Just saw this earphone which is nearly 200 AUD in China, but only 173 AUD from Joybuy. This earphone supports HWA, so, it's better for the HUAWEI handset owners. The original price on Joybuy is around AUD$280.
Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro US $119.90 (~AU $173.24) Delivered (Grey Import) @ Joybuy
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That's quite a pricetag for a company with 0 reputation in audio. Huawei need to slow down a bit on it's pricing -it's a good brand, but they aren't ready for premium yet I think
They have to start somewhere. Look at Apple Airpods, basically same quality sound as their free earphones that came with phones (e.g. crap sound).
As of Q3 2018 they overtook Apple in sales and is inching closer to overtaking Samsung in Market Share.
They are truly making some great innovation in mobile phones, especially with their design of the foldable phone. Personally i'm a fanboi of Samsung so won't be buying Huawei for several reasons, but i can admit that the design for the foldable phone is a lot better than Samsung's design.
It is quite interesting that within China they have positioned themselves very much a premium brand, with heaps of "well off"/rich people opting for one, instead of the usual 'Apple' hype.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Huawei - these Chinese companies are really driving the mobile tech industry right now.
But Huawei started it cheap to get it's name out there, and it's done well. I think it's pricing had increased too much too fast, without failing on advantages over rival brands like oppo and Xiaomi. Their mobile software is definitely the worst of the big chinese brands.
But they haven't proven themselves outside of China in other markets.
Apple is expensive, that's what they do. Typical Apple fans don't know much of specs and technology. They spend a lot, and assume they are getting the best. They aren't getting the best, but they are getting decent quality, and they likely don't know better, so don't mind getting (profanity) over by Apple.Samsung are similar. They are a great brand with a good reputation, and their products have a small premium on them. In the mobile world, they are Androids Apple. They too can sell at higher prices, and honestly they kind of deliver. The quality is there, and the price is ok considering there isn't a gamble. Other companies might do better, but it's never a sure thing.
Huawei have had maybe 2 high priced premium phones now? I'm not aware of any presence from them in any other products. To me, I'm seeing a very high price on headphones from a company that has recently started charging much more for what they used to charge less for.
If this was Xiaomi, no problem. I'd instantly assume these expensive headphones are equivalent to far more expensive rivals.
These? I see these as a $50 Xiaomi device, with a double markup because Huawei think their brand carries that weight.
I don't think the brand can carry that weight yet. Maybe soon, but not right now.
I'm still not willing to spend the big dollars on these Chinese companies, especially when the pricing is competitive with Japanese companies.
They have to start somewhere. Look at Apple Airpods, basically same quality sound as their free earphones that came with phones (e.g. crap sound).
You know, I've bought a lot of headphones - a fair amount of Chi-Fi stuff because it's cheap enough and it gets hyped so I try, looking for gold - but I've honestly never understood why people think the included Apple headphones sound crap. They really don't. They never have. To this day, they've been better than any included headphone that I've gotten with any other phone. The people who say that the included 'phones are crap - do you go around listening to your phone through Sennheiser HD800s? Honestly, I don't know what they're crap in comparison to, certainly not other easily accessible headies that cost less than $200 AUD. Hell, I tried the Sennheiser Momentum in-ears, and my goodness were they disappointing - included Apple ones were much better.
Which brings me to the Airpods - specifically, the Airpod 2s.
A work colleague purchased them, and I thought it would be a good chance to try them out.
I was really apprehensive of the Apple Airpods because I've got an allergy (not literal, of course) to bluetooth headphones' sound quality.
For full disclosure, I use a pair of Sony WH1000XM2 every day at work for a bunch of hours. I love using them, I love the noise cancelling. The sound isn't great. The sound on the Bose QCs is even worse. The sound on every single pair of bluetooth headphones I've tried has always been disappointing, even ones without ANC.
But, the Airpods sounded like a wired pair of headphones. A wired pair of the Apple headphones, which I've always thought were ok. I couldn't believe it. You're always paying more for wireless, and expecting to have the trade off of shitty sound. They didn't sound shitty. They sounded better than any Bluetooth headphone I've heard, not that I've heard them all. But I've heard enough. (I haven't heard the Jabra Elites, but I'd like to have a listen)
They even paired with my Android phone no worries - closing and opening the case would make them connect and disconnect. I guess I lost whatever touch control it is with them, but that's no problem.
Is there an in-ear wireless headphone that sounds better? I have some hope of the Xiaomi Airdot Pros being good, but for all the criticisms of Apple's stuff, will they be better? The current price for them is $170 - that's almost Airpods money (not with the wireless case though, obviously).
Will these Huaweis be better?
but they aren't ready for premium yet
They've been selling more phones that are more expensive than Apple … than Apple.
