HUAWEI Freebuds 6i review: a new standard for TWS headphones?

Last year, we wrote about headphones Huawei FreeBuds 5i. And now we have reached the successor model of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i, which was released in Ukraine in the summer. The manufacturer promises good battery life, Hi-Res certification, and with it improved bass and noise reduction, but the design has hardly been touched. We have already tested these new TWS headphones and are ready to draw our own conclusions.

Technical specifications of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i

Type	In-channel
Drivers	11 mm dynamic drivers with triple magnets
Connection	Wireless via Bluetooth 5.3
Audio codecs	AAC, SBC, LDAC, L2HC 2.0
Certification	Wireless Hi-Res
Frequency range	14 Hz — 40 kHz
Kodeks	AAC, SBC, LDAC, L2HC 2.0
Microphones	Three microphones and DNN algorithm
Noise reduction	Yes, active (Intelligent Dynamic ANC 3.0)
Battery	55 mAh earphone, 510 mAh case
Working hours	Up to 8 hours without ANC and 35 hours with a case
Charging time	Headphones in the case for 40 minutes, charging the case for — 60 minutes
Protection	YES, IP54
Dimensions	31.4 × 21.3 × 23.7 mm, case — 48.2 × 61.8 × 27.0 mm
Weight	Headphones — 5.4 grams, case — 34 grams

Packaging and equipment

The headphone box is compact, white with a photo of the device and a thin red stripe.

Inside are the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6i headphones in a case, documentation, a set of ear pads, and a short USB-C cable.

Design and ergonomics of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i

Since the days of HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i, the design of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i has not changed at all. Although the same can be said about Huawei FreeBuds 4i. The case of the model is still oblong-oval and made of glossy plastic. Its dimensions are 48.2×61.8×27.0 mm, and it weighs 34 grams.

On the front we see the HUAWEI inscription and a charging indicator below it. At the bottom is a USB Type-C port, and behind it we see the hidden hinges of the lid.

The lid of the case is easy to open with one hand and has a slight backlash. But this is true for the lids of most TWS headphones that we have reviewed. The earbuds themselves sit securely in the case and do not fall out, even if you shake them hard.

The headphones are in-ear and have a short leg, similar to AirPods. They weigh 5.4 grams each and measure 31.4×21.3×23.7 mm. The headphone body has holes for microphones and sensors, as well as places for charging from the case.

We reviewed HUAWEI Freebuds 6i in white, but there are also black and purple ones on sale. The white version does not show any dust or signs of use, but this may not be true for the other two colors. For example, the black one will definitely show something.

Features of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i are equipped with 11 mm ultra-magnetic dynamic drivers. The frequency range is 14 — 40,000 Hz, there is support for Hi-Res Audio and a game mode with ultra-low signal delay. A good set of codecs is available in the form of AAC, SBC, LDAC and L2HC 2.0.

The audio device has Intelligent Dynamic ANC 3.0 active noise cancellation, which is created by three microphones on each earbud. They promise noise reduction of up to 27 dB and 34 noise recognition scenarios. Of course, there is also a «transparent» mode that transmits ambient sounds to the headphones and allows you to hear both music and sounds around you.

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i can connect to two devices simultaneously. Switching is fast, and although the headphones are connected to two gadgets at the same time, the sound is played only from the one on which the user is currently watching something, playing, or talking to someone.

TWS headphones work with the HUAWEI Al Life proprietary application. This is a modern program with many features. It allows you to control the charge of the headphones and the case, turn on various available noise reduction modes or switch to «transparent» mode, customize the headphones for yourself, update them, and more. There are also various sound effects and the ability to change the controls. By default, the touch controls recognize the following gestures:

• Double tap to play/pause/end a call
• Triple tap is the previous / next song
• Press and hold to turn on/off or activate the Notification Mode
• Swipe up/down to adjust the volume

In HUAWEI Al Life, you can also select a manual equalizer, apply existing sound presets, check the fit of the headphones, and find them using the «Find Headphones» function if one is lost somewhere.

