Huawei FreeBuds or Apple AirPods?

Wireless headset AirPods from the best manufacturer Apple was released in the fall of 2016. Until that day, she had really had no rivals. There were popular models that sounded better or provided more functionality, but they fell short of Apple's headset. It has excellent battery life and compactness, in addition, a fairly natural sound, as well as a practical storage box. But based on recent events, the iPad headset eventually has a worthy contender. This article will help users decide on the question: “Which is better to buy wireless headphones - Huawei FreeBuds or Apple AirPods?”

Comparing FreeBuds to AirPods

Gradually, the name Huawei has become a brand, perceived on a similar level with such giants of the mobile industry as Apple and Samsung. In simple terms, Huawei is a class A trademark, since the popularity of this company's gadget models is practically the same as the above brands.

One of the clearest evidence that Huawei has become an "A" brand name is the trust placed in it by customers. The fact is that all the new products manufactured by the company are bought regardless of the opinions indicated in the reviews. In addition, many devices regularly occupy leading positions in the ranking of quality devices.

In addition, the company's devices "explode" sales levels from the first days. It was this year that this happened with the popular FreeBuds, which will be discussed below. Even before the release of any reviews, they "took off" in implementation. And this is despite the fact that the headphones do not belong to the budget segment in terms of price.

AirPods package

• Headphones;
• Case for storage and charging;
• Lightning cord;
• Management.

Package FreeBuds

• Headset in charging box;
• USB type C cable;
• Plugs of various sizes, made of silicone;
• The documents.

Design and ergonomics

Before the developers creating the appearance of the headset from Huawei, most likely the goal was announced: “to make it like an apple organization, but better.” And from the side of appearance and ergonomics, they coped with a bang. The headset at first glance seems like a futuristic analogue of "apple" liners.

The shape is a bit similar, but slightly more intricate and dynamic, there is a black color scheme. The charging case is completely different, not as practical as the AirPods, but significantly smaller when compared to Samsung's Gear Icon X.For example, if there is a desire, then it is quite possible to carry it in a tiny jeans pocket.

Compared to an iPhone headset, the key and powerful side of Android headphones is sound isolation. If you correctly choose the size of the plugs for each ear (4 sets of nozzles are provided in the package) and try to achieve a tight position in the ear canal by rotating the earbud, then a surround sound with rich bass is guaranteed. By the way, with the HF and MF range, too, everything is fine.

It is worth noting that the FreeBuds headset is comfortable and does not press on the ear, so using them for a long time to listen to music is much more pleasant than AirPods. But they still won’t become as inconspicuous as the latter, because for earbuds that fit snugly to the ear, this is actually unrealistic.

Control

There are practically no differences in management. Double-clicking on the right earpiece plays or stops the audio, on the left - activates the voice assistant. By the way, both Siri and the assistant from Google and even Alice function equally well.

During an incoming call, you can answer or end the call with the same double tap. The response to tapas is carried out without difficulty, as well as the moment of removing the headset from the ear. At this point, playback stops.

Sound

For Bluetooth headphones with a microphone, the sound in FreeBuds is good, but comparing perfectly compressed audio for streaming (Apple Music services) with lossless encoded FLAC format did not lead to anything. Huawei's headset does not support the smartest codecs like aptX or LDAC. In general, music fans, regardless of this, are unlikely to be happy with this type of headset.

Connection

FreeBuds on the Android system has no difficulties with connecting to a smartphone.The continuity of the connection is also excellent - it "stutters" only for a moment when playing music, for the most part only a couple of times in a few hours, which for a Bluetooth headset, in addition to being completely wireless, is an incredible value. Compared to AirPods, such “lags” happen more often there.

autonomy

With the duration of the novelty from Huawei, everything is fine. After a couple of hours of connecting the charging case with the headset in it to the charger, it is quite realistic to hope for about 8-9 hours of uninterrupted operation. The power of the tiny batteries that are built into the earbuds is enough for about 3 hours (but, about 20 minutes before the end of this time period, systematic sound alerts begin to be emitted, reminding that it is time for the headphones to recharge).

The case, according to the manufacturer, is able to charge the headset a couple more times, but as practice shows, the final portion of charging for a full time interval (3 hours) is not enough, only for two and a half. By the way, the period of autonomy is how loud to listen to music, as well as the quality of the connection.

Approved battery life is 5 hours per earpiece. In connection with the charging case, a day of work is guaranteed. There is an option for fast charging, when after 15 minutes. In the case, the headset can be used for 3 hours of playback, which is ideal for gaming as well as for sports.

Advantages and disadvantages of AirPods

• Fully intuitive connection to Apple devices;
• Good autonomy, fast charging option;
• Clear and tight sound;
• Incredibly natural voice quality;
• Simple control, work with a voice assistant (for example, the "Stop playing music" command pauses the current audio file in any application);
• Easy to use headset and charging module (even a child will understand everything);
• No difficulties with communication, activity during the day and duplicated connections;
• Despite the lack of specialized sweat protection, the headset can be used for running, because they do not have a cord, they do not cling, they are comfortable to wear for a long time.

• After connecting (for Android phone), the display does not accurately show the state of charge of the headset, which requires reconnection;
• If you use AirPods on various Apple gadgets, then after returning to work with the iPhone, the tiny headphone indicator, which is usually located in the notification panel of the device, may disappear;
• In the process of connecting to an iPhone, all signals from the gadget are heard in the earbuds, for example, if you type SMS, key sets will be heard, but the volume level can be reduced;
• If you open the case without a headset inside, the display does not show information about charging the case itself;
• There is no provision for using the headset with several devices at the same time, so the user will have to choose whether it will be an iPhone or a TV.

Advantages and disadvantages of FreeBuds

• Build quality;
• Fashionable appearance;
• Excellent sound isolation;
• Good supply of working time;
• Touch control with voice assistants;
• Automatic stop playback when pulled out of the ear.

• Inconvenient case;
• Low-quality audibility in the activated "Headset" mode;
• Does not support LDAC or aptX.

What is the price?

The average price of AirPods is 12,000 rubles.

The average price of FreeBuds is 10,000 rubles

Characteristics

Which company is better or 3 reasons to change AirPods to FreeBuds

First of all, the device has ear cushions made of rubber materials, and therefore foreign sounds are not heard. Almost all owners of Ear or AirPods complained that there is no noise cancellation - the headphones are muffled in the subway or in other crowded places.

Secondly, Huawei's headset surpassed Apple's in terms of water resistance by equipping the FreeBuds with IPX4 technology, which makes it possible to wear them in the rain.

Thirdly, in Europe, the headset will cost 150 euros, but the Celestial Empire pleased domestic consumers with an inexpensive cost of 10 thousand rubles.

Conclusion

The FreeBuds headset, in any case, should be advised as an AirPods analogue to users who need perfectly isolated from extraneous noise, lightweight and at the same time sophisticated wireless-type earbuds without suspicious sports chips. Most likely, the headset will first of all be an excellent choice for owners of devices on the Android platform.

But it makes no sense for Apple owners to advise the new product, because, in any case, AirPods still occupies a leading position in terms of connection comfort. In addition, the duration of their work, at least on "apple" gadgets, is higher.