There's this often this silly implication that Made in China always means the quality may be suspect when the reality is China now heads the world in manufacturing quality products and research output.
They've been selling more phones that are more expensive than Apple … than Apple.
That's not the same as being ready for premium.
Nokia's dumb phones outsold the iPhone for years before they finally fell off.
Huawei are still selling a lot of mid range and lower end phones. Added up, like Samsung they sell more phones than Apple who do not make low budget phones. If you're comparing flagship to flagship I do not see how Huawei's most expensive products alone outsell Apple's.
There's this often this silly implication that Made in China always means the quality may be suspect when the reality is China now heads the world in manufacturing quality products and research output.
Their manufacturing has always been good. They make products for top US, Japanese and Korean brands. But the designs are made by those countries, not China. The stigma was against "designed in China" more than "made in China".
China itself has improved by leaps and bounds in design though. Largely thanks to forced IP sharing by foreign companies as a requirement to do business in China. I would consider Chinese products now on par or close to top brands elsewhere.
2.5 hour battery life lolol
The new airFraud is here. Yay!
WTF?
I better buy i10 with wireless charging case.
Without the gel tips that go inside your ear canals, these don't get a good seal, so a lot of outside noise will enter and you'll have to turn up the volume to block it out. That's not good. Plus for my ears, these kind of earbuds often fall out. With wired buds it's fine, I won't lose them.
I think I'll stick to my U neckband W1000X with ANC.
I prefer no gel tips. They can sound like you're underwater, especially when you're eating.
I have never experienced that, but ok.
Not that I know what things sound like underwater, but eating does not affect the sound for me. Maybe it's specific to the earphones you have tried but not others?
It's pretty common, many people don't like inner ear canal earbuds for this very reason. I have been using headphones for over a decade, and value any wireles earbuds that are not inner ear canal.
@lostn: I agree, hence why I have headphones. I use airpod style wireles earbuds while at work and making calls etc, or while at home doing chores. If work is loud I just put my headphones on. I use headphones too much so wouldn't be great for my ears having inner ear buds on all day.
Dammit, I thought they were free until I read the 6th word (well, technically a number)!
Even Xiaomi's true wireless airdots are better than this one, at $45 from memory?
Is this really that bad? I was almost buying this last week.
I suggest you read independent reviews. People are dissing them here and haven't even heard them.
Check out the reviews around.
I bought these yesterday from AliExpress with the 15% shopback, will come to $170, I got the black version though.Reasons why I bought them:
1. One of my ears can't tolerate in-ear, so the only options I have for true wireless are Airpods, their clones and now these (also clones I guess).- The most important factor for me in the decision was sound quality and true wireless. I am currently using good quality cabled earbuds (there is a niche market for these). But need wireless for certain situations.
In all the reviews I've read sound quality was either the same as airpods or better, a number of reports stated that if using Android (which I am), they sounded better than using airpods on Android.
I did previously try the TWS i10's, they were fine for the price but the sound quality wasn't good enough (particularly bass quality, my $10 cabled buds produced better) but they did make me fall in love with the convience of true wireless..
- I do NOT like the look of the airpod style, I think they look douchy and they remind me of toothbrushes. I wish Huawei didn't copy the style but at least in black, they're a little less noticeable. If they didn't come in black I probably wouldn't have bought them.
Biggest downside is probably the lower battery life compared to airpods especially the v2 but it will do for me.
Serious question:
Does people who consider buying this the same people that said airpods is expensive?
There are tons of great options under AU$50 with, well, original designs…
I think both are expensive.
This is not cheap enough compared to Airpods especially for grey imports. I'm going to guess that the Airpods are better.
Huawei makes good products but are not yet at the stage where they can do pricing like this.
You've never seen the product and yet you already know how good it is compared to price?
You've never seen the product and yet you already know how good it is compared to price?
Did I say I know this?
I'm going to guess that the Airpods are better.
And the price is in the same range as the Airpods. Once you compare local prices to local prices, they're going to be almost the same.
I have heard the Airpods. They are expensive for the quality you get. This thing would need to sound better than the Airpods and be more fully featured for it to not be expensive in my book.
Why do i have to spend 180 bucks for something that looks like an airpod when I get get the real thing for the same price?
It's a shame that there aren't many reviews. I have the Mate 20 Pro so would be able to charge these with my phone. I doubt they would be anywhere near as good as my Sony WI-1000Xs but they would offer more freedom.
Edit: just watch some Russian dude on YouTube compare them to the airpods v1 and the airpods are better. Disappointing. Looks like Huawei will struggle to sell these things.
Flossy Carter reviewed them and said they sound pretty similar.
Smh