Review Verdict: While it loses a key flagship TWS feature, the FreeBuds Pro 4 stands out for its solid ANC performance that can rival noise-cancelling headphones. Aside from its excellent dual driver setups, the FreeBuds Pro 4 is one of the few TWS earbuds I’d recommend if you love listening to lossless audio wirelessly.

Pros

• Best in class ANC
• Solid audio quality even while streaming lossless music
• Controls are very intuitive

Cons

• Battery life could’ve been better
• Wireless charging has been omitted

To kick in 2025, HUAWEI is bringing over its top-end TWS earbuds to the Philippines with the FreeBuds Pro 4. While it may sound cliche that HUAWEI’s top-end wireless audio products can rival Apple’s AirPods Pro, the FreeBuds Pro 4 might have what it takes to make it as good–or even better–than Apple’s current premium TWS offering.

I’ve used the FreeBuds Pro 4 for a few weeks which includes a roundtrip flight to Singapore and walking around the busy streets of Manila, Baguio, and Singapore during the holidays. Are the FreeBuds Pro 4 the best TWS earbuds in their class?

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 Review: Design

HUAWEI is consistent with the overall design of its FreeBuds Pro line, and the same goes for the FreeBuds 4 Pro with its frosted finish and HUAWEI branding at the hinge area. This time, you get gold accents on the lip of the lid, along with speaker grilles at the bottom for audible alerts. The green colorway is refreshing, though it’s sad that HUAWEI removed wireless charging on the FreeBuds Pro 4.

The earbuds themselves look similar to previous FreeBuds Pro models, though you also get the same gold accents on them, along with a symbol representing HUAWEI Sound on the stems. You also get an additional set of grills on the side of each earbud that’s essential for its ANC feature–and I think they are arguably the best in their class. More on that later.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 Review: User Interface and Fit

Setting up the FreeBuds Pro 4 is done through HUAWEI’s AI Life app, and it has one of the most comprehensive set of customization options you can get for a pair of TWS earbuds. Aside from the usual options you get for the usual pair of TWS, the AI Life app gives you a generous set of options for tweaking the controls of the FreeBuds Pro.

What makes the Freebuds Pro 4’s controls a charm is that you get pinch, tap, and swipe controls–and they are easy and intuitive to use, even first-time users will not have a hard time adapting to them. Having a versatile set of controls also means that you can control both music playback and volume without using your phone–a nice plus if you want to be discrete with your music listening habits in public.

Other options you can toggle on the FreeBuds 4 Pro include ANC strength, HUAWEI Sound profiles (instead of equalizer presets), ear tip fit tests, and a find my earbuds/case feature in case you misplace them. The amount of tweaks you can do with the FreeBuds Pro 4 makes them well-justified for a pair of premium TWS earbuds.

As for the overall ergonomics and fit, they are the same as previous FreeBuds Pro iterations–not the best overall, but comfortable enough for long listening sessions. Aside from the preinstalled silicone tips, you also get a pair of memory foam tips and silicone tips (in different sizes) if you are looking for a better fit.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 Review: Audio Quality and Battery Life

Before we talk about the FreeBuds Pro 4’s best-in-class ANC performance, it’s worth talking about its overall audio quality as one of the best I’ve tried on a pair of TWS earbuds. Aside from its dual driver setup, what makes the FreeBuds Pro 4 excel is how it streams lossless music with HUAWEI’s ecosystem. Using the FreeBuds Pro 4 with the Pura 70 Ultra, I fully appreciate the quality lossless audio files of Apple Music.

Whether I was listening to Itzy’s Imaginary Friend, Aespa’s Whiplash, Taylor Swift’s 22, or Kendrick Lamar’s Squabble Up, the FreeBuds Pro 4’s driver layout gives depth to the music tracks I’m listening to, resulting in a fuller soundstage as compared to the usual TWS that settle for a single driver setup.

ANC is the main selling point of the FreeBuds Pro 4, with HUAWEI claiming they can cancel as much as 100db of noise. Having used them extensively both in the Philippines and Singapore, I can attest that these are the best noise-cancelling TWS I have ever used. The ANC is so strong, that I practically can’t hear any voices from people speaking inside a crowded bus going back to VivoCity from Sentosa Island.

One thing to note about the FreeBuds Pro 4’s ANC is that it is so strong that I had to switch to Awareness Mode when crossing streets to keep myself aware of cars passing by.

The FreeBuds Pro 4’s ANC is one of the best I’ve tried inside a plane–it managed to filter the majority of the engine noise outside, along with the crying babies for the whole duration of the flight. As someone who prefers to use noise-cancelling headphones for plane flights, the FreeBuds Pro 4 is a great compact alternative.

Battery life is average for TWS earbuds: with ANC enabled, the FreeBuds Pro 4 lasted me for the whole flight from Manila to Singapore–which is approximately 4 hours–with around 12% battery left as the plane touched down Changi airport. That makes the FreeBuds Pro 4 adequate for your usual short-to-mid-haul flight. You don’t get wireless charging with the FreeBuds Pro 4, but charging them via USB-C took us less than 2 hours for a full charge on the case and earbuds.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 Review: Wrap-up and Conclusions

HUAWEI has made notable improvements on the FreeBuds Pro 4 in both ANC performance and audio quality, and I think they have what it takes to be the TWS earbuds to beat this 2025. It’s one of the best TWS earbuds I’ve tried and one that can be a proper rival to the AirPods Pro 2.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 Review: Price

The FreeBuds Pro 4 is priced at Php 10,999.