Huawei FreeClip 2 S Review: Open-Ear Headphones with Improvements

With the FreeClip 2, Huawei has one of the best open-ear headphones currently in its lineup. Back in early 2026, the second generation of these stylish earbuds impressed us in our review. Now, about half a year later, the manufacturer is stepping it up a notch and introducing the Huawei FreeClip 2 S—a successor that not only refines the design but also takes the sound quality to the next level. Find out more in our Huawei FreeClip 2 S review.

Technical Specifications of the Huawei FreeClip 2 S

Product	FreeClip 2 S
Bluetooth Version	5.3
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC, L2HC, and LC3
Maximum operating range	12 m (line of sight)
Battery Life	Up to 9 hours, 38 hours total with charging case; (varies depending on volume level and audio content)
Charging time	1.5 hours (for charging case via USB-C)
Charging Case Dimensions (H x W x D)	37.4 mm x 48.6 mm x 48.9 mm
Weight	5.1 g per earbud; 39.4 g for charging case & earbuds
Key Features	Wear detection; Multipoint; IP57; Smart Wear Detection; Adaptive Audio
Price	MSRP: 229.00 euros

FreeClip 2 S Review: Design and Build Quality

As soon as you unbox it, you’ll notice that the FreeClip 2 S is the most visually striking model in the series. While the standard FreeClip 2 features a square, very clean charging case, the S variant comes with a strikingly round, almost spherical case that Huawei markets as the “Luminous Charging Case.” The NCVM coating gives it a shimmering look reminiscent of a small jewelry box, and opening it actually feels a bit like opening a jewelry box every time. Available in Metallic Blue and Silver, the case looks elegant and closes securely and precisely—here you can really appreciate the over 100 manufacturing steps Huawei has put into the finish.

The earbuds themselves continue to rely on the tried-and-true trio of the Acoustic Ball (in the front of the ear) and the Comfort Bean (behind the ear), connected via the “Airy C-bridge.” This bridge is made of skin-friendly liquid silicone and, according to the manufacturer, is about 25 percent softer than in the first FreeClip generation. This is noticeable during wear testing: Weighing about 5.1 grams per earbud, the FreeClip 2 S are among the lightest open-ear earbuds on the market, and after several hours, you simply forget you’re wearing them at all.

The fit is still secure enough that nothing slips out of place while jogging or nodding your head quickly—a balance that not many open-ear models manage so well. The build quality is impeccable, and since there’s no dedicated left or right earbud, it doesn’t matter which one goes in which ear. A comparison with the Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro (our review) illustrates how clip-on designs stack up against over-ear models.

Features of the Huawei FreeClip 2 S

In terms of features, the FreeClip 2 S leaves little to be desired. It includes Multipoint for simultaneous connection to two devices, complemented by a cross-OS connection that works between iOS, Android, and Windows. Users within the Huawei ecosystem can even switch between more than two devices. For audio playback, the high-resolution L2HC codec is available, which delivers a noticeable improvement in sound quality.

At the heart of the system is once again the 10.8 mm dual-diaphragm driver, which controls two diaphragms separately, delivering higher volume and more powerful bass. This is complemented by Unlimited Spatial Audio with head tracking via a six-axis motion sensor, which is activated via an OTA update and works across platforms on both iOS and Android. Another new feature is Adaptive Audio, which automatically adjusts the volume to the environment and can be fine-tuned across three sensitivity levels.

The IP57 certification provides reliable protection against sweat and water splashes, so you can easily wipe the earbuds down when they get wet. Due to their design, active noise cancellation (ANC) is not available, which is to be expected with an open-ear design. However, those looking for classic high-performance earbuds will likely find what they’re looking for in TWS in-ear headphones.

Reliable Touch Controls

Controls are operated via touch and motion gestures and worked absolutely reliably in our test. Double and triple taps can be triggered anywhere on the earbud—whether on the Acoustic Ball, the C-bridge, or the Comfort Bean. By default, double-taps control playback and calls, while triple-taps skip to the next track—and all of these functions can be remapped in the app.

The swipe gesture on the Comfort Bean is particularly handy—it lets you adjust the volume with a swipe, a feature that was completely missing from the very first FreeClip. There are also head gestures: nodding answers calls, and shaking your head rejects them. This works quickly and reliably. Another real innovation compared to the regular FreeClip 2 is the physical button inside the charging case: holding it down for two seconds starts pairing, while holding it down for ten seconds resets the earbuds to factory settings. A small but well-thought-out detail that makes pairing noticeably easier.

Battery Life: Still Impressive

When it comes to endurance, the FreeClip 2 S ranks among the long-distance runners in its class. Huawei specifies up to 9 hours of pure playback time, and combined with the charging case, that adds up to around 38 hours—an impressive figure that easily lasts a full week of moderate use in everyday life. This puts the S variant on par with the standard FreeClip 2 and a good bit ahead of the first generation, which offered 8 and 36 hours, respectively.

The fast-charging feature gets the earbuds ready for about three hours of playback in just 10 minutes in the case—ideal if you realize the buds are dead right before you head out. With 60 mAh per earbud and 537 mAh in the case, the case also offers enough capacity for several full charging cycles.

