Unleashing Exceptional Audio: Huawei Freebuds Pro 4 review and Wireless headphone Performance

Huawei Freebuds Pro 4 Review: A Solid Upgrade with Exceptional Sound

After a year-long hiatus, Huawei has finally released the Freebuds Pro 4, a significant upgrade to its predecessor. The new earbuds boast exceptional sound quality, reliable battery life, and seamless connectivity. In this review, we’ll dive into the details of what makes the Freebuds Pro 4 stand out.

Design and Build Quality

The Freebuds Pro 4’s design is reminiscent of the Freebuds Pro 3, with a sleek and compact build. The buds and case come in three colors: Black, Green, and White, each with golden accents. While the Green and White variants may appeal to Asian markets, we’re not convinced they’ll be as well-received in Western countries.

Software

The Freebuds Pro 4 runs on HarmonyOS 5.0, although Huawei has opted not to promote this feature heavily, likely due to its limited relevance in the earphone market. The AI Life app offers various noise control options, including Awareness mode, which enhances voice detection, and Noise Cancelling mode, with four distinct settings for different environments.

Sound Quality

The Freebuds Pro 4’s standout feature is its exceptional sound quality. The dual-driver configuration and 11 mm quad-magnet dynamic driver deliver rich bass and treble levels reaching 48 kHz, thanks to the planar diaphragm tweeter. The sound quality is immediately evident when wearing the earbuds, and Huawei has truly excelled in this instance.

Connectivity

Connectivity is seamless and worthy of high-end earbuds. We paired the earbuds with an Android phone, a Huawei device, a desktop using a Bluetooth dongle, and a laptop with built-in Bluetooth. The connection was stable and reliable, even in noisy environments.

Charging

The Freebuds Pro 4 has identical battery capacities to its predecessor, with each bud equipped with a 55 mAh cell and the case providing an additional 510 mAh. Charging times are as follows:

Advertised Time	Real-Life Time
Earbuds in the case: 40 minutes	45 minutes
Case only (wired): 1 hour	65 minutes
Case only (wireless): 1.5 hours/150 minutes	160 minutes

Battery Life

We tested the Freebuds Pro 4 for 30 days, using them extensively in various scenarios. The results are as follows:

Advertised Playtime	Real-Life Playtime
Prioritize Sound Quality (ANC on): 6.5 hours	360 minutes/6 hours
Prioritize Sound Quality (ANC off): 4.5 hours	220 minutes/3 hours 40 minutes
Prioritize Connection Quality (ANC on): 7 hours	380 minutes/6 hours 20 minutes
Prioritize Connection Quality (ANC off): 5 hours	240 minutes/4 hours

Verdict

The Huawei Freebuds Pro 4 is a solid upgrade, offering excellent sound quality, reliable battery life, and great noise cancellation for its category. While the design may not be revolutionary, the earbuds’ performance makes them a compelling choice. However, availability is limited to select markets, and the price is currently only available in Turkey and Russia.

Pros