Huawei FreeClip review: no ear piercings needed

Introduction

Stuff has tested some wacky-looking headphones over the years – most recently the Dyson Zone, whose air purifying mask made the wearer look like a Batman villain. Now Huawei has made a pair of earphones that are almost as distinctive. The Huawei FreeClip are the audio equivalent of a Hot Topic ear piercing; they’re worn around your ears rather than in them, for a unique take on open-fit tech.

As a 30-something dad I don’t think I’m really the target market. It’ll be ear lobe gauges with built-in Bluetooth next, mark my words. Get beyond the looks, though, there’s plenty here that should interest fitness fanatics, like an increased awareness of your surroundings and a fit that won’t quit, even when you’re working out. Does that mean they deserve your attention over a pair of traditional in-ears?

Design & build: put a ring on it

The FreeClip’s pebble-like charging case doesn’t look all that different from any other; a flip-top lid, a USB-C port on the bottom, and a pairing button on the side. It’s small and light enough to fit comfortably in my pocket, and the matte finish doesn’t pick up fingerprints at all. Open it up, though, and you get a first glimpse at what a departure these ‘buds are from the norm.

Each one is made of two parts. The spherical bit contains the dynamic driver and sits in your ear concha (without actually blocking your ear canal), while the chunkier part sits behind your ear lobe. A flexible bridge holds the two parts together, and looks undeniably like an ear ring.

The black model I tested isn’t exactly subtle, but the purple version is properly in-yer-face. Or on-yer-ear, if you like. Either way, from a distance it looks like you’re wearing giant ear rings. It’s sure to divide opinion, and will likely put some people off giving these a try altogether.

These buds are whole lot less chunky than the Shokz OpenFit true wireless open fit earphones, which are the FreeClip’s closest rival and priced almost identically. I found them pretty comfortable to wear, with minimal pressure on any part of the ear but a secure enough fit that they weren’t dislodged while I was walking about. I could even run at a strong pace without them falling out. The fact they’re IP54 resistant bodes well for wet weather exercise, too.

Features & battery: any way you want it

The FreeClip earbuds are identical, so can be charged in either side of the case, and worn on either ear; Huawei’s software detects which way round they’re in and adjusts the stereo arrangement automatically, a bit like the Huawei Watch Buds I tested in early 2023. It worked pretty flawlessly for me, with an audible alert letting me know the arrangement had shifted.

Like most wireless earbuds you get gesture controls for playing, pausing and skipping tracks – but Huawei has ditched any sort of single tap option. You have to double-tap to play/pause, to avoid accidentally stopping your tunes when adjusting the fit.

The buds could manage up to eight hours of listening before they needed a trip to the charging case in my testing, which is in line with Huawei’s claims. That figure dropped to below six when making a lot of voice calls, but is still a respectable performance for non-ANC earbuds. The case itself contains enough juice for a maximum 32 hours. It supports wireless charging, too.

Interface: not essential

Huawei’s AI Life has all the usual settings I expect to find in a companion app, with configurable EQ modes, dual device connectivity and a low latency Bluetooth option if you’ve got a supported device. The app clearly shows remaining battery for the buds and the case, which is handy as there’s no audible indicator when you first pop them in your ears.

It supports L2HC 3.0, Huawei’s own lossless codec, which is unique to Huawei smartphones – which aren’t exactly big sellers in the West anymore. The open fit means these aren’t audiophile-grade earphones, so it’s debatable if anyone with another manufacturer’s phone in their pocket is missing out.

Of course, this all comes with a now-familiar Huawei caveat. The AI Life app has to be downloaded directly from the Huawei website and side-loaded onto your Android device, rather than found in the Play Store, on account of the US trade embargo. There’s a handy QR code on the box that links directly to the download, so you don’t have to go Googling for it, but this is something rival earphones don’t have to worry about.

There’s very little difference between the available EQ modes, and few options in terms of customising the gesture controls, so aside from the odd firmware update, I’m not convinced you’ll be missing out if you skip the download.

Sound quality: brings the bass

Huawei says the FreeClip has a “private acoustic design”, which is meant to reduce sound leakage compared to other open-fit earphones. In practice it does a decent enough job at moderate volume; I could listen while sat on the same sofa as my wife and not disturb her. Over 60%, though, and she should hear them over the sound of the TV.

There’s more than enough volume on tap to drown out passing cars – which admittedly defeats the object of open-fit earbuds. I largely stuck to between 40-50% for at-home listening, and only cranked it up a little while outdoors.

Because the buds aren’t directly inserted into your ear canals, there’s a natural openness and airy feel to any music – more than you’d get from a pair of (non-Pro) Apple AirPods or Nothing Ear Stick, but without the penalty to bass you get from a pair of bone conduction open-fit earphones. There’s actually a surprising amount here, giving tracks a full-bodied feel with no part of the frequency range taking an obvious dip.

Vocals are fairly clear, hi-hats have bite and I could even detect the sub-bass in heavy electronic tunes. They’re by no means the last word in detail or definition, but I was pleasantly surprised at their overall sonic ability; the only reason to relegate them to “second pair” status would be because you’re not sold on the styling, not because the sound can’t cut the mustard.

Huawei FreeClip verdict

A big thumbs up to Huawei for doing something new in the headphone world; the FreeClip is a unique spin on true wireless earphones, bringing open fit awareness into a much smaller form factor than I’ve seen previously. They actually sound pretty decent too, even if serious music lovers are better off sticking with traditional in-ears or IEMs.

I don’t think having to jump through a few extra hoops to get the companion app on your phone is a deal-breaker, but the styling might be. The FreeClip will surely have its fans, particularly if you’re determined for your tech to stand out from the crowd – but for everyone else there are less visually distinct alternatives for similar cash.

Huawei FreeClip technical specifications

Drivers	Dual magnetic circuit dynamic
ANC	No
Bluetooth version	Bluetooth 5.3
Codecs supported	SBC, AAC, L2HC
Durability	IP54 (buds)
Battery life	5.5-8hrs (buds), 22-36hrs (case)
Weight	5.6g (buds), 45g (case)