Huawei FreeBuds 4, the best alternative in open TWS headphones [Analysis]

TWS wireless headphones are increasingly integrated into the market, so much so that the difficult thing is to find someone on the street who does not already carry headphones of this type. For this reason, there are numerous brands that continue to work on offering the best alternatives on the market such as Apple, Samsung and Huawei.

We take an in-depth look at Huawei's FreeBuds 4, an alternative with ANC and an open design. Discover with us all the details of these new headphones from the Asian company and if they are actually so capable of technologically offering us what they promise us or will they be a I want to but I can not.

Materials and Design: The Refinement of a Success Formula

These Huawei FreeBuds 4 unequivocally remind us of their predecessors, the FreeBuds 4, and it goes without saying that their design is very similar to Apple's AirPods. We are talking about the fact that Huawei has clearly not sought to bet on novelties in the design of these FreeBuds 4, which, far from being a bad thing, is a point in favor of those users who waited for real alternatives within the headphones considered "open", that is, they do not have an in-ear system of pads and that is appreciated.

• Headphone size: 41 x 16 x 18 mm
• Box size: 58 x 58 x 21 mm
• Colors: Silver and white
• Headphone Weight: 4,1 grams
• Box weight: 38 grams

While the headphones feature A specific and classic design that keeps them in position, the box remains a round babybel that goes well with all our pockets. We have availability in two colors, although in this case we have analyzed the silver model, which, as you can see, has quite attractive metallic headphones for fingerprints. The finishes, in general, are very good in these FreeBuds 4, a solid construction, light and with resistant materials, in the case of the box we have a matte coating. If you find them interesting, there is a good deal on Amazon right now.

Technical characteristics

At the connectivity level, these FreeBuds 4 rely on Bluetooth 5.2 to maintain a stable and quality connection, all of this will be complemented with the classic Ai Life application, which we remember is available in the Google Play Store and in the App Store both for Android and iOS respectively. The application is simple and its configuration is more so.

We have a 14,3 millimeter driver that performs very well, accompanied by small individual motors capable of moving the diaphragm with the intention of offering better bass.

• Drivers: 14,3 mm
• Bluetooth 5.2
• IPX4 resistance

According to Huawei, each headset has an ear detection system that will adjust the sound quality to the specific needs of the user, something that we honestly cannot verify. Similarly, we have custom microphones that offer what Huawei referred to as «HD Call», capable of differentiating between the environment and the voices, equalizing this sound to offer the best possible experience both in calls and in recording, and the result can be seen directly in our video.

Audio quality and user experience

We highlight an interpretation especially of the bass, something that we can even adjust through the AI ​​Life application that will allow us to enhance the midrange, bass or leave all the work for artificial intelligence. The mids and highs are reproduced in a very different way, so these headphones can be enjoyed by both lovers of commercial music, as well as by those who decided to put them to the test with something from Queen. Through AI Life we ​​can, among other things:

• Set the "HD Calls" mode
• Turn on noise cancellation
  • General
  • Comfortable
• Adjust sound quality
  • Bass Boost
  • Enhance Media
  • Deactivate
• Adjust gesture control
• Enable / Disable usage detection

As for active noise cancellation, it is everything we can expect from open-format headphones, passive cancellation has a great influence, we do not know for sure whether or not it reaches the 25 dB that Huawei promises, but we are clear according to our tests that at least Yes, we are facing the greatest noise cancellation that we can obtain with headphones of this type. All this is accompanied by gesture control, by default we can activate or deactivate noise cancellation by making a long touch on any of the headphones.

Autonomy: Perhaps its most negative put

The truth is that these Huawei FreeBuds 4 comply with what was promised in terms of the autonomy of the headphones and the box, unfortunately we find a fairly restrained autonomy that will have a lot to do with the power of the volume and the various processes that the headphones are executing. . We enjoy 30 mAh of capacity in each headset that promises 2,5 hours of playback, something that is strictly adhered to. PWe will scratch around four hours of autonomy if we bet on deactivating active noise cancellation, a fact that is also true.

• Headsets: 30 mAh
• Case: 410 mAh
• Endurance:
  • 2,5 hours with ANC
  • 4 hours without ANC

We also have wireless charging with Qi standard, yes, in case you have purchased the model compatible with this technology, which in this case is the one analyzed. For its part, we have a USB-C port that will also offer us the possibility of adding two hours of autonomy for every 15 minutes of charging. This 410 mAh charging box makes up for the short duration of the headphones, as they charge very quickly.

• Remember that you can buy them at the best price on Amazon.

Editor's opinion

We find what at the moment seems to me to be the best alternative for "open" headphones on the market, a compact, lightweight and comfortable design that will appeal to many users, especially those who have problems with the use of in-ear headphones. Noise cancellation is not comparable to that of headphones with passive cancellation systems, and that is why they must only be compared with their rivals in their position, where these FreeBuds 4 clearly stand out for offering better sound quality and cancellation.

They are on sale on Amazon, you can buy them from 119 euros (149 euros usual price), as well as the official website of Huawei. Remember that you can see the in-depth analysis on our YouTube channel and the unboxing on the channel of our colleagues at Actualdiad Gadget.

Pros and cons