Huawei Freebuds 4 First Look: Solid Lightweight

New wave, new sound

New wave, new sound

Huawei has launched the new Freebuds 4 audio wearable in the Philippines, which touts new innovations, including noise cancelation, despite being an open earphone. Here’s our first hands-on at the device.

Unboxing the package reveals the key core components of the device, including the device itself, lots of documentation for user guide and safety information, and a USB-C cable for charging. There’s no adapter included for charging, which shouldn’t be a problem since you get some from phones anyway.

The circular-shaped unit is very ergonomic and feels great to hold, and its shiny matte silver finish aids in gripping. There’s a button at the side for resetting, and a USB Type-C port for recharging underneath.The connecting mechanicsm for the case cover and the base is at the back, hidden by a black square design with the Huawei monogram.

Opening the case reveals two open-air buds in a metallic finish, with a longer stem to aid with capturing your voice through the microphone at the end. The case is also secured enough as to not let the buds fall or open involuntarily while in transit. It’s easy to open with one hand and does not slip

While the buds itself are a fingerprint magnet with its shiny finish, they’re not slippery at all. Removing the buds from the case is easy, though you’d have to be careful when putting it back as the crevices are molded to position the buds in a certain way. They also support multiple touch controls to perform certain functions.

Using the Freebuds 4 has been great so far. Connecting it to my phone is easy as opening the case and finding them through my bluetooth panel, plus there are additional options that should be available via the Huawei AI Life app, which should be activated in the coming days.

This is touted to be the first open-air TWS earphones with active noise cancelling tech that adjusts to fit — the better the fit, the better noise cancellation you get. We’re definitely getting different levels of noise cancelation on our use this past 24 hours, and we’ll explain that more in our full review.

Huawei’s newest audio gear is priced at PHP 7,999, but you can now get it for pre-order nationwide via Shopee or Huawei Store for PHP 5,999 until July 15 with a free 3-month Huawei Music subscription in tow. We’re testing this device for the meantime for a proper full review.

Carl writes for WalasTech when he's not working full-time. Give him tips and/or leads at [email protected].