Huawei's FreeBuds 4E for 2024: significant improvements in battery life and noise reduction

We have become accustomed to frequent launches of new devices. New versions of smartphones, headphones and smartwatches hit the market virtually every year. Following a two-year break, Huawei has now introduced an updated version of the FreeBuds 4E model. What exactly has the Chinese manufacturer improved in this year's model?

The launch of the new Huawei FreeBuds 4E headphones for 2024 brought about subtle changes in their appearance. The first look at the promotional materials reveals these modifications. Regrettably, the vivid red colour option has vanished from the offerings, a disappointment considering it had much more personality than the white or graphite versions.

The headphone configuration stays the same. The 2024 Huawei FreeBuds 4E are an earbud model, preferred by many. Not all of us like in-ear headphones that need to be inserted deep into the ear. Huawei FreeBuds 4E are among the limited range of "True Wireless Stereo" (TWS) headphones of this type available in the market. Large drivers installed in each headphone, about 1.42 cm in diameter, ensure a wide sound transmission band, reaching up to 4 kHz.

The headphones come with an enhanced noise reduction system, named ANC 2.0, using Huawei's exclusive ENC technology, designed to eliminate unwanted ambient noise. Users can adjust the operation of the ANC system using a mobile app. These headphones can connect to the sound source via Bluetooth 5.2, and can even connect to two devices simultaneously.

The 2024 FreeBuds 4E model received an upgraded battery, resulting in a longer operating time - now up to 26 hours with ANC turned off and up to 17 hours with the noise reduction function activated. There's been a notable improvement compared to its predecessor, the battery of which offered up to 22 hours of operation without ANC and just 14 hours with ANC. On a journey, when the headphone battery is diminishing, each additional hour of music playback can be precious.

The battery capacity of the charging case has also increased, although the headphone battery itself remains unchanged, providing up to 4 hours of music listening without needing to be charged in the case. With ANC activated, the operating time decreases to 2.5 hours, which isn't an impressive result when compared to some competitors who offer double this.

Charging the headphones, after housing them in the charging case, takes 40 minutes, while the case itself can be fully charged within an hour.

The price of the 2024 Huawei FreeBuds 4E model remains unchanged and is 699 yuan (about £58) in China, making them an appealing option for people looking for earbud wireless headphones with a charging case.

The headphones retain their IP65 water-resistance certification and touch panels for gesture control, highlighting their functionality and resilience to external conditions.