Huawei Freebuds 3i Offers Two Things Galaxy Buds+ Can't

Truly Wireless Stereo or TWS earbuds have become more popular these days thanks to the orchestrated demise of the 3.5mm headphone jack and Apple's AirPods. Audio accessory makers have been scrambling to a variety of products covering a wide range of capabilities and prices but few can be considered to be successful in striking a balance between all of those. Huawei, however, may have stumbled on the formula that could make its new FreeBuds 3i the cream of the TWS earbuds crop.

It's interesting that Huawei decided to call it the FreeBuds 3i, suggesting that it's a minor refresh of last year's FreeBuds 3. That is pretty hard to believe considering how significantly different the designs of the buds and even the case are. To some extent, Huawei is half-moving away from the AirPods design, keeping the same stem-based structure but changing the buds themselves.

Inside, however, there admittedly some similar traits, specifically the presence of active noise cancellation or ANC. Such a feature is notably absent from more affordable earbuds but even the new Samsung Galaxy Buds+ doesn't have it at all. It also uses a three-mic system to pick up your voice from the outside as well as inside your ear to enhance the quality as needed.

The Huawei FreeBuds 3i is equipped with a 10mm driver, much smaller than its predecessors 14mm. Touch controls easily let you tap your way through your music or calls and a 3.5-hour battery life, up to 14.5 hours with the case, promises little downtime for those activities. And if you have a Huawei phone, pairing and connecting are even more seamless.

Despite all those features, the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is selling for 90 GBP, roughly $110. It might be a small saving from the Galaxy Buds+'s $150 but, considering the latter doesn't even have ANC, the gap between the two is almost too stark.