Top picks for wireless earphones in 2021

With wireless earphones and earbuds being one of the most popular audio solutions for most audiences today, its no surprise that the choices for the same have massively increased. While this does give the user more options to choose from, it also has a downside of the difficulty of making a choice. To make this easier, we have put together some of the best choices available in the market today from the top players in the industry. This includes the newly launched HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i, the Apple AirPods 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Buds with its Buds+ variant. We took a look at these offerings to decipher which one would be the best choice and with its high quality sound, long lasting battery and active noise cancellation easily came out on top. Read on to find out how.

1. HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i – The ultimate choice for all kinds of users

When it comes to earphones, the most important point of comparison is often the quality of sound and with the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i, you can expect some high quality sound with sharp details for an amazing audio experience. This is made possible mainly through a large 10mm dynamic driver for wider range, stronger bass and a rear chamber design for better consistency in sound effects. Additionally, a special pop tuning also enhances the overall quality paying attention to details of instruments, rhythm and vocals.

Another key aspect is battery life, which is something Huawei is known for across its product range. On a single full charge, the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i can provide up to 10 hours of continuous music playback or 6.5 hours of voice calls, with the Active Noise Cancellation turned off. Keeping ANC on will give 7.5 hours of continuous music playback and 5.5 hours of voice call. Pair this with the charging case and you can get up to 22 hours music playback or 14 hours of voice call. But that’s not all, because the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i also steps up charging speeds for a more convenient experience. For instance, a simple 10 minutes of charge on the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i can give up to 4 hours of use, making it easier to charge and go!

In addition to all of this, the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i also comes with active noise cancellation features to tune out all kinds of ambient noise. This is achieved by using microphones to detect the ambient noise around the user and then adopting active noise cancellation algorithms to create inverted acoustic waves to cancel it out. Turned on with a single long press on the earphone, you can easily switch between ANC and Awareness Mode to listen to ambient sounds around you or have conversations without having to take out the earphones. All of this is topped off with a stylish and trendy design, unique colorways, intuitive gestures and easy pairing, all at an affordable price range.

2. Apple AirPods 2

Apple AirPods 2 comes with a 14.3mm driver, which does deliver a decent sound quality but is no change from the previous version. Battery life however is an improvement and wireless charging capabilities are welcome as well. In terms of battery life, the Apple AirPods 2 delivers up to 24 hours of use on a single charge when used with the case and takes up to 15 minutes of charge for just 3 hours of use. The Apple AirPods 2 do not come with Active Noise Cancellation.

3. Samsung Galaxy Buds and Buds+

In terms of sound quality, these options from Samsung do deliver, even with its smaller driver sized at 9mm on the Galaxy Buds. However, the Buds+ variant comes with decent sound quality and AKG tuning with various Equalizer presets depending on what kind of music you listen to. Similar to Apple however, there is no ANC features, which does mean longer battery life of 13 hours and 22 hours on the Samsung Galaxy Buds and Buds+ respectively. In terms of charging speeds, the Samsung Galaxy Buds and Buds+ gives up to just 1.67 hours and 1 hour of use with 15 minutes and 3 minutes of charging respectively.

Since there is a lack of ANC features, it is hard to judge on this criteria. However, from a user perspective, this means that surrounding sound will be seeping in, which can be troublesome during commutes or when you want to zone out entirely. However, Samsung has limited this feature to its Pro variant which is priced higher.

Making the final choice boils down to the end user and preferences, however, there are a few deciding factors that we suggest. Sound quality, battery life and active noise cancellation are key when it comes to choosing the right earphones and the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i checks all the boxes. The best part? It also comes in at a friendlier price point, making it lighter on the wallet!