Summary

Huawei is back with new noise-canceling wireless headphones, the FreeBuds 4i. Offered at less than 100 euros, they have a few advantages to highlight as we will see in this complete test.

Huawei FreeBuds 4i // Source: Frandroid

Last year, after the failure of its FreeBuds 3 – open-fit noise-canceling headphones – Huawei chose another approach for its more accessible models. The FreeBuds 3i offered an in-ear format that was much more effective in reducing surrounding noise.

So much so that the manufacturer has finally kept this format on its FreeBuds Pro. A year later, however, it is time for the Chinese firm to unveil a new, more affordable version of its wireless headphones. Here is the complete test of the Huawei FreeBuds 4i.

Learning furtherWireless headphones: the best Bluetooth headphones to choose from in 2022

Huawei FreeBuds 4i datasheet

This test was carried out with headphones provided to us by Huawei.

A compact case, comfortable headphones

At first glance, the Huawei FreeBuds 4i borrow much of their design from the latest headphones from the Chinese manufacturer, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro. This is particularly the case with the charging case, since we will find a fairly similar oval pebble shape. However, it is much more compact than that of more high-end models. Here, we are dealing with a case weighing 60 grams and with dimensions of 70 x 51.3 x 24.6 mm which allow it to fit quite well in the hand.

The case of the Huawei FreeBuds 4i // Source: Frandroid

We will also find a shiny plastic coating on the case, in the colors of the headphones. At the bottom, a USB-C socket allows wired charging and, on the right side, a simple button can be activated to launch Bluetooth pairing. Finally, Huawei has placed an RGB LED on the front indicating the battery charge level.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i case opens easily with one hand // Source: Frandroid

The case opens rather easily with one hand, just a slight push of the thumb. On the other hand, it is another pair of sleeves to remove the headphones from the case. As on the FreeBuds Pro, you must have a secure grip to remove them from the case, as the magnetic system holding them in place is powerful. Above all, Huawei repeated the same error as on its high-end headphones by not offering a simple plug where to hook your fingers to the headphones to remove them.

As for the earphones themselves, they take up the rod format to which the manufacturer has accustomed us for more than a year. A rather comfortable format since it allows the rod to pass between the tragus and the antitragus. The headphones are also, to say the least, comfortable, from the first minutes of wearing. Even after two or three hours of use, I did not feel any discomfort.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i in their case // Source: Frandroid

Since the FreeBuds 4i are in-ear headphones, they come with silicone tips that fit inside the ear canal. Here, Huawei provides three pairs of headphones. A good way to make sure which ones will be the most comfortable for you while blocking out the best outside sounds and ensuring the best audio quality.

The in-ear format is not always the most comfortable, but here Huawei has the merit of offering headphones that are. Note also that the FreeBuds 4i hold well in place, well housed in the auditory pavilion, even in full sporting exercise.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i are quite comfortable to wear // Source: Frandroid

They aren't certified for being waterproof, however — just like last year's FreeBuds 3i — and so may be subject to rain, sweat, or splashes.

A noise reduction present, but not transcendent

As we saw above, to connect the Huawei FreeBuds 4i to your smartphone, two solutions are available to you. If you have a Huawei or Honor smartphone with the EMUI 10 or higher interface, all you have to do is open the case of the headphones near the phone to see a pop-up prompting you to connect them.

If this is not the case, you will need to open the case, press the pairing button on the edge for a few seconds, then find the headphones in the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone. As was already the case with its previous models, Huawei does not offer pairing via Fast Pair from Google, too bad, but its own in-house solution. Damage.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i pairing button // Source: Frandroid

Once the headphones are well integrated into the buds, they are simply controlled using touch surfaces integrated at the top of the stems. By default, a double tap on the left earphone or the right earphone will allow you to pause the music, while keeping your finger pressed on the top of the stem will modify the ambient noise control. The controls are also customizable within the Huawei AI Life application.

For example, it will be possible to assign different controls for double taps on the left earphone or the right earphone, from a list of five actions: play/pause, skip to the next track, return to the previous song, activate the voice assistant or none. Unfortunately, the number of controls, quite limited, will not make it possible to configure the pause, the next title and the previous title at the same time.

It is also impossible to manage the sound volume directly from the headphones: you will necessarily have to go through the buttons on your phone.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i are controlled by touch // Source: Frandroid

While we're talking about Huawei's AI Life app, let's point out a slight problem: the app hasn't been updated since August 2020 on the Google Play Store. To enjoy the full experience, you will therefore need to download Huawei's AppGallery and install the version of AI Life offered there, or scan the QR code on the box of the headphones to download the application. Without it, your headphones will not be detected by your smartphone. It's a simple step, but one that can be frustrating, since you'll actually have to install an alternative app store to download and update a single app, or periodically refresh AI Life's menus to find out if a update is offered.

To go furtherHow to install the Huawei AppGallery on any Android smartphone

In addition to managing touch controls, the AI ​​Life application will also allow you to update the firmware of the headphones, check their battery level or manage noise control. Because, like last year's FreeBuds 3i, the FreeBuds 4i have an active noise reduction system. Three modes are offered: noise reduction, none and perception. Unfortunately, unlike the FreeBuds Pro, it is impossible to finely manage the level of noise reduction or transparency.

The noise reduction offered here by Huawei is quite effective in reducing the noise of a PC fan or in coarsely filtering out constant noise. However, do not expect noise reduction worthy of the best headphones on the market – we are thinking, for example, of the Bose QC Earbuds, the Sony XF-1000XM3 or the AirPods Pro.

