Review about Huawei FreeBuds 5i. Due to the vast array of options available, the cost of wireless earbuds has significantly decreased over the past year. So much so that it is challenging to identify the most intriguing price range where the specifications are likewise appealing.
Huawei appears to have made its point with the new FreeBuds 5i by offering a scaled-down version of the Freebuds Pro 2 (the flagship model) while retaining essential features like active noise cancellation and high-quality codec support.
Review about Huawei FreeBuds 5i:
They are totally competitive with, to name just two, the Ear (Stick) from Nothing or the Galaxy Buds 2 from Samsung for just £89.99/€99. Review about Huawei FreeBuds 5i.
Design & Build:
- lighter than before
- They admit pressure controls
- Support IPX4
- No wireless charging
Little has changed in terms of design from the FreeBuds 4i of the previous iteration. The earphones slide in and out of a very similar egg-shaped housing that they both use. If a part is flat, it will remain stable on a table. Review about Huawei FreeBuds 5i.
This time, there is a wider selection of finishes to pick from. Although they also come in black and white, the ones I received are blue. Huawei sprays some textures with emerald gray to give them a distinctive finish rather than giving them a homogeneous color.
Here’s Review about Huawei FreeBuds 5i. The dynamic drivers for the headphones are once more 10 mm and have an improved frequency response range of 20 Hz to 40 KHz. Moreover, they weigh less, 4.9g as opposed to 5.5g.
I can attest firsthand to the earbuds’ flawless fit in the ear, with the ability to switch out silicone tips of various sizes to better fit each user. They are, in essence, comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
There is no wireless charging in this pricing range, as would appear to be obvious. As the huawei freebuds 5i advance and feature IPX4 certification as opposed to the prior models which did not have any rating, there has been an evolution in the resistance to water and dust.
That is a significant advancement that is essential if you want to wear them for sports and keep perspiration or water splashes from rendering them unusable right away.
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Sound Quality & ANC:
- Different ANC modes
- Noise cancellation on calls
- Hi-Res Audio support
Whether you’re using the FreeBuds 5i to make a voice or video conversation or to listen to music from your favorite streaming service, the sound quality is excellent across the board.
When you answer a call in a noisy environment, these headphones’ DNN algorithm, which uses the two microphones, automatically turns on noise cancellation, according to Huawei. I didn’t pay much attention to it, but the receiver would hear your voice more clearly because of it.
When you turn up the volume above average, the bass tones are clearly presented without being boomy. The mid and high frequencies also sound well without having that metallic sensation, providing a pleasant experience for the majority of musical genres.
Both Harry Styles As It Was and Rosala’s LLYLM, which have the disadvantage and challenge of fusing the artist’s flamenco voice with the musical pop rhythm, sound good in the bass department.
In order to avoid missing anything that might be happening around you, we can have noise canceling turned on, off, or set to attentiveness mode, which is excellent if you’re strolling through busy streets with traffic.
Three settings are listed by Huawei: general, comfortable, and super. The “ultra” mode is intended to allow you to isolate yourself in settings with higher noise levels, such as on an airplane or in a crowded subway vehicle.
According to Huawei, you can achieve comparable noise cancellation at 42dB, but I’d argue that this is more about reducing background noise than it is about fully blocking it out. Unlike more sophisticated ANC modes, I tried snapping my fingers, and I was still able to hear them.
For instance, the Freebuds Pro 2 can handle the same kinds of operation as those indicated below and increase active noise canceling up to 47dB. Strictly speaking, they also have a flat diaphragm, which enhances this part.
App & Features:
- Touch and swipe operation
- Customizable features
- Interaction with Android
About the Freebuds 5i’s support for interactivity, I must remark that you can utilize them to a significant extent by touching and swiping on the earbuds themselves. You have access to the standard features including music skipping, playback, and noise cancellation.
They communicate with others well most of the time, and failures only happened sometimes. Given that it takes some getting used to pressing and having to wait a few seconds for the action to happen, I would have preferred to see an improvement in response time.
By default, you can adjust the volume by sliding it up or down. The good news is that the Huawei AI Life companion allows you to tailor each of these moves.
The Freebuds 5i supports Bluetooth 5.3 and can connect to two devices simultaneously, ensuring a quick and simple connection experience between your devices. Stopping playback and removing it from your ear also works wonderfully.
The connections were quite stable during the course of my testing, and the Huawei P40 Pro case’s cover opening immediately displayed the familiar connection animation seen on smartphone screens.
Battery Life & Charging:
- Earbuds last 5.5 hours
- Maximum total of 28 hours
- 2-hour charging time
- No wireless charging
In terms of battery life, the new Freebuds outperform the older models. With ANC in regular mode, the maximum continuous playback time is currently five and a half hours.
The times are shorter if you use the Ultra option of noise cancellation because the headphones must work harder to drown out the undesirable sound.
In any event, you may now use them for up to 28 hours without activating ANC thanks to the support of the Freebuds 5i case.
I confirmed that the charge level remained high, at 82%, while periodically using them on the go for at least an hour, proving that they are effective.
The case does not support wireless charging, but you would often anticipate it on more expensive devices. On a regular 33W charger, it took me about two hours to fully charge the case and earbuds.
Only the USB C charging cord and various-sized ear tips for your ears are included in the box from Huawei.
Price:
The suggested retail price of £89.99/€99, which supports various ANC cancellation settings and integrates equalization, looks to be in line with what we’ve seen so far. I’ve already mentioned the low pricing at the top.
The Free buds 5i can be ordered through the Huawei website, where you can also discover deals on other products including the chance to get other Huawei products for less money.
Also, you may purchase them at Very, AO, Currys, Argos, and Amazon.
Read more: Apple is Working on Beat Studio Buds Plus expect in 2023
If the best sound quality is what you’re after, skip the new Freebuds 5i and instead for the Freebuds Pro 2, which costs an additional £80.
Check out our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best wireless earbuds on a budget.
Specs:
- 10mm aluminum alloy dynamic driver
- 2 x microphones per unit
- proximity sensors
- ANC (multimode)
- Supported codecs: Sony LDAC, AAC, and SBC
- surround sound mode
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Simultaneous multi-device connectivity
- IPX4 certified
- Headphone weight: 4.9g
- Case weight: 34g
- Up to 6 hours of battery life
- Up to 28 hours with the case
