Huawei has announced its latest flagship wireless earbuds, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5. Positioned as a competitor to Apple’s upcoming AirPods Pro 3, this new model boasts several cutting-edge features and comes with a price tag of $200.
The FreeBuds Pro 5 is notable for being the first in-ear earbuds that use a dual-unit, dual-channel active noise cancellation system. It uses two acoustic units to generate opposing sound waves, effectively reducing ambient noise. Its audio performance includes a low-frequency range down to 10 Hz with an ultra-linear dual-magnet circuitry and a fine micro-planar tweeter capable of extending frequencies up to 48 kHz.
The model’s most striking technical feature is its support for NearLink Audio technology, leveraging the Kirin A3 processor for a physical transmission speed of up to 16 Mbps. The earbuds also offer dual-band communication over the 2.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands, enhancing connectivity reliability in signal-heavy environments like subways, trains, or airports.
Moreover, the FreeBuds Pro 5 supports L2HC5.0 codec for zero-latency audio transmission at a rate of 4.6 Mbps with a sampling frequency up to 96kHz/24-bit. On the noise cancellation front, a new MIMO AI model can instantly detect ambient noise and automatically adjust noise reduction levels accordingly, improving noise cancellation efficiency by 220 percent compared to previous models.
The battery life of the FreeBuds Pro 5 is impressive: up to 6 hours with active noise cancellation on or 9 hours without. With its charging case included, it can provide a total usage time of up to 33 hours. The earbuds are also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance.
Additional features include intelligent sound level adjustment, two-way silent calls, advanced recording functionality, high-speed data transfer via Star-shine connection, AI summarization, and hands-free mode powered by AI.
