Huawei FreeBuds 3: Apple AirPods Pro competitors launching imminently at €179 (~US$197)

Announced in September, Huawei is finally on the verge of bringing its FreeBuds 3 to Europe. To recap, the wireless earbuds to recap are powered by a Kirin A1, an SoC that incorporates a 356 MHz audio processor, dual-mode Bluetooth 5.1 and active noise cancellation (ANC). Huawei also claims that the earbuds have a built-in bone voice sensor to make your voice sound more natural to you during phone calls. The FreeBuds 3 can suppress wind noise too, thanks to their onboard microphone ducts and should last around four hours between charges.

As you may have already twigged, the FreeBuds 3 are practically the doppelgänger of the original AirPods, although Huawei sells them in black and white. By contrast, Apple continues to only sell its AirPods series in white.

Huawei will offer the FreeBuds 3 at €179 (~US$197) in Europe, matching the price at which Apple sells the standard AirPods. However, the FreeBuds 3 include a wireless charging case and ANC for that price, making them more comparable with the €100 (~US$100) more expensive AirPods Pro than the basic AirPods.

The FreeBuds 3 will go on sale in Germany from November 18, so expect them to arrive in neighbouring countries in the coming weeks and months. Huawei is currently running a promotional offer on the earbuds too, whereby it will bundle a 15 W wireless charger that retails for €59.99 (~US$66) with all preorders. The offer runs until December 15.