Huawei unveils FreeLace wireless earbuds w/ 9.2mm drivers, IPX5 water/sweat resistance

Damien Wilde | Mar 26 2019 - 7:09 am PT

Alongside its new Huawei P30 series of smartphones, Huawei has today also announced a new set of wireless earbuds with FreeLace.

These earbuds are designed with sports and exercise in mind, coming with an over-the-shoulder design that means they are much less likely to go missing.

The design almost mimics that of the BeatsX earbuds that bear the Beats by Dre moniker. But unlike BeatsX, the Huawei FreeLace wireless earbuds are designed with USB-C devices in mind.

To pair, gone are complicated or inconsistent pairing procedures and in comes the power of the USB-C port. You simply plug the earbuds into your device and voila, they’re connected. That said, you can also use the traditional method to wirelessly pair if you wish.

This USB-C connection is also used for charging purposes, with a quick plug into your smartphone providing 4 hours of audio playback with just 5 minutes of charging. As for total battery life, the claim is that the Huawei FreeLace earphones can manage 18 hours of continuous playback on a single charge.

Audio is provided by the 9.2mm titanium-plated drivers, which should result in reasonably solid audio for anyone that simply wants a pair of workout earbuds. With a wire-style design, the silicone cable comes with an inline remote that can activate the Google Assistant and some user interface elements.

Huawei FreeLace pair and charge using your phone

A magnetic clasp in each earbud helps keep your headphones organized, while the anti-tangle cable should be ideal for preventing knotting and tangling of these over-the-shoulder buds.

That magnetic clasp even adds further functionality by allowing you to answer calls simply by detaching the earbuds and placing them in your ears. To end a call you can remove the FreeLace buds from your ears and then stick the buds together. The same feature will also start or stop music depending on whether you’re placing them in your ears or removing them.

As the FreeLace earbuds are designed with sport and exercise in mind, they come with wind noise reduction to help cut out any largely audible distractions. The Huawei FreeLace earbuds will come in four color options: Black, Amber Sunrise, Emerald Green, and Moonlight Silver.