IFA 2019 | Huawei unveils the FreeBuds 3: AirPod-alikes but with a round charging case

Huawei may have been unable to unveil the Mate 30 series at IFA this year, but it did manage to launch a new accessory that may go with it. These are the Freebuds 3 wireless earbuds, which, like their predecessors, have the same "toothbrush" form-factor as Apple's AirPods. Then again, these devices come in black as well as white.

The Freebuds 3 also distinguish themselves with a new, round charging case (a shape that may have been chosen to match design language also found in the company's upcoming flagships). This shape stands out among earbuds of this type, although they may end up being less pocketable than most.

The case in question can charge via wired (USB Type-C at a rate of 5V/1.2A/6W) or wireless (Qi, at 2W) standards; Huawei claims that it can deliver 20 hours of playback, whereas the Freebuds themselves hold 4 hours per charge.

Like the AirPods, the Freebuds 3 are outfitted with an in-house SoC, the Kirin A1. Huawei asserts that it is the "world’s 1st certified BT/BLE dual-mode Bluetooth 5.1" chipset that also has a 356MHz audio processor. It is also what supports active noise cancellation in these new earbuds, as well as a bone-conduction sensor for clear audio during phonecalls and Huawei Isochronous Dual Channel transmission technology.

Huawei also claims that the Freebuds 3 are made using "Dolphin Bionic Design" and "Aerodynamic Mic Duct Design". Marketing buzz aside, they have appreciable 14.2 mm drivers and a dedicated bass tube. They can be detected by a phone while being worn and pair automatically with the same on opening the case (these features require that a paired device can run EMUI 10, however).

Huawei has yet to state when or where the Freebuds 3 will be sold, however, or how much they will be on release.