App Connectivity via Audio Connect

The companion app is Huawei Audio Connect, available for iOS 13.0 and later and Android 8.0 and later. The app recognizes the FreeClip 2 S immediately and features a clean, uncluttered interface. Here, you can remap gestures, adjust the sound using equalizer presets or custom settings, and enable features like Adaptive Audio along with its three sensitivity levels.

The “Find earbuds” mode, which lets you locate the earbuds via a ringtone, is also handy, as are the controls for convenient playback features. This is where Adaptive Audio really shines: When you move from a quiet apartment to a crowded subway car, you’ll appreciate that the volume adjusts automatically without having to reach for your smartphone. This also helps stabilize the sometimes wildly fluctuating volume levels of various apps and videos.

Audio and Microphone Quality

In terms of sound, the FreeClip 2 S seamlessly builds on the excellent performance of the standard FreeClip 2, which comes as no surprise, since it features the same 10.8 mm dual-diaphragm driver. This driver controls two diaphragms via an integrated dual-magnet circuit, which specifically addresses the classic weakness of many open-ear headphones: “too quiet, not enough bass.”

In practice, this is clearly noticeable: The FreeClip 2 S delivers a full, lively sound that gets impressively loud for an open-ear design. Huawei claims that the volume and bass performance have doubled compared to the first generation, and indeed, the sound quality surpasses that of the FreeClip 2. And it gets pretty loud—too loud for some, I’d say. If you turn the volume down a bit, you’ll enjoy a sound that unfolds pleasantly.

The bass performance is particularly pleasing. For an open-ear model that deliberately leaves the ear canal open, the bass is surprisingly powerful, dynamic, and well-defined. Beats and drum kicks have noticeable punch, so even listeners of hip-hop, electronic music, or bass-heavy pop productions will get their money’s worth. Naturally, the bass doesn’t quite reach the level of closed-back in-ear headphones, which seal off the ear canal and thus trap significantly more energy inside the ear, but within the open-ear category, the FreeClip 2 S clearly ranks among the top performers. The transition between low and high frequencies feels smooth and natural, and the soundstage gains overall spaciousness and depth.

The biggest advantage of the open-ear design is its airiness: the sound is pleasantly wide and free in the space, without feeling confined in any way—a quality that closed-back headphones can hardly match. On the other hand, the typical limitations of this design also become apparent. One positive aspect is that Huawei has significantly mitigated the harshness in vocals and “s” sounds—which I had previously criticized in the FreeClip 2—with the Huawei Free Clip 2 S. The sound is now rounder, more pleasant, and less fatiguing.

Of course, due to their design, there’s one thing you need to know about open-ear headphones: the absolute level of detail remains audibly inferior to that of very good in-ear models; subtle nuances and microdynamics get somewhat lost in the open soundstage. The new Adaptive Audio feature is a pleasant surprise and plays a noticeable role in the sound experience. Instead of having to adjust the volume manually, the earbuds intelligently adapt their volume to ambient noise while simultaneously normalizing the often wildly fluctuating levels of various apps and videos.

If you move from a quiet environment to a crowded subway car, you’ll benefit from the music remaining clear without being startled by your own volume later when you leave the noisy area. Optionally, Unlimited Spatial Audio with head tracking adds an extra spatial dimension, which is particularly valuable for movies and multichannel content where the sound follows the movement of your head.

Huawei FreeClip 2 S with excellent microphones

When it comes to microphones, the FreeClip 2 S relies on a 3-mic system consisting of two microphones and a VPU bone conduction microphone, which captures the voice directly via vibrations at the ear and is thus less susceptible to ambient noise. This is supported by a multichannel DNN algorithm and the powerful NPU, which separate speech from background noise in real time. In practice, this delivers clear, easily intelligible voice reproduction in both directions: both your own voice and that of the person you’re speaking with are transmitted clearly and in detail. Even in noisier environments—such as on the street, in a café, or on the train—you remain clearly audible, as the algorithm reliably filters out ambient noise.

Huawei FreeClip 2 S microphone test recording:

Huawei FreeClip 2 microphone test recording:

Huawei FreeClip microphone test recording (1):

At maximum volume, adaptive voice enhancement kicks in, keeping conversations intelligible even when the surroundings get particularly loud. The system doesn’t quite match the recording quality of the most expensive premium in-ear headphones—the finest details of speech sound a touch less natural—but for phone calls and video calls on the go, the performance is more than solid and ranks among the best you can expect in this device class.

Huawei FreeClip 2 S Review: Conclusion

At their core, the Huawei FreeClip 2 S are essentially the FreeClip 2 in a more sophisticated design: same driver, same battery specs, same high-performance microphones, but with the eye-catching Luminous charging case and the colors Metallic Blue and Silver. If you value maximum style and view the earbuds almost as a piece of jewelry, this is the most stylish option in the series.

Functionally, however, Huawei takes the already impressive sound quality to a whole new level in this new edition and addresses what was, for me, one of the biggest criticisms of its predecessor: namely, the slightly harsh vocals and sibilance at high volumes. That alone makes the FreeClip 2 S the better and more interesting choice. Overall, they remain outstanding open-ear headphones with excellent comfort, long battery life, and rich sound that leaves little room for criticism.