Honor Earbuds 2 Lite are inexpensive and high-quality, fully wireless headphones. Popular design, working noise cancellation, and perfect sound for the money – this is the basic set of attractive true wireless headphones, and it’s all there. But not without drawbacks, of course.
See detailed review: Honor Earbuds 2 Lite
Huawei Freebuds 4i are inexpensive but attractive true wireless headphones with decent sound, active noise cancellation, and up to 10 hours of autonomy. The update of the younger model of TWS headphones from Huawei promises success.
See detailed review: HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i
This comparison will explain how well these models are with a combination of price and quality. Check out Honor Earbuds 2 Lite vs HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i.
Pros and Cons
| Honor Earbuds 2 Lite | HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i |
| Intelligent sound adjustment | Solid sound performance |
| Impressive battery life | Good noise cancellation |
| ANC does the job quite well | Quality microphone |
| Comfortable and secure fit | Decent battery life |
| Limited control | Limited control |
Honor Earbuds 2 Lite includes:
- Headphones.
- Charging case.
- 2 pairs of ear pads (+ 1 already worn).
- Charging cable (USB-C).
- Documentation.
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i includes:
- Headphones.
- Charging case.
- 2 pairs of ear pads (+ 1 already worn).
- Charging cable (USB-C).
- Documentation.
Specification
| Honor Earbuds 2 Lite | HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i | |
| Model | Earbuds 2 Lite | FreeBuds 4i |
| Brand | Honor | HUAWEI |
| Weight | 5.5 g (each) | 5.5 g (each) |
| Type | Earbuds | Earbuds |
| Foldable | No | No |
| Colours | Black, White | |
| Driver | Dynamic 10mm | Dynamic 10mm |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Charging Port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Recharge Time | 1 hour | 1 hour |
| Battery Life | Up to 32 hours | Up to 22 hours |
| Detailed Review | Honor Earbuds 2 Lite | HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i |
Design
Honor Earbuds 2 Lite case is compact: square with rounded corners. There is a Type-C connector on the bottom, a pairing button on the side, and a single indicator and brand name on the front. The case can be put on the narrow side, but the option is unstable. The lid is magnetic and can be opened with one hand. The earbuds are held securely inside.
Honor Earbuds 2 Lite is available in 2 colors: white and black. The white case quickly gets dirty: the seams become clogged with dust and small particles; they become visible. Fingerprints remain but are almost invisible. Micro-scratches also appear very quickly. The same can be said about the headphones, but it is less noticeable there. The headphones themselves look good. Small bodies, rather long and flat “legs.” They could have been shorter, so they could easily hurt with clothes or a hand. But nothing critical. But the microphones are closer to the lips. The earphones do not protrude from the sides of the ears. But with AirPods, they can only be confused from afar.
Huawei Freebuds 4i is available in white, black, and red. For lovers of the classics and those who need something brighter. There are options for everyone.
The Huawei Freebuds 4i headphones case is pebble-shaped or egg-shaped. In general, oval. It Fits well in trouser pockets but not in the narrowest ones, the thickness of the case is not the smallest in the segment. The case has an indicator, a pairing button (on the side, not very noticeable), and a USB-C connector. The build quality of the case and headphones is good; no complaints. Even the plastic is non-staining, albeit glossy. True, on the white version, the seams become more noticeable after a while, but this does not seem to be a terrible minus.
Controls
Honor Earbuds 2 Lite has touch panels on each earbud at the top of the case. The sensitivity is good. There is no single touch in the circuit, so there are few false positives. Initially, the gestures are the same for both headphones:
- Touch.
- No volume control.
- There is a smart pause.
- No app support, expected.
The control of Huawei Freebuds 4i true wireless headphones is touch-sensitive and not very functional. This is the weak side of the model, despite the application having partial settings.
- Holding bar on the earphone. Switch modes noise reduction, transparency, and off.
