Huawei Freebuds 4 look incredibly similar to the original Apple AirPods.
The lightweight earphones have a one-size-fits-all stem design. They are available in white and silver.
They come in a compact glossy circular case that fits easily in jeans pockets, for example.
And in fairness, the charging case does differentiate them from their Cupertino-created counterparts.
The end of each Freebuds 4 stem has a chrome finish that gives them a premium look.
I found them a snug fit and comfortable to wear for long periods. They don’t fall out easily.
Audio quality from the large 14.3mm drivers is impressive enough. Bass is prominent but not overwhelming and I found the overall soundstage pleasing.
Outdoors they struggle a bit and you need to listen at higher volumes.
I liked using them for calls as the dual microphones work efficiently and make it easy to hear yourself and who you are calling.
But the ANC is nowhere near as effective as on the Freebuds 4i (or more expensive Freebuds Pro).
It’s a difficult function to carry off on any earphones, especially those with an open-fit design like these.
Huawei uses software smarts and extra microphones to try to estimate how much noise is entering your ear. The buds detect your ear shape using Adaptive Ear Matching (AEM).
But comparing the ANC on these to tests of the noise cancellation on the Freebuds 4i and I found the 4i won every time.
Another disappointment is battery life, which is a scant 2.5 hours with ANC on and four hours with noise cancellation off.
However, the charging case increases this to 14 hours with ANC on and 20 hours when it’s switched off.
On the upside, a 15-minute quick charge will give you 2.5 hours of playback and a full recharge takes only an hour.
Huawei Freebuds 4 don’t support wireless charging. But they have got Bluetooth 5.2 which means you can connect to two devices simultaneously.
To get the most from them, pair with Huawei’s AI Life app which works for iOS and Android.
It gives you the ability to customise the touch control settings on the side of the buds.
The options include being able to adjust the volume which is most welcome.
There is in-ear detection, which means your content pauses when you take them out and restarts when you put them back in.
You can safely use the FreeBuds 4 in the rain too, as they have an IPX4 water resistance rating.
Verdict
Huawei’s latest earphones Freebuds 4 cost €60 more than the firm’s budget-priced Freebuds 4i offering which come in at €79.
But I’m not convinced that you should opt for the more expensive set as they don't do anything exceptionally well.
Pricing and availability
Huawei Freebuds 4 cost €139 from eir.
