Huawei is trying to do two things with its headphones. First, he wants to make it clear that this is a brand capable of making cool tech products beyond phones. It also wants to prove that its wireless headphones are good enough to compete with the best in class.
The FreeBuds Pro 2 are the company’s best yet, taking a lot of what worked before and refining it enough to make an impression. There’s a lot going on with these headphones, presenting a set of performance and features worth noting.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: price and availability
Huawei launched the FreeBuds Pro 2 in June 2022, primarily via online sellers, although you’ll find it in physical stores in some countries outside of the US, such as Canada, Europe and Asia. The £169 and €199 price tag converts to around $205. If there is a price change, it will come because of the conversion rate. They are available in Silver Blue, Silver Frost and Ceramic White variants.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: what’s good
Sometimes a little change makes a real difference, and that’s how I felt when I first opened the case and took out the FreeBuds Pro 2 headphones. Previous FreeBuds Pro were recessed into their charging slots so much so that their shiny finish often made it difficult to remove them. This has been corrected by a shallower basin, allowing a much easier grip to pull them out.
It may seem like an insignificant or subjective detail, but it matters. Huawei has retained much of the design language of the previous pair, with a few differences. The stems are a bit shorter, while the microphone slots are now closed from view. The FreeBuds Pro 2 look smoother due to the aesthetic changes, thanks to cleaner lines that complement the smooth, glossy finish.
I particularly liked the silver blue variant that I received as a review unit. Neutral enough to suit any style, the sophisticated appearance scores points for plenty of good reasons.
Good looks help hide some of the initial steps needed to even pair them with your Android phone. Huawei’s AI Life app is indeed on Google Play, but it’s in a dormant state, having not seen an update since 2020, when things got really bad with US regulators.
The remedy is to scan the QR code provided in the box to download the latest version APK file and install it instead. You have to enable apps downloaded from other sources in settings for this to work, but it’s easy enough to do.
Once installed, it’s easy to pair the headphones and start tinkering with the features and controls available on the app. One of them is a test for the best fit. It scans through a tone looking for sound leaks, letting you know if you need to reposition the earpiece or replace the eartip with a different one.
The good news is that you should find them comfortable to wear anyway. Size and weight are fair, and the shorter stem is never an issue. I wore them for long periods without ever feeling itchy or tired. The tight seal gave me excellent passive isolation to set up the active noise cancellation (ANC), which is one of the main features worth mentioning.
ANC and sound quality go hand in hand here more than with the previous FreeBuds Pro, simply because noise cancellation is better this time around. With four distinct tiers aimed at situational use cases, Huawei succinctly explains what each does, leaving little doubt when making your selection.
I found each of them very adept at cutting out background noise, especially with the Ultra setting on an airplane. It dampened engine noise so much that I could listen to music at the same volume as in a room in the house. Pretty impressive. Awareness mode did the opposite, helping to hear background noise with good clarity.
Same with audio quality. These headphones grew on me from the first listen, thanks to a balanced soundstage that delivers thick bass, with crisp mids and highs. The default setting designed by Huawei in conjunction with Devialet, a French speaker and amplifier brand, is a good start for the sound capabilities on offer here.
Along with the other three presets, you can create your own using the 10-band EQ to tweak things to your liking. LDAC support lets you play high-res music where available. There’s even a low latency mode you can try for gaming and watching shows or movies.
This combination works regardless of the genres you like to listen to the most. It’s hard to sound really good and cater to a wider subset of listeners, but that’s exactly what Huawei has done here. That audio sounds better with ANC on than with the previous FreeBuds Pro is just icing on the cake.
I also liked how he developed his control scheme. Rather than relying solely on touch, he used a pinch gesture to make the rods apply certain controls. Pinch one to play/pause or answer/reject a call. Do this twice to skip a track and three times to repeat one.
Press and hold to cycle through ANC modes or wake up your voice assistant. The only swipe gesture is volume up or down. All of the controls are consistent and effective, although I wish there were options to customize them. As it stands, you can only disable a gesture, not reassign it.
You get multipoint support to pair and connect with two devices simultaneously. Wear sensors also automatically pause when you remove either earbud, resuming again when you put them back on.
This all bodes well for phone calls, which I found to be superb in my testing. Callers have always found me to be both audible and clear in different settings, including outdoors.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: what’s not good
Huawei rates battery life at up to 6.5 hours per charge with ANC off, or up to four hours with ANC on. Those aren’t big numbers, especially when compared to tough competitors in the same price range. These numbers also depend on volume levels, so turn them up and you’re wasting time. Even if you compare the FreeBuds Pro 2 to the AirPods Pro, Huawei should have been able to play them longer per charge.
The case will net you three additional charges, which is good. Wireless charging is also handy, but you’ll need to charge these headphones often if you plan to use them daily.
The same is true if you plan to use the FreeBuds Pro 2 for workouts or races. The IP54 rating is modest to sweat with these on, and while they’ll stay put, be careful if you plan on incorporating these buds into your workout regimen.
As beautiful as they look when wearing them, I couldn’t understand why Huawei didn’t align its own logo on the stems so that it appeared straight on both sides. Instead, it’s upside down on the right earbud, while standing upright on the left. A minor glitch in the larger schematic, I know, but I couldn’t help but notice it seeing how the lettering doesn’t line up.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: Competition
Just looking at the best wireless headphones gives you plenty of options, especially when you take a closer look at their cost. Right off the bat, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro stands out as tough competitors, given the outstanding combination of fit, comfort, sound quality, ANC, durability and call clarity. If it’s sound you’re looking for, you also can’t go wrong with a pair like the Technics EAH-AZ60 or 1More Evo.
For Android users, the FreeBuds Pro 2 are clearly a better option than the AirPods Pro, although the latter trumps ANC. The gap is close, however, and if you’re looking for good headphones with stems, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro are a worthy contender.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2: Should you buy it?
You should buy it if…
- You want clearer sound
- You care about fit and comfort
- You want reliable controls
- You want solid noise cancellation
You shouldn’t buy this if…
- You want longer battery life
- You want more tip sizes
- You want aptX codec support
- You want something sturdier
Huawei scored big with the FreeBuds Pro 2, making clear its intentions to compete with the best. Impressive aesthetics and functionality come together well here, producing a sound experience that only feels better once you factor in comfort and noise cancellation.
While the setup isn’t as fast or smooth as other headphones, due to Huawei’s current status with Google, it’s a small bump in an otherwise smooth path to listening to the content you love most. That’s not something that’s stopping you from giving them a real shot, even if they’re not being sold in the US right now.
Huawei takes much of what has worked with its other headphones and complements it perfectly with the FreeBuds Pro 2, giving you great sound, solid ANC, great comfort and more to enjoy every time you put them on.
