Is the Huawei FreeBuds 4 worth the upgrade from the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, USB-C)?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Huawei FreeBuds 4 actually scores 18.0 points below the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, USB-C), so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on noise cancelling (9.0 to 5.0) and sound (8.5 to 6.5). On paper: multipoint pairing, driver size 11 mm to 14.3 mm and case weight 50.8 g to 38 g. Worth checking: bluetooth goes 5.3 to 5.2 and battery incl. case goes 30 h to 22 h. One caution: this steps down a line tier (AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, USB-C) to FreeBuds 4), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. And it costs $30 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.56.5
- Noise cancelling9.05.0
- Battery7.55.5
- Calls8.06.0
- Value7.56.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, USB-C) | FreeBuds 4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 30 h | 22 h | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 14.3 mm | |
| Case weight | 50.8 g | 38 g | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Controls | both | touch | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, USB-C) to FreeBuds 4". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.