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Unsurprisingly, Apple’s AirPods Pro and the iPhone are a true power couple, as are Google’s Pixel Buds Pro and the tech giant’s Pixel phones.
But what happens if you pair, for example, Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro with the latest iPhone, or AirPods with a Samsung phone?
We’ve taken a closer look at Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro, Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds to see how well they work with a phone running on a different operating system.
The four earbud models not only differ when it comes to sound and fit, they also use different noise cancelling technology, so it can be worth mixing and matching to find the combination that works best for you.

Apple has finally added a USB-C charging port to its wireless earphones with the AirPods Pro 2, making them a feasible option for Android users.
AirPods have long been known for their excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), and the latest generation is no exception. Ambient noise is almost completely blocked out, without any in-ear pressure.
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With AirPods Pro 2, users can switch between Transparency mode (which lets all outside sound in), Adaptive (which adjusts ANC based on the user’s surroundings) and Noise Cancellation (which blocks external noise).
Switching between modes can be done by pressing and holding the sensor on the stem of the AirPods – whether they’re connected to an iPhone or an Android device. Apple has so far been reluctant to release an app to make other functions on the AirPods easier to control for Android users.
But it goes both ways, as Google and Samsung earbuds also don’t connect seamlessly to the Apple universe. There’s no iOS app for Google’s Pixel Buds Pro or Samsung’s Galaxy Buds to allow iPhone users to adjust sound and ANC. The fact that these earbud models are geared towards Android devices, however, means they run on a wider range of devices.

Chinese tech giant Huawei is the only one of the four companies we tested with iOS and Android apps – in addition its in-house HarmonyOS app – that allow users to control its FreeBuds Pro 3.
The app for iPhone is available in the App Store and the Huawei AppGallery. Android users have to download it from the Huawei website.
Installation is a bit fiddly but the app ultimately works well. A Find My Earphones feature helps users locate their misplaced FreeBuds by having the buds emit a ringtone. While the sound isn’t as loud as the one emitted by Apple’s AirPods, the feature works across all operating systems.
Huawei GT 4 smartwatch: beats Apple, Google on price but lacks software
Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 3 are a true match for Apple’s flagship earbuds when it comes to sound. Wind noise cancellation capability in the latest generation is pretty close to what the AirPods Pro 2 are capable of, although hissing is a bit more noticeable in transparency mode.
The FreeBuds Pro 3 produced better sound during a phone call, however, than their Apple counterparts, and they fit just as snugly into the ear.
There’s still room for improvement on the battery life of Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 3, however. When in ANC mode, they ran out of steam in just under five hours, while Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 kept going for over nine hours on similar settings.

Google’s Pixel Buds came in a close second, with around eight hours on ANC, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE (fan edition) with around seven hours.
The sound quality of Samsung Galaxy Buds FE buds is a far cry from that of the AirPods Pro 2. They have a good low end, but treble lacks clarity and ANC is nowhere near as efficient as in Apple’s or Google’s earbuds.
Making a phone call with the Galaxy Buds FE is awkward at best because of choppy transmission.

What sets the Samsung earbuds apart is their significantly lower price. Tech on the FE model has been scaled back, enabling Samsung to offer them for an impressive US$79.
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro, at US$199, are in a similar league to Apple’s flagship AirPods Pro 2, which the iPhone manufacturer sells for US$249. Huawei’s Freebuds Pro are available for US$196.
Conclusion
Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 3 are an attractive alternative to Apple’s AirPods Pro and many other earbuds from the Android world.
Among the wireless earbuds tested, Huawei’s were the only ones that worked well across all smartphones, without any major limitations. If only the Chinese manufacturer had invested a bit more in battery life …


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Technology

Do Apple AirPods work with Android phones? How about Google, Samsung and Huawei earbuds with an iPhone? We find out in the ultimate in-ear face off

Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 have superior active noise cancellation but Apple doesn’t offer an app for their use with Android handsets. On the other hand, one big manufacturer of Android phones and earbuds does have an app for using the latter with iPhones. Photo: Shutterstock

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro. Photo: Shutterstock

Control of Google and Samsung earbuds on Apple devices and vice versa can be tricky, as none of these companies have as yet released an app to accommodate the other side. Photo: Shutterstock

Huawei Freebuds Pro. The latest generation of these earbuds are a true match for Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. Photo: Shutterstock

Samsung Galaxy Buds. The Korean tech giant sets itself apart by offering its earbuds at a significantly lower price than other big companies. Photo: Shutterstock

Ranked: the top 5 smartphones of 2023, from the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro to two foldable phones and the best camera phone money can buy

Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, with its improved zoom photography capability, was just one of the exciting smartphones of 2023. Photo: Ben Sin

The Pixel 8 Pro looks similar to Google’s previous flagship handset but has one big innovation – on-device generative AI. Photo: Ben Sin

The Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 (right), with its significantly bigger cover screen, beside the Flip 4. Photo: Ben Sin

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max marks the biggest iPhone upgrade in five years. Photo: Ben Sin

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the most complete camera phone on the market. Photo: Ben Sin

Helped by Leica image processing, photos shot on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra feel more organic and raw. Photo: Ben Sin

The OnePlus Open/Oppo Find N3 marks the end of Samsung’s monopoly on the foldable phone market in the West. Photo: Ben Sin

Social media in the news in 2023: Twitter becomes X, Meta launches Threads, teens’ mental health is in focus, and AI is on the rise

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US. Photo: Reuters

Elon Musk changed Twitter to X in 2023, prompting Meta to launch Threads as an alternative. Another big social media story during the year included platforms’ impact on teenagers’ mental health. Photo: AFP

A worker removes letters from the Twitter sign on the exterior of Twitter headquarters in July 2023, in San Francisco, California. Photo: AFP

Infowars founder Alex Jones, who said the Sandy Hook school shooting in the United States was a hoax, had his X account restored by Elon Musk. Photo: Reuters

Elon Musk changed Twitter’s name to X in 2023, and since then, has made a number of controversial moves, upsetting LGBTQ groups and drawing criticism for allowing misinformation and racist content on the site. Photo: AP 

In 2023, Bluesky attracted a lot of interest as an alternative to Twitter. Photo: Getty Images

In 2023, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg saw his company launch Threads to rival Twitter, and face accusations of designing features on Facebook and Instagram to addict children and teenagers to the sites. Photo: Reuters

In May 2023, the US surgeon general warned that there was not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens. Photo: Shutterstock

According to Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, social media users will soon be able to interact with AI bots with the faces of celebrities including Snoop Dogg (above). Photo: Getty Images

Why Gen Z fear they will raise a generation of ‘terribly behaved’ iPad kids, stoking TikTok debate about screen time

Gen Z are taking to TikTok to express their fears about raising kids who are hooked on iPads. The issue once applied to TV and video games, but whatever the device, too much screen time does affect early childhood development. Photo: Shutterstock

Gen Z is worried about raising a generation of iPad kids – who scream when their device is taken away, have zero interest in speaking to others, and no idea how to play with other toys. Photo: Shutterstock

Studies found too much screen time is associated with poor sleep. Photo: Shutterstock 

One TikTok user described the iPad kid generation as “an absolute terrifying nightmare to deal with”. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Gadgets

Apple designed AirPods to work with its iPhones, just as Google, Samsung and Huawei built earbuds to work with the Android handsets they produce
We test how AirPods work with Android phones, and how well Google, Samsung and Huawei earbuds perform when paired with iPhones. The winner may surprise you


Do Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro still function well when used with an iPhone? Can Apple AirPods work well with Android phones? We put both, as well as earbuds from Google and Samsung, to the ultimate test.
