Huawei Freebuds Pro 2 review: These buds are a blast

Huawei Freebuds Pro 2: 60-Second Review

Huawei’s new Freebuds Pro 2 offer an abundance of features and impressive sound for a pretty reasonable price. For under £170 you get solid Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), rich audio, useful touch controls and even a fit test which reveals if you have the right rubber tip attached to suit your ears.

They are also super comfy to wear and tuck neatly inside a premium-feeling charging case which not only keeps them safe but also topped up with power. Anyone buying a pair won’t be disappointed but the Freebuds Pro 2 aren’t without some niggles.

Battery life is definitely not market-leading, especially when switching on that all-important ANC. The Bluetooth range could also be better and wandering down the garden without your phone nearby will soon see the music grinding to a halt.

Our last criticism is the way they look. Why Huawei insists on copying Apple baffles us and it’s about time the design team came up with some ideas of their own.

That said, these are brilliant buds that really won’t disappoint.

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: Full review

The audio market is already swamped with wireless earbuds but Chinese tech firm Huawei is hoping its new Freebuds Pro 2 can stand out from that ever-growing crowd. These latest buds arrive packing some pretty impressive features including full ANC technology and audio that’s powered by the team at Devialet.

That’s a big scoop from Huawei as this French company is renowned for producing some of the finest audio products in the business. Plug the FreeBuds Pro 2 in your ears and there’s no question that Devialet’s expertise has brought some magic to these buds.

They sound superb with crisp, clear music that’s packed with detail. There’s also plenty of bass without things being overwhelmed – the whole experience is hugely pleasing on the ears.

Another bonus of these buds is that they are fully compatible with LDAC high-resolution audio which means you can get the best quality possible.

Huawei is also trying to make sure every owner gets the ultimate sound experience with the firm including something called ‘Triple Adaptive EQ’ technology. This can automatically tune audio according to each user’s ear canal structure, earbud position and volume levels. This allows the Freebuds Pro 2 to deliver personalised sound in real time.

It’s all impressive stuff and there’s no doubt that the Freebuds Pro 2 easily match its rivals when it comes to sound quality.

Now, you’re probably aware that Huweai’s phone business isn’t doing so well these days after the US blocked it from using Android.

Although Huawei’s new HarmonyOS-powered devices offer a seamless connection with the Freebuds Pro 2, Huawei hasn’t forgotten the billions of people who are still using Google’s popular OS with the buds linking easily to any device on the market – even iPhones work with these mini music makers.

All platforms can access Huawei’s comprehensive AI Life app which offers the option to change the sound settings, check battery levels and switch off ANC or activate the Transparency mode to allow some background noise into the ears.

Other features worth a mention include clear voice calls, IP54 splash resistance and a range of touch controls that can pause music, skip tracks and pump up the volume without reaching for a phone.

So, that’s all the good stuff but we do have a few niggles including pretty average battery life. In fact, switch on ANC and you’ll only get around four hours before they’ll need a refill. It’s not terrible but some of Huawei’s rivals are now offering much-improved power – some of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds can keep the music playing for over 10 hours.

The Bluetooth range could also be better and we found a quick trip down our very small London garden interfered with music playback.

Then there’s the design as they look almost identical to the AirPods Pro. Apple’s AirPods are clearly iconic and it’s not surprising that the styling is being replicated by its rivals but it really is about time Huawei came up with a look of its own.