensate for that by using the extra mics to pick up outside noise and block it out.
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But even then, ANC is hardly imperceptible. There is some noise reduction, but ambient noises do creep in, taking away from clarity and nuance from whatever you’re listening to. It doesn’t help that the FreeBuds 4 don’t get loud enough either, which would help drowning out external noise more effectively. One area where ANC does help is when you’re taking calls and the person on the other side is able to hear you pretty clearly, though the same can’t be said if you’re in a noisy area.
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PLAY SOUND
If open-fit earbuds are all you know then you’ll love the polished sound on the FreeBuds 4. There’s a silky clarity to music with an emphasis on vocals and instruments, though lows and bass are not as prominent. You can boost bass and/or treble through the Huawei AI Life app and it does improve bass quality a little bit but ends up overpowering other tones.
Given the compact form factor of the FreeBuds 4, the battery stamina is on the lower end. The buds last around 4 hours on a single charge and can be extended to 22 hours with the charging case. Those who like long listening sessions and expect their earbuds to get them through the better part of the day, will be disappointed.
As nice as it is to see decent open-fit earbud choices on the market, we’re not convinced they hold up to their in-ear counterparts that provide better sound isolation and audio quality at more or less the same price. That being said, the FreeBuds 4 do pack appealing features like a much comfier fit, the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously, and touch volume controls. Whether that’s enough to compromise on sound quality will be a matter of individual preference.
For us, the comfier open-fit design compromises too much on quality to make us recommend them over in-ear alternatives. If sound quality and decent noise cancellation is what you’re after, both the cheaper FreeBuds 4i and slightly more expensive FreeBuds 4 Pro are great options that trump the FreeBuds 4 on sound quality and battery life.
Design & Fit
Like the previous generation, the FreeBuds 4 sport the same AirPods-like design following the philosophy of ‘one size fits all’. They’re almost identical to the FreeBuds 3 except they have longer stems and feel much lighter without feeling cheap or flimsy.
With an open-fit design that sits just outside our ear canal the FreeBuds 4 don’t feel as invasive as in-ear buds and can be worn for longer sessions without getting uncomfortable. The curves around the earpieces are refined and feel premium, and their glossy finish feels pleasant against skin.
These don’t have as tight of a grip that in-ear buds do, but manage to stay put during light movements. You’ll be able to wear them without worry for light strolls and jogs, though anything more vigorous and you risk them falling out. They’re also IPX4 rated, so they’ll be able to handle a small splash of water. The lack of grip also means no seal around your ears to aid passive sound isolation, meaning external noises intrude and spoil immersion.
The puck-shaped charging case has gotten slimmer and lighter as well. It sits nicely in the palm of your hand and is barely noticeable when slipped into a pocket. It has a lone button on the side that’s used for initiating pairing and a USB-C port at the bottom.
Features
The longer stems on the FreeBuds 4 support gesture touch controls that are responsive and work like a charm. A welcome addition is the ability to control volume by sliding up and down the stem. Unlike previous FreeBuds where touch controls were finicky, the upgraded controls on the FreeBuds 4 respond to finger taps more accurately, and we found ourselves using them more often than having to control the earbuds through a device. You can remap gestures to something else or make more tweaks via the Huawei AI Life app – available on both Android and iOS.
If you have a Huawei device the pairing process is initiated by simply popping the case open near the device and tapping the pairing prompt. Much like how AirPods work with iPhones, each time you prop the case open near your Huawei device, you’ll see a snapshot of the battery status of both earbuds and the charging case.
For all other devices, pairing begins by long pressing the button on the FreeBuds 4 case. You can connect up to two devices simultaneously and it’s a marked improvement from the erratic connections of previous FreeBuds. If you connect to a laptop and a phone, the FreeBuds 4 will prioritize connections from your phone to patch through calls swiftly. When you’re done with a call and resume media playback on your laptop, the buds are quick to switch back to the laptop and maintain a stable connection throughout.
Audio Performance
The FreeBuds 4 can handle most popular genres and simple mix of frequencies well enough. There’s more emphasis on mids and vocals, which sound crisp and you get detailed instrumental harmonics. Lower-end frequencies and bass still come through, but they’re not as prominent and struggle to get you into the groove of a track. You can boost bass or treble through the Huawei AI Life app, and while it enhances audio a little bit, other frequencies get overpowered.
Playing Staryboy by The Weeknd, the FreeBuds 4 did well to deliver that weighty pulsating bassline while retaining vocal clarity. More complex mixes like Revelry by Kings of Leon end up getting muddied, and nuanced orchestral tracks don’t land as dramatically as they should.
Since the earbuds don’t form any kind of seal around the ear, the most you’ll get out of the FreeBuds 4 is moderate noise reduction. It’s helpful for those who like to keep tabs on their surroundings but not so great when you want to immerse yourself in a track, video, or podcast.
One area they come in handy is when taking calls or using them as a mic to record a vlog from your phone. The FreeBuds 4 do a good job at isolating your ce from ambient noise around you and make sure you sound clear. However, if you want high-quality noise-cancellation you’ll be better off going for in-ear earbuds like the Huawei FreeBuds Pro or save up for premium noise-cancelling buds from Sony or Bose.
Battery Life
We listened to the Freebuds 4 mostly at max volume to get the best experience. This yielded around 3 hours of battery endurance before we had to plop them back in the charging case, where the buds take around an hour to top up. It’s enough to take a few quick calls or listen to a quick playlist and podcasts but if you want settle in for a long listening session you’ll be frustrated
The case charges via a USB-C cable and also takes around an hour to fully recharge. There’s no wireless charging support, which is disappointing given how expensive the FreeBuds 4 are.
