Talk about multi-tasking. The woman was walking up a hill – and she was in a meeting. Her earbuds were securely fitted and she was focused on her comments as she ran past.
"Okay, okay," she said. "We will have to iron that out. Can you talk to Julian about it? It shouldn't take long."
Before Covid-19, that would have seemed weird. But lockdowns and working from home have seen the purchase of noise cancelling TWS (true wireless stereo) earphones skyrocket – like Huawei's recently-launched Freebuds 4 which they say are market-leading quality.
Futuresource, a specialist research and consulting company in the US, published a survey (involving the US, UK, Germany, China and Japan) at the end of July showing that headphones were the top tech product purchased during lockdown, outpacing even the purchase of smartphones.
"With working from home becoming a long-term reality for many, around 15 per cent of respondents are planning to purchase new headphones that they can use for both personal as well as professional purposes," says Saranraj Mathivanan, Senior Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting.
"TWS is rising to the top, proving itself as the go-to form factor for a whole range of activities," he says. "Our research shows people are choosing TWS for commuting, music listening, working from home - even during airplane travel, which was once a safe harbour for over-ear headphones."
Hannan Munroe is another example. One of six flatmates in Auckland, during lockdown she found herself more than once in the flat's office with two others – all either in Zoom or Teams meetings or on the phone. With flatmates in advertising, hospitality and local government, the airwaves were busy.
"The noise cancelling features are great," she says after trialling the Huawei Freebuds. "It really helps you focus and cuts out the background noise – you know, the squeaking of a chair, someone clicking a pen, others talking. I personally like being able to hear what's going on around me a little.
"I could just hear my flatmates but it really helps you concentrate on what you are doing, speaking and listening. The AI function is really impressive; the Freebuds also make voices really clear."
The dual microphone noise cancellation technology is a big selling point. Both microphones use a smart sensor to adjust and reduce ambient noise with far greater accuracy, reaching industry-leading levels.
Another big selling point is sound quality for the buds' other core function – listening to music. One of the major assets is the Freebuds' ability to read the noise in your situation and cancel out unwanted sound, so you can concentrate better on your wanted sound.
The circular design of the charging case and low weight mean the Freebuds barely register as a weight on the ears. The compatibility and seamless connection with other smartphones as well as Huawei's is also a feature – gained when you download an app called Huawei AI Life from Google Play or Apple store.
"The buds look good, so does the case," says Munroe. "When in a Zoom, you don't notice the buds in your ears much. They were more comfortable than expected and sit nicely in my ears, comfortable for long periods of time – and I found I could walk several rooms away from my phone and still stay connected.
"I was also impressed with the Huawei AI App – it's well designed and intuitive. Once connected, a guide takes you through the features and touch controls. I can monitor the battery level of each bud and the case from the app."
Dual device connection is supported with Huawei FreeBuds 4. Whether it is a Huawei smartphone, tablet, PC, smartwatch or smart display, or any other smart devices running Android, iOS or Windows, any two devices can be connected to FreeBuds4 simultaneously. This lets users enjoy their favourite music or show without missing any calls. When a call comes in, the music or show is paused and seamlessly switched to the call.
When Huawei's adaptive ear-matching noise cancellation technology is switched on, the FreeBuds 4 analyse the shape of your ear and figures out the best noise cancelling set for your ear shape to ensure you have the most comfortable noise cancellation experience – an industry first with open fit earbuds.
They use built-in acoustic components and algorithms to create inverted acoustic soundwaves, which can actively cancel out noise to achieve ANC. On top of that, two microphones and beamforming technology are used for accurate voice pickup.
Munroe says that voice pick-up works "really well. I can hear myself clearly which is great and…the FreeBuds seem to feed your own voice back to you, so I'm aware of my volume and maintain my 'inside voice' (my partner is very thankful!)."
Huawei's commitment to products that allow everyone to enjoy a better quality of life through advancements in technology include:
- HuaweiI FreeBuds Pro (launched December 2020) – the world's first earbuds with intelligent dynamic noise cancellation, developed after Huawei acoustic engineers spent three years testing and researching.
- Huawei Freebuds 4i (launched in April 2021) -- Inheriting the HUAWEI FreeBuds family's DNA, the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i comes with active noise cancellation, superior battery life, pristine sound quality and stylish design, at an affordable price.
*Huawei FreeBuds 4 will be available from November 19, retail value $299 from your favourite retailers.