Back in November of last year, Huawei officially launched its latest flagship earbuds, the FreeBuds Pro 5, in China. We previously reported that these TWS in-ears feature a NearLink Audio system that extends their battery life, along with 2.3Mbps lossless transmission, a transmission rate of up to 12Mbps, and support for the L2HC audio codec. Now, after months of waiting, the company has officially confirmed that it will debut the buds globally on 26 February 2026.
We didn’t really know much about the device when we first covered it outside of a few key specs. However, since a few months have passed, we now know most, if not all, of the details surrounding the flagship audio equipment.
Performance
The official Chinese website states that the FreeBuds Pro 5 feature a dual-driver audio system in each bud, which the company specifically designed to enhance sound clarity and depth. One driver is an “ultra-linear dual-magnetic circuit bass unit” that can go as low as 10Hz, while the other is an “ultra-thin micro-planar tweeter” that can produce sounds of up to 48kHz.
The company’s proprietary NearLink technology enables lossless audio transmission at up to 4.6Mbps. Moreover, these buds can support AAC, SBC, LDAC, and L2HC codecs, making them compatible with devices.
AI And ANC
Huawei states that the FreeBuds Pro 5 feature AI-powered noise reduction technology for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), driven by the company’s Kirin A3 chipset. This technology works like conventional ANC, but Huawei claims that it also allows natural sound transmission, helping users stay aware of vehicle alerts, ringtones, and other ambient sounds to remain conscious of their surroundings. The AI in the buds will also switch modes by turning on pass-through mode and lowering the playback volume when it detects you talking to someone.
On the other hand, when you are on a call, the FreeBuds Pro 5 will activate “two-way silent calling”, which Huawei claims reduces noise by up to 100dB and wind speeds of up to 10m/s, allowing users to converse normally. Lastly, they also feature Smart Volume Adaptive mode, which automatically adjusts the headphone volume when ambient sound changes, ensuring that the user can remain vigilant of their surroundings.
Recording Capabilities And Battery Capacities
Huawei also mentions that the FreeBuds Pro 5 are the first earphones that support “multi-scenario recording”. The website explains that, while the buds are in use, users can double-tap one of the earpieces to start or stop recording. Alternatively, while the buds are in their case, users can double-click the button on the side of the case to start and stop recording as well, which is similar to Nothing Ear (3)’s side button, though a bit more hands-off.
In terms of battery life, these in-ears can last up to six hours on a single charge with ANC. With the feature turned off, that figure stretches up to nine hours, while the charging case bumps that up to 38 hours on a single charge. The buds and case feature IP57 and IP54 dust- and waterproof resistance, respectively.
Availability And Pricing
As mentioned earlier, the FreeBuds Pro 5 will be making its global debut on 26 February. Naturally, the global price of the product is still under wraps right now, but the Chinese website mentions that the TWS buds retail for CNY1,449 (~RM818), so we can expect the TWS to be somewhere around that ballpark. Moreover, it also comes in four different colours: Earth Gold, Snow White, Frost Silver, and Sky Blue.
If you’re interested in picking up a set for yourself, fret not, as the buds will be arriving in Malaysia. We spotted the device listed on SIRIM, so the company should bring this new flagship to store shelves soon.
Additionally, we’d like to mention that most of these details are based on the official Chinese website. Hence, we’d like to emphasise the possibility that some details and specifications might be different when it arrives in Malaysia.
(Source: Huawei Global [Instagram], Huawei China [1], [2], [3])
