Announced alongside the all-new Huawei P30 smartphone series, FreeLace is a new set of earphones from the company.
Huawei is seemingly looking to counter multiple different pain points with these earphones by utilizing more of a unique design.
One of the most common pain points with a product like this is the battery life and on that note the earphones come with a built-in 120 mAh capacity battery which is said to offer up to 18 hours of playback on a single charge.
However, one of the unique design traits is how one side of the earphones can be removed to reveal a hidden USB Type-C connector. These are not actually the first personal audio product to boast a design like this.
Using the built-in connector the earphones can be attached to a power source, including a smartphone to receive an on-the-go charge. Alleviating the need for the user to be near a wall socket or carry a battery-equipped case with them.
When time is of the essence, a quick five-minute charge is said to offer up to four hours of usage. Huawei is not specifically saying the reverse-charging feature from a phone will offer the four hours of usage on a five-minute charge, but that’s what can be achieved when the charging conditions are optimal. The phone element is simply being showcased as more of an ‘in an emergency’ type of solution so users should probably expect a slower charge rate than the numbers stated here.
Likewise, the absolute battery durations stated are based on a “medium” volume level so those opting for a higher volume level during the playback may find the length the headphones last on a single charge differing, vastly.
Another of the pain points, according to Huawei, is the “complicated first time” pairing process and to combat this the new FreeLace earphones feature the company’s “HiPair” technology which looks to provide a quick and painless pairing for the first time. That’s as long as you are trying to pair them to a Huawei phone running on EMUI 9.1, at a minimum.
Huawei is also looking to offer a heightened sound quality resulting in what the company refers to as a “punchy bass and smooth treble” through the use of 9.2 mm dynamic drivers coupled with an ultra-thin TPU diaphragm and titanium plating. This is as well as better performance during voice calls due to “an addition channel” designed to help to filter out aspects like the wind.
If all that was not enough then the earphones also boast a number of other features often touted nowadays. They include on-board controls, voice assistant support and activation, and a magnetic design that lets the user snap the two sides together. When in use, the earphones go into a sleep mode to conserve battery life and the sensor will automatically wake the earphones back up when the magnetic connection is broken.
Completing the design is the overall use of a combination of nickel-titanium alloy and liquid silicon build which is said to facilitate tangle-free experience while also making them more easy to wrap up and take with you.
Huawei did confirm the new FreeLace earphones will cost €99 in Europe (roughly $110 when converted), and will be available in four different color options: Graphite Black, Amber Sunrise, Emerald Green and Moonlight Silver.
At present, pricing and availability outside of Europe has not been provided.