TECH REVIEW – On paper, the Huawei FreeBuds 7i deliver exactly what you would expect from a modern pair of noise-canceling true wireless earbuds: intelligent ANC, spatial audio, LDAC support and a handful of smart extras. In practice, you get light, comfortable, IP54-rated in-ear earbuds that can stand shoulder to shoulder with much pricier rivals when it comes to noise reduction and overall experience. They are not flawless and they are not trying to be AirPods Pro, but within their own class they perform with surprising confidence.

When the black FreeBuds 7i review unit arrived, I barely had time to pull it out of the box before the earbuds were in my ears and a familiar playlist was playing. The first impression was less about the spec sheet and more about the basics: how naturally they sit in the ear, how intuitive the tap and swipe controls feel, and how quickly they reconnect to paired devices. After a few days of use it also became clear that the FreeBuds 7i deliver pretty much what the paper specs promise: the LDAC-capable Bluetooth 5.4 connection, dynamic ANC 4.0 and more than thirty hours of total battery life add up to exactly the kind of “not entry-level, not flagship” package you would hope for in this range.

Plenty Of Tech In A Compact In-Ear Package

In the in-ear segment that sits below the premium flagships, the Huawei FreeBuds 7i once again feel like they are punching above their weight. The previous models already proved themselves with solid technical foundations and a generous feature list, and now that set is expanded with head gesture recognition, spatial audio and head tracking. The latter still is not as smooth or as natural as what you get from the Cupertino rival, but when it comes to intelligent dynamic noise canceling and overall sound quality, the FreeBuds 7i have no reason to feel second-class next to significantly more expensive competitors.

They are available in black, white and pink, and at first glance they are almost indistinguishable from their predecessors. The shape and weight land right in that comfort zone where you do not feel like taking them out even after a full day of wear, and the four sizes of silicone ear tips in the box make it easy to find a size that seals properly. A secure fit matters not only for comfort, it also gives passive isolation a serious boost before the ANC even starts working.

The touch-sensitive area on the back of the stems strikes a good balance: it reliably registers taps and swipe gestures, but it is not so sensitive that every small adjustment triggers an unwanted command. The IP54 rating, meanwhile, means that a summer shower, a sweaty run or a dusty city street will not pose any serious risk to the earbuds.

Small Case, Surprisingly Serious Hardware

Inside, Huawei has equipped each earbud with an 11-millimeter quad-magnet dynamic driver, backed by a six-axis motion sensor for spatial audio and head tracking. These are joined by three external microphones and a bone-conduction microphone that work together to filter out ambient noise and keep voices clearer during calls. Every earbud also gets its own 8-millimeter vent channel, which forms part of the intelligent dynamic ANC 4.0 system and helps tame troublesome frequencies before they reach your ear canal.

The earbuds live in a compact charging case that slips easily into a pocket and charges over USB-C. There is no wireless charging, which is still an acceptable omission at this level, especially given that in everyday use your opinion of the product will not hinge on that single missing perk.

For connectivity, the FreeBuds 7i use Bluetooth 5.4 with a range of roughly 10 to 12 meters that remains stable even through two rooms. Supported codecs include SBC and AAC, and Huawei has also added LDAC, so with a compatible playback device you can enjoy high-resolution audio streams. On top of that, there is Huawei’s own L2HC 2.0 codec which, when used with Huawei devices, promises improved transmission quality and enables a convenient pop-up pairing window. Thanks to multipoint support, the earbuds can connect to two devices at once, letting you switch in seconds from a movie on a laptop to an incoming phone call.

In terms of endurance, the FreeBuds 7i are rated for up to 35 hours of listening time without ANC when you include the case, a figure that is backed up in real-world use. A quick 10-minute top-up in the case can deliver up to four hours of music, which makes it easy to squeeze in an emergency charge before heading out on a busy day.

