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Huawei announces plans for global EMUI 10.1 rollout
The new EMUI version was unveiled along with the P40 series
Huawei's latest iteration of its custom skin on top of Android, EMUI 10.1, was first introduced along with the P40 series in March. Back then, we didn't know when the software would make the jump to other phones internationally, even though some handsets received the update in the form of a beta. That's now changing — Huawei has announced that it will start rolling out EMUI 10.1 across its lineup starting this month.
Huawei hangs onto Google apps with second P30 Pro re-release
Should we expect another one of these in 6 months?
As the U.S. continues to shun Huawei away from using any of its suppliers, the Chinese manufacturer is keen on retaining its foreign audience who are fans of their hardware but won't use an Android phone without Google apps. Enter the Huawei P30 Pro New Edition, the second reboot of the P30 Pro launched a year after the original P30 Pro came about.
Back in November last year, there were reports that EMUI10 (based on Android 10) was rolling out to some of Huawei's flagship phones in global markets such as Europe. It turns out that related only to beta versions of the firmware, and the official word from Huawei is that the stable rollout is only now beginning.
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Despite being a big player in the smartphone industry who pumps out almost as many phones as Samsung, Huawei has proven itself to be quite nimble when it comes to major Android software updates. After starting its Android 10 beta program faster than most other companies in September, it's beginning to roll out the stable version of EMUI 10 for its P30 and Mate 20 series of phones to users on the old continent.
During IFA 2019 in Berlin, Huawei didn't only launch brand new products and devices such as the Kirin 990 5G chipset; it also introduced a new take on its successful zoom camera phone, the P30 Pro. Along with a redesigned back that now sports a two-tone matte and mirrored glass design, the device is also Huawei's first to feature Android 10. However, this re-release doesn't have anything to do with the impending US trade ban. Instead, Huawei tells us that it had planned the new color options for quite some time.
I've had mixed feelings about Huawei phones for years. The company's intrusive EMUI software was to blame for much of that, but a history of sub-par camera performance and its spotty update track record didn't help. When we reviewed the Mate 20 Pro, we saw a lot of progress, with Huawei shipping a phone with the most recent version of Android mere months after it had launched. Stellar cameras, flagship performance, and an excellent OLED display hit the point home: Huawei was very ready to play in the smartphone big leagues.
Due to the Netflix app's use of DRM and other restrictive technologies, not every Android phone or tablet can automatically watch movies and shows in HD. In most cases, Netflix has to certify each device for HD playback, and run additional tests to make sure HDR works. The company has now certified 23 new phones and tablets for HD playback, and brought HDR compatibility to a handful of phones.
The Huawei P30 series made the news in March thanks to impressive camera features. The Chinese company declined its flagship into the regular P30, the Pro, and the Lite versions, but all three weren't easy to buy in the US. Nevertheless, B&H started accepting pre-orders for them about a month ago, and the retailer is already shaving a few bucks off their price.
It's crazy to think that you can now upgrade your smartphone with an extra terabyte of storage just by popping in a tiny microSD card — we saw availability of the first 1TB card get underway just a few days ago. Of course, while that's an option, you'll pay dearly for being an early adopter, with the card going for around $450. Thankfully some much more budget-friendly alternatives exist, and we're checking one out among the rest of this week's best deals.
At I/O, Google announced that Android Q Beta 3 would not only be available on its recent Pixel phones, but also 15 phones from other OEMs. Included among those 15 phones is the Mate 20 Pro, indicating that Huawei isn't slacking when it comes to the 10th version of Android. The company has just announced which of its phones will be updated to Q first.
For all the fanfare ultra wide angle cameras receive on the internet, it’s getting closer that has long presented the greatest frustration in smartphone photography. Digital zoom has been the stuff of tech-savvy humor for years, a feature reserved for those so illiterate in their usage of cameras as to not understand that it achieves the same end effect as cropping an un-zoomed photo with a simple editor. Why zoom at all, we say, when the camera isn’t able to gather any more data, but instead actually destroys it, and all for the sake of a noisy, blurry photo? While this has a strong ring of “technically true,” I also believe it fundamentally ignores and misunderstands why people use zoom in the first place - and also why I believe optical superzoom systems are the future of smartphone cameras.
What would you do upon getting your hands on the Huawei P30 Pro, one of the year's hottest smartphones? If you're Zack from JerryRigEverything, you'd celebrate by bending, scratching, and burning the device — all in the name of science.
Have you been eying the Huawei P30 or P30 Pro? While you can't officially buy them from Huawei in the US, popular retailer B&H is now accepting pre-orders for the devices, promising delivery from April 29th.
Most new phones from all the big names have hardware that's good enough for Google's ARCore applications. To help us all keep track of which devices are officially certified by Google, its developer site maintains a handy list. We then keep track of said list so you don't have to — aren't we nice — and we've spotted the addition of five new phones in recent days, including one that's not even out yet.
The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro were officially announced earlier this week, and some already have the phones. One of the P30's early testers has shared all the included wallpapers (and EMUI themes) with XDA Developers, so you can use them on your device of choice.
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Huawei's cameras have become exceptional over the past few years, and earlier this month, the company unveiled more phones with excellent camera performance. While the P30 and P30 Pro have already turned heads with its 5x optical zoom, its low-light performance appears to beat the Pixel's Night Sight in certain cases.
After months of rumors and leaks, Huawei CEO Richard Yu took to the stage in Paris today to announce the company's latest flagship smartphone series. The P30 and P30 Pro promise to "Rewrite the Rules of Photography," which is no surprise given a power zoom feature was already teased by Huawei. The cheaper device has three cameras on the rear while the more expensive model has four.
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Smartphone leaks are seemingly unavoidable for the major brands these days, that's assuming they aren't doing the leaking themselves. This latest Huawei P30 Pro leak certainly seems accidental, though, since it was an Amazon.it listing that went up prematurely before being quickly taken down. The anticipated 10x zoom is noted, among practically all of the other pertinent specs.
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- Trump's not the only one making news in Vietnam — the Huawei P30 Pro has been spotted out in the open, possibly in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). In a series of leaked images, you can see the distinctive camera setup of the device and even the square lens, which is likely a 10x zoom.
While Huawei may be navigating a challenging legal landscape, it doesn't seem to be slowing down with new product development. A new set renders of the upcoming P30 and P30 Pro flagships have leaked over at WinFuture, and they hint at new camera features, like 10x optical zoom and variable aperture.
February is going to be full of announcements, beginning with Samsung's Unpacked event tomorrow, followed by many more during Mobile World Congress next week. Huawei, though, has preferred to stay away from the crowd and decided to wait another month to officially unveil its P30 flagship, which it says will rewrite the rules.