True Wireless
Huawei FreeBuds 5i
73Good
$94
Full review dataHuawei FreeBuds 5i vs Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 - Outstanding overall at around $199.
True Wireless
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
88Outstanding
$200
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Huawei FreeBuds 5i leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Huawei FreeBuds 5i
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
HearWiki score
73
88
Sound
7.5
-
Noise cancelling
7.0
-
Battery
7.0
-
Calls
6.5
-
Value
8.5
-
Price (USD)
$94
$200
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 (2026) against Huawei FreeBuds 5i (2023). The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 edges ahead on platform, but only just: Bluetooth 6.0 against 5.2. It also adds Wireless charging and Water resistance IP57 against IP54.
- FreeBuds 5i2023
- FreeBuds Pro 520263 yr newer
What differsFreeBuds 5iFreeBuds Pro 5
- Bluetooth
- 5.2
- 6.0
- Wireless charging
- No
- Yes
- Water resistance
- IP54
- IP57
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Wear detection, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
FreeBuds 5iFreeBuds Pro 5
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $94
- $200
- HearWiki score
- 73
- 88
- Released
- 2023
- 2026
- Availability
- Discontinued
- Sold new
- Driver
- 10 mm dynamic
- 2-driver hybrid
- Driver type
- dynamic
- hybrid
- Driver size
- 10 mm
- 11 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- Impedance
- 16 Ω
- -
- Sensitivity
- 110.8 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.2
- 6.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 12 m
- Battery life
- 7.5 h
- 9 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 6 h
- 5 h
- Battery incl. case
- 28 h
- 33 h
- Full charge time
- 60 min
- 40 min
- Quick charge
- 15 min → 4 h
- 3 min → 1 h
- Wireless charging
- No
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- hybrid
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- Yes
- Weight
- 4.9 g
- 5.5 g
- Case weight
- 33.9 g
- 43 g
- Water resistance
- IP54
- IP57
- Detachable cable
- -
- No
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Pad material
- -
- silicone
- Microphones
- 2
- 3
- Microphone type
- -
- MEMS
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
What reviewers said
Huawei FreeBuds 5i
The Huawei FreeBuds 5i deliver a surprisingly premium feel and a rich feature set for their modest price, including hybrid ANC, LDAC support, and multipoint pairing. While they excel in overall value and sound quality, their noise cancellation isn't top-tier, and the lack of wireless charging plus reliance on the companion app for full functionality are notable trade-offs.
- Pro:Excellent value with premium design
- Pro:Supports LDAC and multipoint connectivity
- Pro:Effective hybrid ANC for the price
- Con:ANC is not class-leading
- Con:No wireless charging support
- Con:Best experience requires Huawei app
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 are high-end true wireless earbuds with adaptive noise cancellation and a robust IP57 rating for water and dust resistance. They deliver a wide frequency response up to 48 kHz, support Bluetooth 6, and offer strong battery life with quick charging, making them a solid pick for those seeking premium features and connectivity.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Strong IP57 water resistance for earbuds
- Pro:Wide 10 Hz–48 kHz frequency range
- Con:Battery life drops significantly with ANC on (6 hours)
- Con:Requires compatible devices for L2HC codec full quality
- Con:Price is on the higher side for TWS earbuds
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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