Huawei FreeBuds 3i review: Focus better with active noise canceling

The Huawei FreeBuds 3i is the more affordable sibling of the Huawei FreeBuds 3 but that doesn’t mean a lot has been sacrificed. Boasting a different design and feature set, the FreeBuds 3i aims to be your go-to device for your workouts, video or voice calls, solo Netflix sessions, or simply just to listen to music. We were able to get our hands on a pair of these TWS earbuds and tried to see how they would fare in our daily routines.

Design and comfort

Again, the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is poised to be a more affordable alternative to the Huawei FreeBuds 3 but the difference between the two is more than just that. While both have similar shapes for the buds, the FreeBuds 3i sports new silicone tips to provide a more secure fit and improved audio quality. These also aid in sealing the ear to provide better noise cancellation.

Apart from that, we get earbuds that sport a build and look that’s similar to the Airpods. The stems are a bit thick and do stick out but they don’t really get in the way. As for comfort, we personally prefer having silicone tips and find that they do provide a more secure fit. It should be noted that this may also be a matter of personal preference as having the tips in-ear for a long time may be uncomfortable for some. As for weight, the buds are just 5.5 grams each so you’ll barely feel them when you have them on. Huawei also includes additional tips in different sizes so you can find your perfect fit.

The charging case adopts a pill-shaped design that’s easy to hold in the hands. It has a glossy finish with a simple Huawei logo sitting up top. The charging port can be found on the back and an LED light indicator sits at the front. Flipping it open reveals the earbuds that are magnetically attached to the case. The magnets are strong so you won’t have to worry about the earbuds falling if the case accidentally opens.

Connectivity and controls

Pairing the FreeBuds 3i is a different experience depending on the device you have. Huawei users have it the easiest, of course. Simply opening the case while near a compatible Huawei phone will immediately prompt a pairing request. With Android devices, simply connect the device using the Huawei AI Life app or through Bluetooth. Apple users, unfortunately, don’t have access to the app so they’ll only be able to pair through their phone’s Bluetooth settings. You can also connect them to laptops or computers using Bluetooth connectivity.

Once paired, you can control the earbuds with the built-in capacitive sensors or whatever device you’re using. Both earbuds respond to double taps and long taps but, oddly, not single taps. Tap functions can be customized using the Huawei AI Life app. Users have the option to have double taps play or pause a song, play the next or previous song, wake the voice assistant, or nothing at all. As for long taps, they only cycle through noise cancellation and Awareness mode. Taps respond quickly as long as they’re done right.

We wished Huawei added additional controls like single tap or triple taps to provide more control. In listening to music, for example, I can assign one bud’s double-tap gesture to stop or start the music while another bud can be used to change to the next song. With that, there’s no longer any way to play the previous song or wake the voice assistant since we’ve already assigned both double taps for both buds.

One last thing I noticed was that the sensors can be a little too sensitive at times. Using the earbuds for a workout, my sweat-drenched hair reached the Freebuds and activated the sensor. This played the next song against my will. It may not be a real problem but it’s something to take note of if you’ll be using the device for workouts.

Sound performance and battery life

At its price, we expected sound quality on the FreeBuds 3i to be just a bit more than average. True enough, the device offered good quality audio but does fall short in its bass performance. In general, the lows tend to be a bit muffled and doesn’t deliver that kick you normally get out of the bass.

Despite that, sound quality is still pretty impressive, especially at its price. It’s quite clear and crisp on the highs and mids and can produce pretty loud audio. We didn’t find a need to max out the volume of the earbuds during our use and was kept at around 50% for most of the time.

The Huawei FreeBuds 3i prides itself on its Active Noise Cancellation. This feature is quite in-demand in the TWS market and the FreeBuds 3i makes it accessible through this device. You can immediately hear the filtering or minimizing of background noise once you turn this feature on. It doesn’t completely cancel out noise though especially high-pitched or high-frequency sounds like voices or moving cars (dog barks and chicken noises are easily canceled, though).

The feature performs well beyond expectations. There’s even an Awareness mode that doesn’t completely switch off noise cancellation and allows a bit of outside noise for, well, awareness. This can be especially helpful for runners or bikers when they’re outside and need to be conscious of their surroundings. Personally, this feature helped us zero in and focus on our work when outside noises were just too distracting.

It also offers automatic pause and play when removed from the ears but this feature is limited to compatible Huawei devices.

The FreeBuds 3i is built with two outward-facing and one inward-facing mic. Huawei says these work together to cancel out noise and provide better vocal clarity. In using the device for our many video calls, we didn’t receive any complaints regarding our voice quality and no one ever had to say our audio was choppy.

For battery, Huawei says that the FreeBuds 3i can last up to 3.5 hours on its own and up to 14.5 hours with the charging case. Testing these claims out, we were able to get about 2.5 hours of continuous use before the earbuds ran out of battery and were able to charge about 4 times more using the case. As for charging, the buds took about 30 minutes to reach 100% while the case took one hour and 30 minutes when charged via a computer using the included cable.

Creature Feature

In our reviews, The Modern Creatures aims to find special features in devices that make them worth having — something that gives the product a slight edge from its peers. For the Huawei FreeBuds 3i, it would have to be its Active Noise Canceling.

As mentioned earlier, this is a feature often reserved for higher-priced TWS earbuds but Huawei is able to offer it at a more affordable price point. And not only that, it actually works pretty well and does a good job of minimizing background noise. It’s not as complex or refined as those offered in higher-end models but, again, you’re getting the feature at a pretty good price.

Final thoughts

Overall, the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is a great choice if you’re looking for affordable, good quality TWS earbuds. You get premium features like active noise canceling and gesture controls (even though a bit limited) plus Huawei users even get quick-pairing and automatic play and pause. Audio quality does fall a tad bit short in delivering lows and battery life isn’t as impressive as others but at its price range, we believe you’re getting your money’s worth.

