Huawei thinks open-ear buds are the next big thing and FreeClip 2 makes a strong case

Huawei’s new headphones prove the open-ear buds niche is heating up

Open-ear earbuds are quietly becoming one of the most interesting corners of wearable tech.

Even Huawei admits the market’s still small, but it also says it’s the fastest-growing category in its audio line-up, with millions sold of the original FreeClip.

The FreeClip 2 arrives as the brand’s most confident take yet on the format, pitched as something you can wear all day, not just because of comfort, but because they’re meant to look good doing it.

The signature ear-clip design returns, but now each bud weighs a featherlight 5.1g and feels more like jewellery than tech.

The clip mechanism is said to keep them secure for runs, commutes, and desk time without ever blocking the ear canal, keeping you aware of your surroundings in a way sealed earbuds simply can’t match.

Huawei leans hard into the fashion angle too, offering Blue, White, Rose Gold and Black finishes, including denim-textured colourways that blend lifestyle with audio tech unusually well.

Denim-inspired wearables are clearly having a moment, with Ultrahuman’s freshly announced Diesel smart ring proving the trend now stretches well beyond earbuds.

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A big jump in power, clarity and intelligence

Under the chic exterior, there’s a serious performance upgrade. Huawei says the FreeClip 2 delivers twice the volume and bass of the first generation, powered by a refined dual-diaphragm driver and an NPU AI processor with ten times the computing power of its predecessor.

That silicon boost unlocks adaptive volume, real-time awareness and improved voice enhancement, all tuned to maintain clarity in all environments.

Call quality also gets a major lift. A three-mic system and multi-channel DNN noise-cancellation tech help cut out traffic rumble and public-transport chaos, while reverse-sound-wave leakage control keeps conversations private.

The self-adapting stereo setup means each bud can operate as left or right, which sounds minor but is incredibly useful when you’re grabbing earbuds on the go.

Battery life is equally competitive at up to 38 hours with the case, and IP57 resistance makes them more durable than many lifestyle-leaning buds.

More than earbuds: Huawei’s wider launch

The FreeClip 2 headlines a surprisingly broad hardware update from Huawei.

The brand also revealed the Mate X7 foldable, a slim, camera-focused flagship with heavy emphasis on durability, as well as the MatePad 11.5 S tablet, complete with PaperMatte display and upgraded creative tools

The new WiFi Mesh X3 Pro system, which looks like an ornament, is designed to deliver WiFi 7 speeds with sculptural aesthetics.

They’re very different products, but together they underline Huawei’s push back into premium hardware, and suggest that the FreeClip 2 isn’t just a one-off experiment but part of a much bigger play to turn wearable tech into lifestyle tech.

The Huawei FreeClip 2 goes on sale on 21 January for £179.99 (~€210 / $225 / AU$340) in Blue, White and Black, with Rose Gold arriving later. An earlybird £30 coupon is available now via the Huawei Store.

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Huawei