Huawei has never shied away from experimenting with bold, avant-garde designs for its consumer tech products. The Chinese company’s latest wireless earbuds, the FreeClip, are no exception, boasting a strikingly unconventional aesthetic that is sure to turn heads and spark questions from curious onlookers.
The Alien Aesthetic
At first glance, the FreeClip seems like something straight out of a sci-fi film. Rather than traditional in-ear or over-ear buds, Huawei has crafted an “open-ear” design consisting of three distinct components: the Comfort Bean that nestles behind the ear, the Acoustic Ball that rests near (but not in) the ear canal, and the flexible C-Bridge that connects the two. This peculiar form factor immediately sets the FreeClip apart from virtually every other pair of wireless earbuds on the market.
Slipping the FreeClip buds on takes some getting used to, as you essentially clip them onto the outer edge of your ear like futuristic ear cuffs. It’s an undeniably awkward process at first, but once you get the hang of positioning them properly, they prove remarkably comfortable for extended wear. The lack of any in-ear intrusion is tremendously freeing, allowing you to remain keenly aware of your surroundings at all times.
Functional, But Flawed
While the FreeClip’s unconventional design excels in the comfort department, its sound quality underwhelms. There’s an unmistakable tinniness to the audio output, lacking the warmth, depth and overall musicality one expects from premium wireless earbuds in this R3999.00 price range. Bass presence is severely lacking, and details often get muddied, especially at higher volumes. Trying to enjoy podcasts or bass-heavy music proves an exercise in futility, as the openness that allows environmental noise in also causes audio to leak out, further degrading clarity.
To Huawei’s credit, the FreeClip offers decent noise reduction for calls courtesy of its bone conduction microphones. However, voice quality still sounds somewhat grating and artificial compared to the best wireless earbuds we’ve tested. Battery life is a relative bright spot, with the buds themselves lasting up to 8 hours per charge and the included charging case providing an additional 28 hours when topped up.
The included AI Life app does allow you to toggle between various EQ presets in an attempt to tweak the sound profile, but the effects are minimal at best. A user-customisable EQ would have gone a long way towards letting you tailor the audio to your personal preferences.
Not Quite Revolutionary
For all its avant-garde design flair, the Huawei FreeClip doesn’t quite stick the landing when it comes to delivering a compelling audio experience on par with the best wireless earbuds out there. Comfort is certainly a strong suit thanks to the open-ear concept, but you’ll have to seriously lower your expectations in the sound quality department.
If staying mindful of your surroundings is paramount and top-notch audio fidelity is less of a priority, the FreeClip could be an intriguing – if imperfect – option worth considering. But for most users seeking a great all-around audio experience, you’re likely better off exploring traditional in-ear or over-ear wireless earbuds from the competition. Huawei’s bold vision ultimately outshines the FreeClip’s execution.