Features And Companion App

The Huawei AI Life app, available on Android and iOS, is what really unlocks the full feature set of the FreeBuds 7i. This is where you can adjust noise canceling across four levels – dynamic, cozy, balanced and ultra – to decide how aggressively the system should clamp down on the outside world. The dynamic mode automatically adapts to your surroundings, which proves especially useful on public transport or in a noisy open-plan office.

Spatial audio has its own section in the app, with four predefined profiles (standard, theatre, cinema, concert hall), and for each of them you can decide whether head tracking should be active. The EQ tab offers six factory presets and, for anyone who likes to tweak, a ten-band custom equalizer that lets you shape the sound signature exactly to your taste.

There is no shortage of bonus features either. A fit test helps ensure that the ear tips are sealing correctly, gesture controls can be freely customized, and the head gesture system adds a playful extra layer of control, letting you nod to accept a call or shake your head to reject it. The “find device” function can make a misplaced earbud emit a sound so you can track it down more easily, and the app is also used to install firmware updates and enable low-latency modes tuned for gaming.

ANC And Transparency Modes

Huawei’s dynamic ANC 4.0 solution is very convincing for this class, cutting everyday background noise by a clearly audible margin. It is particularly effective with low and mid-frequency hum, turning the general rumble of traffic and room noise into a much softer backdrop, while sudden, sharper sounds – like clattering cutlery or a screeching tram – can still poke through from time to time. Overall, however, the ANC does its job reliably and does not twist the sound signature in a dramatic way.

The one real weak spot of the FreeBuds 7i is wind sensitivity, even with ANC switched off. On a bike, the low rumble of the wind turns into more of a hiss once you enable ANC, which might be a bit easier to ignore, but can still be distracting for quieter podcasts or talk-heavy content. If you plan to use the earbuds a lot outdoors in windy conditions, this is something you should factor in.

The transparency mode, by contrast, sounds natural and low-noise, and does exactly what you want it to do: it lets through important sounds like PA announcements on a train or a quick conversation at the store without forcing you to take the earbuds out. There is also a speech-focused setting, but in practice it does not make spoken word dramatically clearer than the standard transparency mode, so it feels more like a subtle fine-tuning option than a true showpiece feature.

The Sound Of The Huawei FreeBuds 7i

With the default tuning, the FreeBuds 7i deliver a clean, pleasantly balanced sound in which the midrange can occasionally step a little forward. When that happens, the bass can feel slightly restrained, as if it were one step behind the rest of the mix, but that is easy to correct in the EQ if you prefer a fuller, warmer presentation. The highs carry enough detail, but out of the box they are voiced more on the safe side than pushed aggressively bright.

Spatial audio noticeably widens the soundstage, making live concerts, acoustic sessions or movies feel more like sitting in a larger space. Not all of the more experimental profiles sound completely natural, but listeners who like to play with perceived space will find at least one setting that works for them. Head tracking generally works well at first, but during faster head movements the system sometimes needs a moment to catch up, and you can occasionally end up with the sound “stuck” on one side before it snaps back to the center. It is a pity, because if this were flawless it would add real value for both movies and games.

On calls, there is very little to complain about. The multi-mic array and bone-conduction microphone work together to keep your voice clear and intelligible even in louder environments. People on the other end reported that background noise was kept under control, which makes the FreeBuds 7i a solid option for phone calls and online meetings as well.

Mid-Range Earbuds That Can Stare Down The Flagships

In their own category, the Huawei FreeBuds 7i emerge as an easy recommendation. The combination of intelligent dynamic ANC, consistent sound quality and a surprisingly rich feature set sends a clear message that these in-ears are aimed at users who want “big-league” functionality without stepping all the way up to a flagship price tier.

If you can live without wireless charging, accept that the ANC is somewhat sensitive to wind and that head tracking still has room to mature, you get a genuine all-rounder you can happily use for commuting, office work, workouts and evening streaming sessions. In everyday use, the FreeBuds 7i are very likely to deliver more than you would expect just from glancing at the spec sheet and price.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-