Huawei unveiled the FreeBuds 5i, a follow-up to the FreeBuds 4i from last year. The new model has much improved active noise cancellation, lighter design and longer battery life. The 5i buds offer three levels of noise cancellation. When you dial it up to the maximum setting, it reduces noise by 42dB – a massive improvement over the 22dB that the 4i managed. This is also a couple of decibels better than the FreeBuds Pro. For calls, an AI-powered system with two microphones that extract and boost your voice for clearer calls.
Anyway, the buds feature 10mm dynamic
drivers and automatically tune their output to best match the shape of your
ears. For great quality sound, the buds support the LDAC codec and are Hi-Res
Audio Wireless certified. The FreeBuds 5i use Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint
connectivity. With the companion app you can quickly switch their connection
between your phone, tablet, TV and whatever else you are using them with. There
is a gaming mode, which reduces the latency to 94ms.
Compared to the 4i, the new model has a
carrying case with a softer, pebble-like texture. The case is also 18% lighter,
weighing 33.9g (each bud is around 4.6g). Even so, overall battery life has
improved – the buds + case can now last up to 28 hours (up from 22 hours) with
ANC off and up to 18.5 hours with ANC on.
The buds alone offer uninterrupted
listening time of 7.5 hours (6 hours with ANC). The extra longevity is thanks
to a bigger battery in the case (410mAh vs. 215mAh) and improved efficiency on
the buds (same 55mAh battery). Once the battery is depleted, a full charge
takes an hour, but if you’re in a hurry, a 15 minute top-up is good enough for
4 hours of playback. The Huawei FreeBuds 5i are available for pre-order in
China starting today at a price of CNY 600 (US$ 90/€ 85/₹ 7,000). You can find the
TWS headset on Huawei.com, open sales will begin on June 18.
