Update 1 (05/13/2020 @ 03:55 AM ET): Huawei has launched the FreeBuds 3 in India. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on September 7, 2019, is preserved below.
Huawei is taking the stage at IFA 2019 to announce some important devices in its portfolio. First up was the Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G flagship SoCs, one of which comes with an integrated modem, and which will find their way inside the upcoming Huawei Mate 30 series smartphones. Next up was the Huawei P30 Pro, which received dual-tone color finish options. At the event, Huawei also announced the FreeBuds 3: their newest wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation.
The Huawei FreeBuds 3 are visually identical to the Apple Airpods, and the similarities are very obvious in the design of the earbuds, though the charging case sees some variance. The earbuds individually weigh just 4.5g each, while the charging case weighs 48g on its own.
The FreeBuds 3 employ HiSilicon's Kirin A1 Bluetooth chipset that lets it enjoy dual-mode Bluetooth 5.1 and BLE 5.1 connectivity support, as well as allowing the FreeBuds 3 pair to deliver true stereo sound simultaneously yet independently with a claimed latency as low as 190ms. The earbuds come with a high-sensitivity 14mm dynamic driver.
The standout feature on these earbuds is the fact that they come with active noise cancellation, promising to eliminate background noise and enhance voice output during calls, despite being an open-fit style earbuds. The built-in bone voice sensor also helps pick up your voice better and reduce ambient sound around it. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) can also be controlled by double-tapping the left earbud.
For charging, the Huawei FreeBuds 3 relies on its rounded charging case to provide up to 20 hours of battery life with its 410mAh battery, and 4 hours of music playback by themselves through their individual 30mAh battery. You can charge the case with a USB Type-C cable, or wirelessly through a wireless charger or a phone with reverse wireless charging. The earbuds and case come in Ceramic White and Carbon Black color variants. Pricing and market availability have not been announced, but we reckon these will see marketing centered around the Huawei Mate 30 series.
Update: Huawei FreeBuds 3 launched in India for ₹12,990
Huawei has finally launched the FreeBuds 3 in India. Available in White, Black, and Red colors, these Bluetooth earbuds from Huawei with active noise cancellation will be an Amazon.in-exclusive. They are priced at ₹12,990. The earbuds will go on sale from May 20, 2020 onwards. Huawei is also offering the CP61 Wireless Charger with the earbuds.