How good are the Huawei Freebuds 3?

After opening the box of Huawei’s new Freebuds 3 to reveal the shiny black case gleaming in its comfortable bed, one thing springs to mind: Darth Vader. Though they are available in white, this big, black M&M is exactly the sort of audio accessory that would blend seamlessly into the outfit of the Empire’s villainous leader.

After much frustrating prodding and pushing, we manage to extract the gorgeous case and inspect these beautifully shiny ear buds. The lid opens and shuts with a satisfying click to reveal stalk-shaped ear buds with a silver tip at their base. Imagine that an Apple AirPods had an accident with a can of black spray paint and you’re pretty much there.

Pairing is quick and easy, thanks to the Function button on the side of the case that is so discreet, we have to hold it 3mm from our eyes to see it. But the Huawei app is infuriatingly unresponsive and doesn’t allow us to customise the sound of the product, which is disappointing.

The Dark Side

With Darth Vader in our minds, EDGAR blasts a bit of the John Williams Star Wars score into the Huawei Freebuds 3. Clear and precise, the strings, drums and brass section roar into our ears like an X-Wing fighter skimming over the Death Star.

Next up we pick Led Zeppelin, because surely that’s what Darth Vader listens to when he wants to get pumped and destroy a planet, right? The angry chords of Whole Lotta Love sound good, but we crave more of Jimmy Page’s guitar – we feel like we’re trapped in 4th gear, when we want to go full throttle.

The packaging promises ‘new intelligent sound’ which sums up the Freebuds 3. They are clever, clinical and sophisticated, a bit like Darth Vader, but with their cautious sound output and tidy case, they’re not exactly rock n' roll.

The Huawei Freebuds 3 are available now priced at AED 649.