Sound and microphone of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i have a rich sound with soft but distinctive bass. It is the low and high frequencies that are most detailed, but the middle is not so well-developed. That is, «out of the box» TWS headphones are probably no longer universal, but are designed for genres of music where bass is important. Nevertheless, it’s nice to watch movies and TV shows or YouTube videos in them — the sound is surround and bass, and voices stand out well.

I also recommend playing around with the available sound presets, which really have a strong impact on the sound character, and not just take up space in the app for a checkmark, as is sometimes the case. If you listen to different styles of music, it will really help you find a more suitable sound format, emphasize the middle and reduce the bass if necessary, etc.

The microphone is just fine and has a noise-canceling function. It works well, but, of course, up to a certain point. Therefore, it muffles noises of medium volume, but at the same time distorts the voice, which is normal for such a function in all headphone microphones.

Autonomous operation of HUAWEI Freebuds 6i

Each HUAWEI Freebuds 6i earbud has a 55 mAh battery, and the case has a 510 mAh battery. The manufacturer promises up to 8 hours of operation on a single charge without using ANC, and with the case, this time increases to 35 hours.

In fact, this is how it turned out, at a volume of 20-40% and periodic increases to 80%. This was enough for a whole day of work, and even after it. With active noise control in the same scenario, I got about 4.5 hours. These are just adequate battery life results, but modern competitors’ models hold a charge much longer.

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i did not receive a wireless charging function, but it has fast charging. In 10 minutes of charging, the headphones will work for four hours. If you charge the case and headphones from 0 to 100%, it will take up to 45 minutes.

User experience

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i are good modern headphones with their own peculiarities. If you like the classic egg-shaped case design and short legs, you’ll love this model.

I liked the sound. It’s not universal for music, but rather stands out with bass, and thanks to presets, it can be suitable for different genres, which is cool for this segment. In terms of listening to videos or TV shows, the standard sound will do.

It’s good that the function of simultaneous connection to two devices and its quick switching was introduced. I’m also pleased with the sensors, thanks to which the headphones recognize when they are taken off or put back on and pause. Both features greatly increase the comfort and ease of use, which has a serious impact on the overall positive experience.

The headphones have a good noise-canceling system with different modes. However, I hardly noticed the difference, so I always used the strongest type. The «transparent» mode also works well.

I also liked the app. It’s a modern, user-friendly program with many functions and features, and it has a minimalist, neat design with clear navigation.

The battery life is a minor disadvantage because it hasn’t changed at all since HUAWEI Freebuds 5i, and now competitors can boast of greater autonomy. And that’s a bigger problem because owners of the previous generation shouldn’t upgrade to a new one at all, and competitors sometimes have better performance. Therefore, the calculation here is only for new users, and they still need to be convinced to buy HUAWEI Freebuds 6i.

As for falling out, in my case, HUAWEI Freebuds 6i passed the test of chewing food, but still sometimes fell out. That is, in general, the fit in my ears is good, but it could be better. However, yours may be better or worse, but in general, this is an in-ear model, and they all stay in your ears much better than earbuds due to the design features.

Touch controls are adequate. There was a phantom press once or twice, and this is now a new standard in similar models because they made the sensor less sensitive and removed one-touch gestures. So there are no problems with this.

After OPPO Enco X3i lacks the spatial sound that I liked, but the price tag is 1000 hryvnias more expensive. So it’s up to everyone to choose what’s more important to them.

Price and competitors

HUAWEI Freebuds 6i is sold at a price of 3090 UAH, and in my opinion, this is a good price for such headphones with their capabilities and sound quality.

The main competitor of the model is last year’s HUAWEI Freebuds 5i, and there is almost no difference. Among the competitors of other brands, pay attention to OPPO Enco X3i , and they even have competitors here. For example, Nothing Ear (a), Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Realme Buds Air 6 Pro and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.