Huawei Freebuds 5 unveiled, with killer specs and a unique design

While the design may be a bit marmite, the spec sheet is anything but

The Huawei Freebuds 5 being worn by a person, sat on a sofa
(Image credit: Huawei)

If you're in the market for a pair of the best wireless earbuds, you may find yourself overwhelmed with options. There are a whole heap of really great headphones on the market right now, and at increasingly competitive prices.

Sure, we all know about the Sony XF-X1000XM4, complete with a circa £200 RRP, but you don't have to break the bank for great option anymore. I recently used the Nothing Ear (2) and was blown away with the sound quality, design and feature set – particularly when they retail at just £129.

Now, Huawei are looking to get in the mix, with their newly unveiled Huawei Freebuds 5. The latest earbuds from the brand take on a new appearance, and put right some of our biggest spec sheet gripes from the Huawei Freebuds 4. The Freebuds 5 are set to retail at £159, and come in three colour variants – Ceramic White, Silver Frost and Coral Orange.

So, what's new? First things first, there's a 30-hour battery life listed. That's a giant leap up from the previous generation, and puts these earbuds right in the mix. Low-end frequency response is also given a boost, with Huawei claiming that these can handle frequencies as low as 16Hz. 

If true, that is seriously impressive. This half-in ear style of headphone is notorious for losing bass frequencies – without a firm seal within your ear canal, they just can't keep it in. For that reason alone, I'm slightly dubious of Huawei's claim, though I would be very happy to be proven wrong.

Elsewhere, adaptive EQ optimises the audio based on a variety of measurements, such as ear canal shape, wearing status and volume level. That all happens in real-time, too, ensuring optimal sound quality.

Of course, the biggest change is in the design of the buds themselves. It's... different, and certainly unique, though I can see it being a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it choice. I also can't shake the resemblance to a kidney bean from my mind.

Eccentric design aside, though, these sound like a remarkably good pair of earbuds. I'm keen to try a pair – mostly to put those claims about the low-end to the test.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.