Watch: HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i Philippines Review - Hi-Res for less!

Technology giant HUAWEI recently launched the Freebuds 5i as the follow-up to the FreeBuds 4i last year.

The best at this price point?

In case you missed our written review last year, were impressed by its ANC or active noise cancellation and decent audio quality despite its very affordable price tag of just PHP 3,599.

Fast forward to 2023, and it seems like HUAWEI will outdo itself with the new FreeBuds 5i.

How? The new TWS buds now to be the most affordable Hi-Res Certified TWS in the country with support for LDAC (990 kbps) lossless audio transmission at just PHP 3,599. It is also boasting a strong 42dB Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

For the price, it is arguably the most exciting around. So, to find out more about it, watch this...

Watch: HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i Philippines Review - Hi-Res for less!

Pros - High-Res on a budget, best-in-class ANC, strong battery life, stable connectivity

Cons - No wireless charging

HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i Specs

Driver: 10mm dynamic drivers + composite diaphragm

Frequency response: 20Hz to 40kHz

Microphone: 2x microphones

Battery: 55mAh (per earbud), 410mAh (charging case)

Sensors: Hall, cap

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 (LDAC, AAC, SBC)

Others: ANC, tap/swipe control, pop-up and pair, IP54 water splash and dust resistance, USB-C, Colors: Island Blue, Interstellar Black, Ceramic White

Dimensions: 30.9 x 21.7 x 23.9 mm (per earbud), 48.2 x 61.8 x 26.9 mm (charging case)

Weight:  4.9 g (per earbud), 33.9 g (charging case)

Price: PHP 3,599

Verdict

Small and lightweight

HUAWEI did something very impressive with the FreeBuds 5i and I personally think that disrupting the affordable TWS market.

With these buds, you don't need to spend a lot of cash anymore to enjoy Hi-Res Wireless Certified TWS buds with LDAC codec support. It is also as good as advertised and we really enjoyed using it, especially at this price point.

While most more expensive Hi-Res buds, especially in the PHP 10K and above range, will sonically be better, not many can compete with its audio prowess, ANC, and stable connectivity in the sub-PHP 5K range.

For us, this is one of the best-sounding buds you can get for the price.

So? Are we going to recommend this product?

The answer is a resounding yes, especially if you want high-quality sounding buds for less.

Build/Design - 4.25

Comfort/Isolation - 4.5

Battery Life - 4.35

Features - 4.5

Sound - 4.6

Average - 4.44/5