Huawei FreeBuds 3i vs. FreeBuds 3 - What’s new - Android

Photo: Huawei. The Huawei FreeBuds 3i forgo some premium features, but are more affordable than the FreeBuds 3.

The Huawei FreeBuds 3i take a hard swing at the cheap true wireless market. Today, we’re directing this comparison between last year’s FreeBuds 3 and the new Huawei FreeBuds 3i. Both are great headsets, so let’s see which is best for you.

Read: Huawei FreeBuds 3 review: No more AirPods envy

What are the main differences between the Huawei FreeBuds 3i and Huawei FreeBuds 3?

Photo: Huawei. The FreeBuds 3i USB-C charging case doesn’t support wireless charging.

Let’s start with the glaring differences between the earphones, the most apparent of which are the distinguished nozzles found on the Huawei FreeBuds 3i that are absent from the FreeBuds 3. Not only does this facilitate a more secure, stable fit in a wider swath of listeners’ ears, but it also yields improved audio quality. The FreeBuds 3i silicone ear tips create a seal to the ear canal, and passively block out environmental noise.

Without getting too into the nerdy details of it all, this reduction of background noise makes it easier for you to hear more detail from your music. The open-earbud design of the FreeBuds 3 and standard AirPods, by way of comparison, allows in external noise which degrades sound quality. This isn’t always a bad thing, though: some people want to remain aware of their surroundings; vigilance is particularly important when crossing busy streets or exercising outdoors. When it comes to raw audio quality, though, a nozzle design will always outperform one without nozzles.

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Now, for all we know, Huawei may have absolutely tanked the frequency response of the FreeBuds 3i, but that’s unlikely to be the case. The company moved away from the 14mm drivers and dedicated bass tube, opting instead for a 10mm dynamic driver system. Sure, it may appear simple, but that’s a good thing: it allows the housings to be slimmer and frees up space for larger battery cells.

The new FreeBuds have better noise-cancelling

Photo: Huawei. Silicone ear tips create a cogent seal and block out noise more effectively than the FreeBuds 3i.

The 2019 FreeBuds 3 debuted with adaptive noise-cancelling technology that promised up to 15dB of attenuation. This is one of those specs that reads well on paper but under delivers in practice. While Huawei’s noise-reduction claims technically proved true, it was only for very high frequencies. Effective noise-cancelling headphones are able to attenuate sound across the frequency spectrum, including low rumbles from your washing machine all the way up to and beyond cubicle chatter.

We’ll update you with information once available, but suffice to say the new FreeBuds 3i have more effective active noise-cancelling properties because of the nozzles. If it seems like I’m harping on the new design in this comparison, it’s because I am. Ear tips and a proper seal make a world of difference, and one that permeates every aspect of sound quality. This revamp in build is a big deal between the two headsets.

Battery life is better with the FreeBuds 3

10/05/2020 03:00 PM

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