The Huawei FreeBuds 5i earbuds offer impressive audio quality at a budget-conscious price point.
The earbuds are incredibly comfortable to wear and provide a perfect fit for any ear shape, ensuring a snug and secure fit for extended periods of use.
Huawei also claims the FreeBuds 5i have great latency for gaming – which I’ll attest, a few rounds of Fortnite on PC with these earphones wasn’t bad!
Retailing for $159, these headphones are a great entry level product.
The stems aren’t stupidly long either, making them discreet and that little more fashionable than other brands.
One of the standout features of the FreeBuds 5i is their intuitive touch controls, which are among the best available on any pair of earbuds.
With just a single tap, users can pause or play their music, while swiping along the stem of the earbuds adjusts the volume. Long pressing on the earbuds allows users to switch between three different noise-canceling settings: Noise canceling, Awareness, and Off.
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This level of control provides a truly customisable listening experience for all.
On a recent flight, the FreeBuds offered me exceptional noise canceling (ANC) and blocked out most of the plane’s engine.
The only downside being, when the ANC is working hard, bass is reduced. The FreeBuds have 45db limit.
When it comes to call quality, the FreeBuds 5i earbuds get the job done. The sound is loud and clear, and even with external interference, such as wearing a beanie, the sound quality remains excellent.
I spent 10 minutes on the phone with my mum while walking the dog and she was oblivious of the fact until I mentioned it.
Pairing the earbuds with devices is also simple, with the Windows PC and iPhone recognizing them instantly with no issues at all.
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Battery should last around 28 hours, but I’ve been using them daily for a week and haven’t had to charge them.
There’s also an app you can use on iOS or Android to customise the FreeBuds further; Huawei AI Life. In AI Life users can set the effectiveness of ANC, adjust equaliser effects, customise gestures and update the firmware on the FreeBuds.
There’s also a handy tool to find the earbuds if you misplace them.
In the box, users will find a short USB-C to USB-A cable for charging, along with two additional silicon tips in large and small sizes.
It’s worth noting that the plastic bags containing the extra earbuds are compostable, a small but welcome gesture from Huawei towards environmental sustainability.
Overall, the Huawei FreeBuds 5i earbuds are an excellent choice for anyone looking for quality earbuds without breaking the bank. Available in white, black, and blue, the FreeBuds 5i provide a customizable and comfortable listening experience with excellent touch controls and call quality.
They’re available now from Amazon and authorised Huawei stores.
Huawei Australia supplied Quest Daily with a review unit for the purpose of this article.
