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These open-ear Huawei earbuds cost Dh649 and don't fall out
The Huawei FreeClip 2 sounds better than most clip-style earbuds, is incredibly comfortable, fits seamlessly into everyday life, but doesn’t escape the core limitations of its category
- PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 3:47 PM
The first time I clipped the Huawei FreeClip 2 onto my ears, I had a very specific expectation: this was going to be about comfort, not sound. Open-ear earbuds have always felt like a compromise; great for awareness, but rarely something you’d pick for actual listening sessions.
A few days in, I realised Huawei is trying to change that narrative. It doesn’t fully succeed, but it gets closer than most.
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The biggest win here is how normal these feel. The signature C-bridge design looks unusual at first, but once it’s on, it kind of disappears. At just over 5g per earbud, the FreeClip 2 sits lightly without that intrusive “plugged-in” feeling you get from traditional in-ear buds. If you’re someone who hates having silicone tips jammed into your ears for hours, this is instantly refreshing.
I took it to test on walks, quick jogs, even lying down at awkward angles, and they stayed put. There’s always that fear with clip-style earbuds that they’ll loosen or fall off mid-movement, but that never really happened here. The grip is secure without being tight, which is a tricky balance.
For a clip/open-ear design, the sound quality here is genuinely impressive. The dual-diaphragm driver setup gives it more punch than you’d expect: volume is strong, vocals come through clean, and there’s enough bass presence to keep things from sounding flat.
But, obviously, it doesn’t match up to traditional in-ear or over-ear earbuds. That physical seal you get from regular earbuds simply isn’t here, and you feel it. The sound lacks that deep immersion and fullness, especially in noisy environments.
Coming to call quality, it is solid. Voices come through clearly on both ends, and even in busier environments, conversations seldom felt like a struggle.
There’s also a layer of smart features working in the background. Volume adapts based on your surroundings (once enabled), and voice enhancement helps keep speech clear whether you’re on a call or listening to a podcast.
I tested these across multiple devices, including Apple and Honor, and pairing was straightforward across the board. App integration worked smoothly, and switching between devices didn’t feel like a chore.
Gesture controls take a bit of getting used to, especially the swipe-based volume adjustment, but once it clicks, it’s actually quite intuitive. The added head-motion controls feel more like a bonus than a necessity, but they’re there if you want them.
Battery life holds up well too. You’re comfortably getting through a full day of casual use without thinking too much about charging, which fits the whole “wear it and forget it” philosophy.
There’s no active noise cancellation here. That’s expected for this category, but it’s still the biggest drawback, especially when you consider the Dh649 price tag. If you’re coming from ANC earbuds, this will feel like a step back in immersion. But it sounds better than most clip-style earbuds, is incredibly comfortable, and could fit seamlessly into everyday life.