Priced at just PhP 5,990, the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is a great choice for a more affordable pair of TWS earbuds with a good amount of useful features. We were able to use it for our online meetings and workouts and the active noise cancellation helped us eliminate background noise and focus on the tasks we had on hand. And with our current work/study from home setup, it’s a definite plus.

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vivo V25 Series: Color-changing Photochromic 2.0 with professional-grade cameras!

09/28/2022

This is a sponsored post by vivo Philippines

Sometimes, having a phone with a dull design and only takes okay photos might leave us wanting more, especially if we value high-quality images to preserve special moments or maybe a design that reflects more who you are. 

vivo’s latest flagship offerings from the vivo V25 series not only come with a capable set of cameras, they also boast the entire lineup as the Night Portrait Master and the company promises to pull off high-quality, low light images. 

The top of the line model is the vivo V25 Pro that comes with a main camera with what the company calls Extreme Night Vision, among other notable imaging features. It also has 12GB RAM + 8GB Extended RAM, and a 120Hz display. 

The unit we have on hand, the vivo V25, is armed with the same 64MP main sensor with a 50MP Eye AF selfie camera. Finally, there’s also the vivo V25e that sports a 32MP Eye AF selfie. Apart from that, the V25e pretty much has everything the same as V25’s internals.

Let’s take a look at some of the features of V25 and how it would help you achieve those professional-grade photos while being an all-around everyday device

Lively design

Just like what we’ve seen in the V23 5G that Vikka reviewed, the V25 series comes with its Photochromic technology for its design that allows it to have a color-changing feature. Although this time, it’s now an improved Photochromic version 2.0 that features a Light Molecular material that reacts to sunlight or UV light after only seconds of exposure. 

The stronger the UV light, the faster the color will change so you can use your creativity to show off special and unique designs. Do take note that only the Sunrise Gold for V25 and Surfing Blue for V25 Pro have this color-changing properties.

Apart from aesthetics, build quality has also been paid attention to. It comes with a 2.5D thin and light body so it’s easy to hold and operate. It even slides in and out of the pocket easily. 

The V25 is available in two colors – color-changing Sunrise Gold and Diamond Black. Overall, I like how it has this sort of blocky form factor but at the same time has slightly chamfered edges that make holding it easy on the hands. 

It looks very elegant with the way the back panel looks and feels. The camera module, with its golden outlines, also exudes a classy vibe.

Quality cameras

For the camera of the V25, let’s first begin with its selfie shooter. 

Its 50-megapixel Eye AF promises ultra-clear self portraits thanks to its high-resolution sensor and autofocus that track and predict your movements. This ensures you’re in sharp focus and better preserves details.

Here are some sample shots.

Meanwhile, for the rear, the system is headlined by a 64-megapixel OIS Ultra-sensing camera. This is then accompanied by an 8-megapixel wide-angle and 2-megapixel macro sensors. 

On top of those, the mechanism is supported by a combined OIS and EIS technologies that work together for a more stabilized performance. This makes it possible to achieve better images and footage especially for its Super Night Video mode. 

There are also many other camera features to play around with to come up with different effects and look for your shots like Time Lapse, Bokeh Flare Portrait, AI HD Portrait, and more. 

Its slew of camera features including special video functions (4K video, HDR video, Multi-Style Portrait Video, etc) make this entire series suitable for content creators like us who need more creative spaces and features so we could put together content in unique ways. 

An everyday performer

As a smartphone for everyday use, the V25 is also more than capable with its combination of an extended 8GB (+8GB) RAM and 256GB storage capacity 

This allowed us to multitask and switch between apps especially when we needed to accomplish quick tasks on the go. Plus, its 6nm flagship energy-saving chip ensures that the device is as power-efficient as it can be whether we’re on social media or streaming TV shows.

Additionally, consuming content is always an enjoyable experience since the phone boasts its 6.4-inch 90Hz Ultra Vision display and an immersive sound system thanks to its large chamber speakers and an all-around audio enhancement software.

And when we needed extra power when playing games, its MediaTek D900 2.4GHz processor also supplies the required amount of kick while keeping the phone’s temperature in check using its liquid cooling system.

Not only that, its Game Boost Mode ensures that it can unleash all the potential of its processor for that performance leap needed to win your match. You’d also want to know that the company employed a Game Antenna Design found at the top left and right corners of the phone to provide full signal coverage and avoid unnecessary interference. 

In terms of topping up its battery after an entire day’s use, its 44W FlashCharge will not make you wait long before the phone is full and ready to be used again. It promises up to 35% of battery for a 15-minute charge, and up to 61% of juice when plugged in for 30 minutes to fill up its 4500mAh all-day battery capacity.

Final thoughts

With its lightweight and color-changing body, a set of more than capable cameras front and back that capture professional-quality images, video capabilities, and a solid every performer, the vivo V25 ticks the right boxes for the modern smartphone user that won’t settle for sub-par performance.

Plus, the fact that it can do all those while being able to fully charge more than half of its battery in 30 minutes is also a big plus for power users who are always on the go.

Price and availability

The vivo V25 is priced at PhP 23,999 while the more affordable V25e is at PhP 17,999. If you want to go for the Pro model, the V25 Pro comes with a PhP 29,999 price tag. 

Purchasing them comes with a free SIM card, clock speaker, and Bluetooth Neck Band until supplies last. The vivo V25 is available online starting September 24 via Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, and vivo e-store.

For those who prefer getting from offline stores, it will be available starting October 1 via all vivo concept stores and kiosks nationwide. It is also available via installment plans at Home Credit or thru major credit cards.

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