Huawei FreeClip 2, Wireless Headset

Features and technical details

Huawei unveiled the FreeClip 2 true wireless earphones with a unique design.

Having spent a couple of weeks with a pair, we are now ready to share with you how well they actually work.

The FreeClip 2 is the first open-ear audio wearable that does not differentiate between left and right earbuds.

The clips read which side of the case they come out, and that's how they adapt.

For example, one of the buds sitting on the right side of the case will be the right channel.

However, if you switch ears without putting the buds back in the case, they won't reset, and the channels will be inverted.

It sounds complicated, but in practice we found no issue – rarely, you would need to actually unclip the buds, hold them in your palm, and then put them back randomly.

The FreeClip 2 does not have a single touch-sensitive area.

There are three separate zones instead – one for each part of the earphone.

There are no less than four microphones on each bud – two on the Acoustic Ball to listen to the speaker during calls and two more on the Bean to pick up and eliminate surrounding sounds and voices.

The buds pair just like any other Bluetooth audio device, but we recommend using the AI Life app for Android and Harmony OS devices.

There are some customizations such as Sound effects, the gestures can be changed, and the app also handles software updates.

One feature Huawei has been implementing in its audio wearables is dual-device connections, and the FreeClip actually performed better than previous Freebuds we've tested.

Our buds were constantly connected to a Windows computer and an Android smartphone and effortlessly switched from one source to another, provided only one played audio.

The big question everyone had at the launch was about sound leakage, and we can confirm it is there, and it is significant, especially when the music is loud.

Using them in our open-space office was a burden for the reviewer's deskmates, who always complained about the volume.

We recommend you don't exceed 70-80% volume if you don't want to be too bothersome to those around you.

The device is an engineering marvel, especially with the 9 wires in the C-bridge, linking the Bean and the Ball to become this impressive product.

It is equal parts a fashion accessory and an audio wearable, but there's no escaping the fact that sound is sub-par.

Lovers of crisp, loud music will not appreciate these earphones; they are for the casual podcast and music listener who would appreciate the futuristic look above sound quality.