Here, the noise reduction will hardly affect the engine noise of vehicles near you, or the sound of voices nearby. Do not expect to be isolated in a cocoon, we are clearly not at that level. In short, the FreeBuds 4i do the job, the difference is audible, but we have seen much better with the competition.

For the wireless connection, Huawei has equipped its headphones with Bluetooth 5.2. This results in a rather reliable connection and without too many cuts. It should be noted, however, that with the smartphone in my front trouser pocket and my hand over it, I may have experienced some slight loss of connection while walking in the street. However, this is a common fault with wireless headphones. The FreeBuds 4i are not compatible with multipoint Bluetooth and therefore cannot be connected to a smartphone and a laptop PC at the same time, for example.

Finally, regarding the Bluetooth connection, note that the headphones can operate independently, with one earphone stored in the case and the second worn in the ear. In this case, the two channels of the stereo audio signal are then sent to the earphone and transformed into a mono channel.

Efficient and warm sound

To manage the sound reproduction of its headphones, Huawei has integrated speakers – or transducers – 10 mm in diameter in each of the two headphones. Note also that the FreeBuds 4i are compatible with the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, but not aptX, LDAC or even Huawei's in-house codec, L2AC.

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i transducer grid // Source: Frandroid

To test the audio quality of the headphones, I paired them with an Oppo Find X2 Pro and listened to tracks on Spotify in " very high " quality, i.e. ogg vorbis at 320 kbps. Furthermore, the codec used for transmission was AAC.

The first thing that strikes you when listening to music on the FreeBuds 4i is the good balance offered between the different frequencies. The bass is present – ​​provided you have a sufficiently high volume – and the treble is present too. The mids are far from being forgotten and the low mids – the voices, in particular – are rather pushed.

Enough to offer a rather warm and pleasant sound reproduction without being flashy. On Billie Eilish's Bad Guy, for example, the singer's voice is well highlighted, as is the synth pad in the background, but the bass is rather discreet.

Huawei FreeBuds 4i // Source: Frandroid

On Come Away With Me by Norah Jones, which gives pride of place to the mediums, the artist's voice is once again well highlighted by the FreeBuds 4i. The sound is detailed and rather warm, without overdoing it. The highs are also very present, especially those of the piano which accompanies the voice. Michael Jackson's Thriller is no exception to the rule and also offers chiseled highs and highlighted low mids. Finally, it is especially the bass that is a little behind on Huawei headphones.

In terms of the sound stage, the Huawei FreeBuds 4i offer correct spatialization, but nothing more. The same goes for the precision of the instruments which struggle to detach themselves from each other in Beethoven's Symphony number 5. The dynamics would also have benefited from being better: it is difficult to perceive the differences in volume between a passage supposed to be read at low volume and a passage played in fortissimo.

Overall, we are therefore dealing with headphones with a rather decent sound reproduction. Of course, the FreeBuds 4i do not claim to compete with headphones betting all their cards on sound quality, but for a price of less than a hundred euros, the rendering has the merit of being quite precise and efficient, in particular in vocals or treble.

Huawei FreeBuds 4i // Source: Frandroid

For voice calls, the Huawei FreeBuds 4i unfortunately offer a fairly compressed transcription of your voice for your interlocutor. While the headphones can effectively filter out quieter sounds, like a mouse click, they'll have a much harder time with louder noises, like a mechanical keyboard. If you're looking to call in the street, it's very simple, the person on the line will hear everything that's going on around you.

Even if you're not speaking, the microphones remain open and the rather poor noise reduction will strongly compress your voice, without reducing external sounds. During my test, I was made to understand that what I could say was "difficult to understand".

Record autonomy and very efficient fast charging

Regarding the battery of its headphones, Huawei has integrated a 55 mAh battery in each of the FreeBuds 4i as well as a 215 mAh battery in the case . Enough to allow, according to the manufacturer, between a charge and an additional charge and a half of the headphones. According to Huawei, the FreeBuds 4i can also operate for 10 hours of music playback without noise reduction and 7.5 hours with noise reduction.

For my part, by activating the noise reduction and with a volume at 75%, I was able to use the FreeBuds 4i for 7h45 before they ran out of battery. This is even better than the figures put forward by the manufacturer. For comparison, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro only lasted for 4:20 with this same test. This is above all a result for wireless headphones, some models of which are still struggling to exceed five hours of autonomy.

For charging too, Huawei has gone all out. Completely drained and placed in the case, they regained 55% battery in just 10 minutes and were fully charged in just 25 minutes. Only slight downside, once the earphones are charged, the case has lost 85% of its battery. So don't rely too much on it to ensure two full charges.

The USB-C socket to charge the Huawei FreeBuds 4i case // Source: Frandroid

For charging the FreeBuds 4i case, Huawei provides a USB to USB-C cable. However, no charger is included. You will therefore have to go through the USB port of a computer or through the charger of your smartphone. Note also that the FreeBuds 4i are not compatible with wireless charging.

Price and availability of the Huawei FreeBuds 4i

The Huawei FreeBuds 4i are already available for pre-order in three colors: black, red or white. They are priced at 99.99 euros, with a discount offer until April 25 bringing their price down to 79.99 euros. In addition, on the Huawei site, an offer allows you to take advantage of a connected scale or a Huawei Band 4 bracelet in addition to headphones for the same price.

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