Is the Huawei FreeBuds 4 worth the upgrade from the OnePlus Buds Pro 4?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Huawei FreeBuds 4 actually scores 18.0 points below the OnePlus Buds Pro 4, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on noise cancelling (8.0 to 5.0) and battery (8.5 to 5.5). On paper: full charge time 70 min to 60 min, driver size 11 mm to 14.3 mm and case weight 50.62 g to 38 g. Worth checking: battery life goes 13 h to 4 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 to SBC, AAC. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Buds Pro 4 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 $25 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 cancelling8.05.0
- Battery8.55.5
- Calls7.56.0
- Value9.06.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Buds Pro 4 | FreeBuds 4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 13 h | 4 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 | SBC, AAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | BT 5.2 | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IPX4 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 7 h | 2.5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 45 h | 22 h | |
| Full charge time | 70 min | 60 min | |
| Latency | 47 ms | 90 ms | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 14.3 mm | |
| Case weight | 50.62 g | 38 g | |
| Custom EQ | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 11 hours playback | 15 min = 2.5 h | |
| Driver | dual drivers; 11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter | 14.3 mm | |
| Frequency response | 10Hz-40kHz | 20Hz-40kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Buds Pro 4 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.