Just before we started TechStomper, I reviewed FreeBuds 3 for my day job. That wireless earphones package had plenty going for it but there was one major flaw. Now, Huawei FreeBuds 3i takes aim at that flaw and makes a few changes elsewhere. AirPods had plenty of competition as it was but does our ‘i’ upgrade turn the heat up on Apple.
A Change in Form
The first change is noticeable immediately. The Mini Babybel shape of FreeBuds 3 is gone in favour of a ‘robot pirate treasure chest’ form seen on Samsung Buds+. The overall package seems a little bulkier than the older model but at 29.2mm thick, FreeBuds 3i’s charging case is still wee enough to pocket easily.
The buds themselves are a little squarer and maybe slightly larger than the original FreeBuds 3.
Right now, there are two colours available, black or white. Both are glossy but not as eye-catching as the rounded FB3. We should expect extra colours in the future but any planned red version will lack the creamy connotations of its dad.
Silicone. Who’d Have Thunk It?
FreeBuds 3 had impressive sound in the right conditions but with practically zero seal in a user’s ear, the only right condition was near-silence. The set’s active noise-cancellation (ANC) was rendered almost useless by the same poor seal.
Huawei FreeBuds 3i adds a silicone tip to each earbud and it’s a revelation. A little silicone solves both of the aforementioned problems in one fell swoop.
Huawei FreeBuds 3i has the pipes for the lows and highs but the EQ is quite flat. Some people prefer the ‘musical’ U-shaped sound that some earphones and headphones aim for but more prefer a clean sound that lets you adjust it yourself.
The soundstage is small, just as you would expect from such an intimate fit. But it’s not entirely without depth and the overall clarity does allow the subtleties of live instruments to be heard.
The ANC works exceptionally well. As mentioned previously, the previous version’s lack of seal undid any good work on the feature. It’s a bit mad that they omitted the silicone in the first place – hearing how good the ANC performance is on FreeBuds 3i, it must now seem like a huge oversight.
Spotty App
The EQs and sound models included in the Huawei AI Life are excellent. And there are dozens of other user-created presets available should you not find the pre-installed ones to your liking.
The app’s compatibility with non-Huawei Android smartphones isn’t complete. While most Android devices I tried could download the extra Huawei Mobile Services package, one or two we tried could not. The buds work perfectly well without the app but the EQ features will be missed by a few of you.
Battery and Price Changes
FreeBuds 3’s battery life was superb. Almost 24 hours of playtime could be carried around in one’s pocket and it took only about an hour to fill the set from empty. Four hours for the buds themselves was superb.
Huawei FreeBuds 3 sees a little drop in endurance during the reshape. The buds will now do 2.5 hours on their own while the case holds about 18. It’s not a huge step down overall but 2.5 hours isn’t that much in terms of a train or plane trip.
The rejig has one more unequivocal benefit for potential buyers. The price has fallen from around €139/£125 for FreeBuds 3 to around €99/£89 for Huawei FreeBuds 3i.
A Few Steps Forward
While losing a few hours battery life and adding a few millimetres of depth might make a few of you look to the OG FreeBud 3, Huawei FreeBuds 3i is arguably a better value prospect.
Huawei FreeBuds 3 and Huawei FreeBuds 3i were provided by Huawei
