Co-engineered with the audio technology company Devialet, The 2022 Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 is the successor to last year’s premium true wireless earphones from Huawei.

The new earphones come with plenty of features including Dual-Speaker True Sound, Pure Voice and Intelligent ANC 2.0, wireless charging, and Bluetooth connectivity for up to two devices.

Specifications

Color Options:	Silver Blue, Silver Frost, Ceramic White
Dimensions:	Per earbud 21.8mm x 29.1mm x 23.7mm (LxWxH) Weight: About 6.1 g Charging case 67.9mm x 24.5mm x 47.5mm (LxWxH) Weight: About 52 g
Connectivity:	Bluetooth compatibility: BT 5.2 Pop-up & pair: supported Wearing detection: supported* Simultaneous Bluetooth connection with dual devices: supported *Requires smartphones running EMUI10 or above.
Audio Technology:	Digital cross-over Triple Adaptive E Active noise cancellation Call noise cancellation Transparency Mode
Driver:	11 mm dynamic driver + planar diaphragm driver 14 Hz ~ 48 kHz frequency response range
Battery:	Battery capacity Per earbud: 55 mAh Charging case: 580 mAh Charging Wired: USB Type-C Wireless: Qi standard (2 W)

Packaging

The packaging includes the charging case, earphones, a USB-C charging cable, manuals and replacement earbuds in three different sizes. There is no power adapter or a protective cover included for the case to prevent the it from being scratched.

The charging case is oval in shape and comes in a grainy-metal texture. The case is smaller, lighter and more compact than the previous generation.

At the bottom is the USB-C charging port (the case also supports wireless charging) and a LED indicator for battery status. And on the right is another button for pairing.

The earphones are magnetically held inside the charging case. It’s easier to remove them the case than the previous generation. There is also another LED indicator here for pairing status.

The package contains:

Earbuds
Silicone ear tips (three sizes)
Wireless charging case
USB-C charging cable
Quick start guide (including safety information)
Warranty card

Design & Build

The FreeBuds Pro 2 is available in three colors – Silver Blue, Silver Frost, Ceramic White.

The earphones themselves look well-designed and have a glossy, rectangular-shaped stem. They are lightweight, compact, easy to wear and comes with gesture sensors for controlling playback, volume, calls and switching ANC modes.

Intelligent ANC 2.0

The intelligent dynamic ANC 2.0 will switch your earbuds to the optimal noise cancellation mode in real time, with its ability to detect your ear canal structure, wearing status, and environmental noise for best audio quality.

Triple Adaptive EQ

The earphones feature dynamic equalization which means it consistently brings you the optimal sound quality, by seamlessly tuning audio to the real-time volume level, your ear canal structure, and how you’re wearing them.

Tri-Mic ANC System

One of the main features of the FreeBuds Pro 2 is dynamic noise cancellation. A newly developed tri-mic ANC system with 3 highly-sensitive microphones boosts the average ANC depth by 15% when compared with the previous model and contributes to wider frequency ranges (50 Hz–3000 Hz), with maximum ANC depth as high as 47 dB.

Dual Speakers

The FreeBuds Pro 2 features ultra-hearing driver units for bass and treble notes work separately.

Dual Device Connection

Another highlight is that it can connect two devices at the same time so you can have these headphones connected to a PC and a smartphone at the same time. Of course, you won’t be able to listen to both audio at the same time but it can switch between the two when needed by pinching either earbud.

Awareness Feature

The Awareness feature amplifies the surrounding noise, letting you hear essential sounds and people talking around you.

AI Life App

Headphone functions can be controlled through Huawei’s AI Life app for Huawei and Android phones. On iOS the app has limited functionality. The app lets you see the battery status, update firmware, switch between different ANC modes or detect if you are using the right earplugs for your ears.

Gestures

The earphones support touch gestures. There are touch sensors at stem of each earphone which help control media playback, volume, calls etc. via swipe, pinch, pinch and hold gestures. Once you get the hang of it, they work effortlessly.

Wireless Charging

While the FreeBuds Pro 2 can be charged via the USB-C cable, they also support Qi wireless charging.

Fit Level Detection

The earphones have a built-in function to analyze the best earplug size for your ears, helping you pick up the most suitable ones to enjoy better noise cancellation and a more immersive sound.

Performance & Audio Quality

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 supports LDAC high-resolution codec, and is certified both by HWA and Hi-Res Audio Wireless, supporting blazing-fast transmission of up to 990 kbps.

The audio quality is impressive. The FreeBuds Pro 2 features 11mm quad-magnet driver for bass and low notes and a planar diaphragm for the highs, which means the FreeBuds Pro 2 can reach a broader frequency range of 14Hz to 48kHz.

The earphones deliver a well-balanced audio quality, both in multimedia playback and during calls. The mids and treble are clear and the bass is satisfyingly deep and controlled without distortion, even at high volume levels. Overall, the sound feels better than on the Airpods Pro.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 features a bone conduction microphone, three additional microphones, and the Huawei-exclusive deep neural network (DNN) noise cancellation algorithm which has learned over 100 million voice samples to cancel out all manner of distraction, from noisy subway cars to windy conditions. Noise cancellation works very well and is capable of eliminating up to 47 dB and all of the preset modes work perfectly. The FreeBuds Pro 2 also feature a dynamic equalizer, based on the real-time signal changes received by the in-ear microphones, the equalizer adjusts automatically to keep sound balanced.

Pinch and swipe gestures are quickly recognized and work flawlessly once you get used to it. The FreeBuds Pro 2 comes packed with great hardware that work together to ensure exceptional sound quality without any external noise.

Connectivity and battery

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 uses Bluetooth 5.2 to pair with other devices. On Huawei devices, the earphones are instantly recognized. On other devices, pairing is done via a long-press of the pairing button on the right edge of the charging case.

The Bluetooth connectivity is stable without any delays between the devices, each earbud features two Bluetooth antennas ensuring good signal coverage.

The earphones themselves have a 55mAh capacity each and the charging case 580mAh. Depending on usage, the FreeBuds Pro 2 lasts between 3 to 4 hours with ANC enabled and 5 to 7 hours with it disabled.

With the charging case, total battery life can reach 30h of music playback with ANC off, and about 15h with ANC on. And for calls, up to 18h with the charging case and ANC off.

The earphones charge back in 40 minutes when placed in the charging case, and the case itself can be charged back in 60 minutes with the included cable. You can also use your smartphone or tablet to reverse-charge the charging case while you are on the go.

If you use a Huawei phone, it notifies you of the battery status every time you open the charging case.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 Verdict

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 offers everything you could want in a premium wireless earphone, including excellent noise cancellation, exceptional sound quality, and decent battery life. The new model also features IP54 rating compared to last year’s model.

One of the drawbacks is that there is no integration with virtual assistants such as Google, Alexa or Huawei’s own Celia. This means that there is no way to receive notifications or control other devices using your voice. And although the Freebuds Pro 2 are compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows devices, only Huawei phones running EMUI 12 or later can utilize the complete feature set