Huawei is really aggressive in growing its internet of things portfolio, and recently they launched a lot of TWS and smartwatches. In their recent Huawei Nova 7 5G launch was also the Huawei Freebuds 3i, a TWS with active noise cancellation for Php5,990.
Standard box includes the buds case, TWS, Type-C cable and 4 different tips for different ear sizes.
Pairing
Using the Huawei Nova 7 5G, the Freebuds pair fairly fast cause of Huawei’s own technology to fast pair the FreeBuds 3i. With just lifting up the lid, it was able to detect easily the device to pair with. Of course, you have to do when the two devices are together but the experience is very similar to the AirPods.
Should you need to pair the Huawei FreeBuds to a non-Huawei device, all you have to do is long-press the button at the back to pair like a regular Bluetooth device.
Audio Quality – Music
For music, the audio drivers are 10mm drivers are enough for punchy music with overall warm tones. We didn’t feel the over bass overpowering the treble and vocals, which we appreciate as compared to lower-priced TWS that tends to just impress with the bass.
Paired with the active noise cancelling, it’s nice to listed in electronic and vocal-rich music. But we don’t really recommend these buds for music with too much treble such as saxophone, violins or classical music as the range won’t really be that appreciative.
Audio Quality – Calls
The FreeBuds 3i is more power consuming in calls, one conference call for an hour can eat up around 60% already of the battery. But the good part is that calls are clear, and the active noise cancelling really helps out block annoying sounds externally like roosters, dogs barking.
Yes, you can’t block those sounds completely but the minimization helps a lot. We think the FreeBuds 3i is a worthy TWS if you’re into active calls from time-to-time.
Comfort
The FreeBuds 3i is very light, but in-ear as compared to the FreeBuds 3. For music enthusiasts, this is one advantage since bass is more felt and the sound stage is warmer. Overall the FreeBuds 3i are comfortable in the ears, just make sure you select the right ear tip and you’re set.
Even using the Buds for several hours, we weren’t able to experience any major irritation of discomfort. We even can sleep with the Buds worn, perfect for those quick naps to isolate the noise and play white noise, or even music that can help you sleep.
Control on the left ear is just a simple long-press to activate/deactivate the ANC, and the right earbud is to double-tap to play/pause music or answer calls. No controls to do next, but understandable for single push controls.
Battery Life
Each charge of the Buds can last up to 3.5 hours, and 14.5 hours for the case. But in the real-life experience we were able to get 2.5 hours per earbud with ANC activated, perfect for on-the-go walks or napping on commute.
As long as you don’t use the FreeBuds for 3 hours straight, you’ll be good for casual music and calls when necessary. The case is even more portable compared to the FreeBuds 3, plus the battery life is sufficient for a day of use outside.
Charging the case takes around 2 hours, which is no concern since you’ll only do it once a day. While the buds take around 30-45 minutes to fully charge, which is no problem for interval charging.
Conclusion
For the price of Php5,990, the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is one TWS that is hard to beat. The active noise cancellation is better than most TWS with ANC in its price point and the comfort is ideal for music or call scenarios.
Performance and Value ratio is definitely on the right spot, even more value for money than the AirPods on our radar. But of course, there is the caveat if you’re more into the eco-system of Huawei or can settle of pairing the device as normal Bluetooth devices.
If you own a Huawei device, it’s a great addition to your eco-system. But just in case you’re not into the Huawei Eco-System, it’s okay as it will still work as intended just without the fast pair technology.