Since the launch of the first generation AirPods, many companies have come together to launch their own wireless headphones. Huawei is one of them with its Huawei FreeBuds Lite that came to the market to compete against the AirPods 2. In this article we compare both headphones.
Technical specifications
If you look at the technical differences of both headphones, you can see both differences and similarities. In terms of dimensions and weight there is a lot of similarity between the two accessories. But where we will see a clear difference in this regard is the presence or not of the pads. In the following table you can see all these technical data that we will be commenting on.
| AirPods 2 | Huawei FreeBuds Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | In-ear without ear pads | In-ear with ear pads |
| Weight | 4g each and 38g charging case | 5.5 g and 45.5 g charging base |
| Resistance | No water resistance | IPX4 |
| Autonomy | 5 hours on a single charge and more than 24 hours with the charging case | 3 hours and 12 hours with charging base |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Price | € 179 | € 119.99 |
Design
As soon as you see the Free Buds Lite it is impossible not to think about the AirPods. Clearly Huawei has been inspired by Apple‘s headphones to be able to create their own, although they wanted to reflect the brand on them so that they can be easily differentiated. Although they have arrived in different colors such as black and white, the design similarities with the AirPods 2 are more than evident.
Where there is clearly a difference is in the use of the pads . In the AirPods 2 Apple opted for a placement of the headphones in the ear that can be somewhat annoying, since it does not fit all ears, something that was solved in the Pro version. But Huawei in these Lite headphones did bet on the incorporation of pads so that they can fit perfectly to all ears, since the packaging includes several different sizes for you to choose from.
In the case of the headphones is where we can find the main difference at the design level. While Apple is committed to placing the AirPods vertically in the case, the FreeBuds Lite are placed horizontally. That is why both cases are not similar and the construction is different although both can be transported in a very simple way due to their small size. In addition, a small LED is included that informs the user of the status of the charge.
Something we miss in the AirPods 2 and that if you have the Huawei alternative is water resistance. The FreeBuds Lite include IPX4 resistance that protects them from splashes and sweat, making them ideal to wear while playing sports. This cannot be said about the AirPods that officially does not include this resistance to water or sweat.
Sound quality and connectivity
The pairing of both the AirPods 2 and the Huawei FreeBuds Lite with the device is quite good, being able to connect in both cases to Android or iPhone devices. No cut or latency is detected as there are no delays in sending sound to the headphones. But if we look at the type of connectivity, we see a difference since the Huawei headphones include Bluetooth 4.2 and AirPods 5.0. But keep in mind that AirPods work wonderfully with the entire Apple ecosystem, making it easy to link with different devices. This cannot be done with FreeBuds, which forces us to unlink them to re-link them.
We must bear in mind that we are not dealing with headband headphones, and this applies to the sound quality in comparison. Although in both devices we have a very good sound quality, if you are an expert in bass or bass you will surely see differences. It should also be borne in mind that Apple has worked intensively to improve the quality of calls and sound with different firmware updates, and thanks to its own processor it shows slightly higher than those of Huawei. Although as we say, the difference is quite subtle between both accessories.
Neither the AirPods 2 nor the Huawei FreeBuds Lite include active noise cancellation. But thanks to the pads that include the headphones from Huawei, a passive noise cancellation is achieved that the AirPods that do not include the pads do not have. This is a differentiating aspect, since if you are looking for noise cancellation, even if it is minimal, you will find it in Huawei headphones before in AirPods 2. Obviously it cannot be compared to active noise cancellation but you will get something thanks to the pads.
The microphone is located in the same situation in both cases, at the end of the pole. The quality of both microphones is quite acceptable although it can be seen that that of the AirPods is somewhat better, since with the passage of time and firmware updates it has been progressing towards improvement. In both cases the microphone tries to isolate the voice of the user to be able to have fluid conversations without noise from the environment or wind.
Battery
The battery is one of the great differentiators between the two devices and is also one of the most important features. These headphones are designed to be used for long periods of time without having to go through the charging base. The autonomy provided by the Huawei wireless headphones can be short, since with a charging room it will give 2 hours of use forcing us to go through the box on a recurring basis. But the charging base does not offer a large capacity either, since we can recharge the headphones a total of 3-4 times at most. This is why we will not be able to spend 24 hours playing music with the headphones, since at 12 hours the base must be connected to the power.
This does not happen with AirPods, as it offers a pretty good battery. AirPods with a single charge can last a total of 4-5 hours without having to go through the charging case. But here they do not stay, since with the case the autonomy is extended a total of 24 hours with an extremely fast charge. In addition, Apple offers the option of buying a wireless charging case so that it can be charged in Qi chargers.
When placing the headphones in their case, in both cases there is a magnetic system that will allow recharging. It must be said that in the case of the Huawei headphones, a better grip is achieved to guarantee that the recharge is carried out, since in the AirPods there are some occasions that it does not recharge too well.
Price
One of the most important aspects when opting for Huawei headphones or AirPods is undoubtedly the price. If you look at the official prices of the brand, the AirPods 2 are priced at € 179, while the FreeBuds at € 119.99. There is a considerable price difference and both headphones can be found on sale in different stores for a very interesting price. There are no limitations when choosing between them, since both can be used on iOS and Android devices. It will depend on whether the pads are more or less comfortable for you and if you have other Apple devices.