The Freebuds Pro 4 shine with excellent active noise cancellation, high voice quality during phone calls and very good sound. In addition, it is very comfortable to wear and has successful controls. The price of the earphones is fair, but their predecessors, which are almost as powerful, are available for significantly cheaper.
If you're looking for top-notch Bluetooth earphones, the Huawei Freebuds Pro 4 is an attractive new option. The plugs can compete with the best competitors in almost every respect and offer strong value for money.
Plugs for all cases
Huawei has changed little visually; apart from the new colors, the Freebuds Pro 4, which are protected against splash water and dust according to IP54, look like their predecessors. There's nothing wrong with that, because the design, copied from Apple's Airpods Pro, is characterized by a high level of comfort and a secure fit at the same time. The newcomers go one step further by not only including silicone attachments in four different sizes, but also three alternatives made of memory foam.


The plugs sit comfortably but securely in the ear.
(Photo: Huawei)
The excellent control of the earphones, each weighing 5.8 grams, is also exemplary and offers many options without being complicated. To achieve this, Huawei has combined three techniques: You press the Freebuds' sticks once, twice or three times to pause playback or skip forward or back a song. If you press it longer, you can switch between active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode or listen without the effect.
Successful control
Alternatively, you can double-tap on the outside for one of the functions or start a digital assistant. You can adjust the volume by sliding two fingers up or down over the sticks.


The controls can only be partially adjusted in the app.
(Photo: kwe)
You can also choose between pressing and swiping when making phone calls. What's new here is the ability to accept or reject calls with a nod or shake of the head, as with the Airpods Pro. This works quite reliably if you carry out the gestures clearly.
Great sound
The sound of the Freebuds Pro 4 is a little better than its predecessors; the combination of 11 millimeter drivers and upstream tweeter covers a frequency range from 14 Hertz to 48 kilohertz. The bass is impressively powerful and reaches deep. But they don't overdo it and don't interfere in the important matters of the mids, which set the tone on the wide stereo stage in a clearly defined manner.
The highs are crystal clear and rich in detail. This is especially true when ANC is deactivated, which makes the sound a little more airy. Overall, the sound in standard mode is very good for all styles of music. In the associated app you can also choose different modes, for example to highlight voices. An equalizer is also available for personal settings.


The earphones can be quickly refueled in the case, which weighs around 47 grams.
(Photo: kwe)
For Android smartphones, you have to download the application directly from Huawei as an APK file, which could put some users off. However, this is not dangerous and you can revoke the necessary permissions immediately after installation.
ANC and call quality excellent
The top feature of the Freebuds Pro 4 is their extremely effective active noise cancellation. It not only reliably attenuates uniform noise in trains or airplanes. Keyboard clattering, nearby conversations or construction site noise are also significantly less audible when ANC is activated. You can adjust the effect in three levels, but this is not necessary as the dynamic adjustment works excellently.
The noise suppression during phone calls is also excellent, with your own voice being recorded by three microphones plus a bone conduction sensor. Even in very noisy environments, conversations are possible with the Freebuds Pro.
The transparency mode isn't bad either, but it's not a particular highlight. You can easily carry on conversations with it, especially when the optional voice mode is activated. But like with other earphones, you don't almost feel like you don't have any plugs in your ears.
Average endurance
The Freebuds Pro 4 support Bluetooth 5.2 and can be connected to two devices at the same time. For higher-resolution music files, the earphones support transmission via LDAC; in combination with Huawei smartphones, the in-house codec L2HC 4.0 is also available.
With a running time of around five hours with ANC activated, the plugs are not long-term runners; many competitors last much longer. Normally, five hours are easily enough if you occasionally put the earphones in their box, as they are charged quickly. It takes about 40 minutes to fill up completely empty earphones. With noise cancellation activated, the case offers reserves of around 22 hours. The box itself can be charged in just under an hour; inductively it takes around two and a half hours.
Conclusion
The Huawei Freebuds Pro 4 are among the best Bluetooth earphones currently available. They are first class when it comes to phone calls, their ANC is outstanding and their sound is very good. The slight lack of endurance can be forgiven given the comparatively low price of 200 euros. However, there are a number of other strong earphones that are similarly priced or even cost a little less, especially the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro for around 180 euros. The predecessors Freebuds Pro 3 are also an interesting alternative. They are almost as good, but currently only cost just under 160 euros.