Huawei remains one of the biggest names in consumer technology globally, but geopolitical restrictions have kept its presence in India relatively quiet over the past few years. Now, the company is gradually making its way back with products like the FreeBuds SE 4 and the more premium FreeBuds 7i. I received the Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 for review. The company promises long battery life, active noise cancellation, AI-backed call clarity and a lightweight design. These aspects matter a lot in modern TWS use. But India’s TWS market is now filled with great options, even in the sub-Rs 6,000 price range.
After using the Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 for a few weeks, I have the answer to whether the product stands a chance in this market. Here’s my full review.
The Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 case looks quite similar to the AirPods Pro. The only easy giveaway, setting it apart from the Apple TWS, is the Huawei branding on the back of the case. But even that gets hidden by your palm most of the time. Despite that, whether you prefer the resemblance or not, one thing’s for sure: the Freebuds SE 4 will provide you with a comfortable fit. They’re light and stay securely for hours, which matters when you are out and about. The compactness of the case allows for easy portability.
Since the FreeBuds SE 4 are IP54 rated against dust and water splashes, I confidently wear them while washing my face or while striding through the dusty, humid Delhi summers. And overall, comfort is one of the biggest strengths of these TWS earbuds.
The Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 doesn’t chase an exaggerated sound profile, and I like it for that. The tuning is fairly balanced and open. Bass has enough presence to make hip-hop music like Rockstar by DaBaby and Fell In The Sun by Big Grams enjoyable. Each song gets the befitting bass treatment.
Vocals come through clearly, and instruments remain distinct in most songs. It’s an easy sound signature to listen to. Even high notes offer decent details. But at high volume, in certain tracks, voices, and higher frequency notes sounded slightly shrill. Still, for most everyday content, the FreeBuds SE 4 perform well.
At around 80% volume, the Freebuds SE 4 ran for 7 hours and 36 minutes on a single charge. That’s below what some of its competitors could manage. Still, the buds can bear through a regular workday.
Huawei includes up to 24db active noise cancellation in the FreeBuds SE 4, which works effectively at reducing constant background sounds. Sudden, unpredictable sounds can still seep in. The FreeBuds SE 4 couldn’t dampen wind noises, though. And the general noise cancellation is a bit weaker compared to the likes of Realme Buds Air 8.
Also Read: Realme Buds Air 8 Pro review: Expressive and easy to recommend
The Awareness mode works well for everyday use. It lets you hear your surroundings clearly, and conversations sound fairly natural, so I rarely felt the need to remove the earbuds to speak with someone.
Call quality was acceptable for everyday voice and video calls. The lightweight design also made the Freebuds SE 4 comfortable to wear during longer conversations.
My biggest gripe with the Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 is that it lacks convenience features that are common in most TWS earbuds these days. It doesn’t come with wear detection and Bluetooth multipoint.
There is also no official companion app to check any of the earbuds’ settings in India. An app is a standard aspect of any gadget experience, and the absence of it means you have to stick with the touch gestures and sound profile you get out of the box. No app to customise these things.
However, that may not bother users who simply want to listen to music and are happy with the out-of-the-box experience. But for anyone used to the app experience offered by modern TWS brands, it feels like an odd omission.
The Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 gets the basics right. It is comfortable enough to wear for long hours, delivers balanced sound that suits everyday listening, offers effective ANC for routine use, and the battery easily lasts through a workday. The responsive touch controls and useful Awareness mode also add to the overall experience.
However, the lack of an official companion app in India is difficult to ignore. At a time when even affordable TWS earbuds let you tweak the sound profile, customise gestures and receive firmware updates through an app, the FreeBuds SE 4 feels a step behind.
If you simply want a comfortable pair of earbuds with balanced sound and don’t mind sticking with the default experience, the Huawei FreeBuds SE 4 is worth considering. But if you like fine-tuning your audio or want a richer software experience, you’ll find stronger alternatives in the sub-Rs 6,000 segment.
Also Read: Moto Buds 2 review: Impressive value with a few inconsistent features