After opening the box of Huawei’s new Freebuds 3 to reveal the shiny black case gleaming in its comfortable bed, one thing springs to mind: Darth Vader. Though they are available in white, this big, black M&M is exactly the sort of audio accessory that would blend seamlessly into the outfit of the Empire’s villainous leader.
After much frustrating prodding and pushing, we manage to extract the gorgeous case and inspect these beautifully shiny ear buds. The lid opens and shuts with a satisfying click to reveal stalk-shaped ear buds with a silver tip at their base. Imagine that an Apple AirPods had an accident with a can of black spray paint and you’re pretty much there.
Pairing is quick and easy, thanks to the Function button on the side of the case that is so discreet, we have to hold it 3mm from our eyes to see it. But the Huawei app is infuriatingly unresponsive and doesn’t allow us to customise the sound of the product, which is disappointing.