- Double-tap. It is configured in the application separately for each earphone. Start/pause on the right and the next track on the left.
Connectvity
The overall call quality of the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite is good. Indoors, you can move 8-9 meters without stuttering.
- Bluetooth 5.2, SBC, and AAC codecs.
- Reliable indoor communications.
- There are breaks in the connection on the street.
- There is no video and audio out of sync.
- No multipoint: simultaneous connection to 1 source.
- Earphone can be used separately.
Huawei Freebuds 4i wireless headphones connect to your phone (or other sources) via Bluetooth. Versions up to 5.2 and SBC and AAC codecs are supported. The set is excellent. The absence of aptX does not upset you because you don’t expect it for such money. By the way, there is no support for Huawei’s proprietary HWA codec here either. The connection quality is good.
Battery life
The battery life of the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite is excellent. On a single charge, they last longer than most analogs. The figures listed above are with noise reduction turned off. According to my tests for 3 hours, the headphones were discharged by a little less than half. Noise-canceling was turned on; the volume was medium and slightly higher. They can work for 6-7 hours in this mode, which is also very pleasing.
Battery life is a strong point of the Huawei Freebuds 4i headphones. Up to 10 hours on a single charge with noise reduction turned off and about 7.5 hours with it turned on. The accurate results are slightly worse but still impressive. My headphones without noise cancellation in 4 hours were discharged by 50% (plus or minus). So, at least a working day of 8 hours is achievable.
Conclusion!
The main question is: are the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite worth the money they are asking for? This is a worthy model in the $50-100 segment. Balanced sound, comfortable fit, there is even a working noise reduction. What else do you need for every day? It may not be suitable for those who prefer clear bass dominance.
- Decent sound for the money. Balanced and reasonably accurate. With a slight emphasis on bass that many will enjoy. For $50-60, it’s great.
- Comfortable and secure fit. You can spend up to 3 hours in headphones without discomfort. They will not fall out while walking or even jogging.
- Excellent autonomy. Up to 10 hours on a single charge and up to 32 with a case. According to accurate tests with noise reduction, less than 6-7 hours, this is also excellent. There is fast charging.
- Good noise cancellation. You can ride inland transport without turning up the volume.
- Quality microphone. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor conversations.
- Limited control. Do not change the volume. And if your phone is not Huawei or Honor, then in general, there is only a start/pause and switching noise reduction-transparency mode.
- There is no app support for iOS, and it is not known if it is planned.
- Intermittent communication problems. There are cliffs on the street and in transport even if the phone is in your pocket. They are not constant, but not once a day.
Is the Huawei Freebuds 4i worth the money? Yes, they are. They are “good” in all respects and even have “excellent” battery life on a single charge. And the price is below $100. Add a manufacturer you can trust and get some of the best budget TWS headphones.
- Decent sound for the money. Universal feed, balanced sound. Nothing to complain about. Especially for $85-100.
- Comfortable and secure fit. With headphones, you can easily spend 2-3 hours. They are held securely in the ear; you can not be afraid of losing.
- Excellent battery life on a single charge. Up to 10 hours with noise canceling off. About 8 and around 6 with noise reduction turned on, which is also a great result. Plus fast charging: 10 minutes in a case for 4 hours of work, and the headphones are fully charged in an hour.
- Good noise cancellation. Not “for the show.” Works. Adds comfort in transport and noisy places in principle.
- Useful pros when connecting to Huawei phones. Smart pause, “magic,” and fast connection.
- Quality microphone. This model is good in both quiet and noisy environments as a headset.
- Limited control. There is no volume control. No switching to the previous track. Or you can configure these features in the application, but you will have to sacrifice others.
- Some features only work with Huawei phones. Smart pause and, perhaps, not only.
- No app for iOS. Minus for versatility.
- Average battery life. From the case, the headphones can be fully charged only once, and there will be a little more left in it—total autonomy up to 22 hours.
