Huawei has recently announced the HarmonyOS but that isn’t stopping the tech giant from pursuing the Android-based EMUI for their mobile devices. The custom operating system is set to appear in majority of Huawei and Honor's current phones, including the P30 series, Mate 20 series, P20 series, the Mate 10 series, and in the new Mate series.
Manila Bulletin TechNews got the rare chance of testing the EMUI 10 (and Android Q) ahead of the planned release. We learned that there are only two units in the country with this software update. Here’s what we learned about it.
Sharper design and animations
The new interface looks cleaner and sharper. There are some design changes in the apps icons, refreshing the entire EMUI look without making any major overhauls. The icons themselves have animations, when tapping them, they depress a little before launching, as if you were pressing a physical button. It’s a subtle but noticeable improvement.
System-wide Dark Mode
Just like Android Q, the EMUI 10 will have a system-wide dark mode. This means dark mode comes in by default, which also includes all third-party apps with dark mode options. Huawei said they have invested on researching different color palettes that are most appealing and comfortable while viewing and reading.
Camera tweaks
Huawei has invested a lot in developing smartphone cameras, so it makes sense that the EMUI 10 simplifies everything about the camera interface without compromising anything. There will be new filters with Leica branding as well, along with new color palettes to enhance photos. This however, is not yet available on the unit that we have now.
Swipe up gesture and improved performance
The EMUI 10 will bring the swipe up gesture to Huawei and Honor phones. You can now swipe left to go back to previous secreen, swipe up to go home and and swipe up near the right corner to activate Google Assistant.
This will let users to better organize their apps and minimize all the clutter. The EMUI 10 will also prioritize apps users are using by giving it more memory and processing power compared to those running in the background.
Dr. Wang Chenglu, President of the Software Engineering Department at Huawei Consumer Business Group, said that EMUI10 is pioneering distributed technology applications for providing an all-scenario experience. Which basically means, Huawei is developing seamless connectivity between phone and other devices such as smart TV or smart speakers. The idea here is you can answer video calls from your own TV or make calls through your speakers, or even receive videos from drones straight into your phone, among other features Huawei is working on.
With the EMUI 10, Huawei said they will make tools and platforms such as Ark Compiler and the Huawei DevEco Studio more open for third-party developers. Huawei added that EMUI provides a distributed UI programming framework, which virtualizes hardware performance. This allows developers to create apps for multiple devices without altering the app itself.
The beta program of the EMUI 10 rolls out on September 8. We will know more about its features and updates in the coming weeks.