FreeBuds 4i: the old headphones still work | Revision

The FreeBuds 4i headphones were launched some time ago by Huawei and recently also received successors in Brazil (the FreeBuds 5i). But the older model is still on sale here, offering noise cancellation for less. Is the device still worth buying?

Olhar Digital tested the FreeBuds 4i to find out if the old Huawei headphones are still worth it. And the answer is yes! It offers good sound quality and interesting features for a model that can be found for around R$350. Check out our review below:

Body and charging case

The design of the device doesn’t really stand out – it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a wireless headset. The headphones are relatively large, but they are not heavy and are not uncomfortable in the user’s ear. The rubber can be replaced and the device comes with two other sizes, and it is up to the user to determine which one fits the ear best.

It’s comfortable and doesn’t let go: even walking down the street, I didn’t find myself having to adjust the position of the headphones so they didn’t fall out, or even come loose from my ear to the point of interrupting audio playback. The process is simple: Put the earpiece in your ear and forget it’s there. And with water protection, it can keep working even in the rain.

The charging case is oval in shape and also a bit large, but it’s easy to carry around, fitting easily into a pocket (although it might be better suited to keep in a purse or suitcase). Open the lid so that an LED shows the battery level (green when high, yellow when half full, red when low). Charging takes place via USB-C, in a port located at the bottom of the case. On the right side, Huawei has included the device pairing button.

Audio quality and microphone

What really matters in a headset is the audio quality: it is useless to have a high-end finish and advanced features if the sound is not good. After all, the primary function of a headphone is to reproduce sound, right? Well, in this respect the FreeBuds 4i do not disappoint.

The sound of the Huawei headphones is of good quality, offering lively sound regardless of the music style or podcast! – you are listening. The sound is lively, with rich bass to the ideal extent. While not a premium headset, the audio offered is of good enough quality for the listener to be able to appreciate the details of the music production and also of each instrument being played.

For phone calls or video conferences, the microphone offered by the FreeBuds 4i is of good quality, ensuring that your voice is heard by other participants without difficulty. Unfortunately there is no noise cancellation for the microphone, but the result is still quite satisfactory.

Application and extra features

Pairing the FreeBuds 4i with your smartphone is done using Huawei’s AI Life application. It is not available in the Brazilian Play Store and you have to install it through alternative app stores (such as Samsung’s AppGallery). It’s a slightly more cumbersome process than necessary, but once the pairing is done, it works perfectly.

The application allows you to individually check the battery level of each headset and also the case, as well as manage gesture functions. Yes, FreeBuds i4 has gesture control. By default, double-tapping the stems of the device stops playback. Press the headphones for a few seconds to activate the noise canceling modes.

It is possible to change the function through the app, as I said, and each phone can have a different one. You can, for example, make two taps on the right earpiece start playing the next song, while the right one returns to the previous one. Or you can have one of them activate the voice assistant. Or you can leave it as standard, with both headphones serving the same purpose.

The function performed by pressing the handset cannot be changed. The two will always serve the same thing, which can be the activation of the noise control or absolutely nothing. There are three noise modes: off, full noise cancellation, or ambient sensitivity. The latter is really good for when we walk down the street: while it cuts out most of the noise, it still lets something through. So you will hear the cars go by and not get hit by being completely immersed in the sound. And again, switching between modes is easy: press to activate full mode, press again to switch to ambient sensitivity, press again to deactivate. And repeat.

It is worth mentioning that headphones are not unique to smartphones and can be paired with different types of devices. I did a test with my Nintendo Switch and it was successful: when I pressed the side button of the case, the console identified the headphones and the pairing was done. I was able to play a few games in handheld mode on Switch using the FreeBuds 4i and found the result to be quite satisfactory.

The negative point is due to the absence of an equalizer from the application, which means that the user cannot customize the sound according to his preferences.

battery life

Huawei claims, right on the device’s packaging, that the FreeBuds 4i offer up to 10 hours of battery life. And basically, it’s pretty close to that! Obviously, the autonomy ends depending on the use of the noise cancellation features: when they are activated, the battery is consumed faster than when they are deactivated. However, it’s quite realistic to expect that, even with noise cancellation turned on, the headphones will last a whopping 7 hours.

Charging is via USB-C via a port on the bottom of the case, and Huawei claims that just 10 minutes of charging gives you 4 hours of audio playback. It is not possible to say that this is exactly the case, but the recharge is fast enough and it is quite possible that you will spend a day away from the plug and without being able to listen to your music or podcasts.

Conclusion

Older headphones still get the job done, and the FreeBuds 4i are a good indication of that. Even though Huawei recently launched the FreeBuds 5i around here, the older model can still serve users very well, especially those looking for a noise canceling device at a more affordable price – you can find the phone for around R $ 350 in Brazil.

The post FreeBuds 4i: Old headphones still do the job | The review first appeared in Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital