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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.
When Huawei announced the Mate X foldable phone back in February 2019, it didn't expect it would have to delay the device's release twice due to concerns over its folding screen's quality. When he Mate X finally came out in November, it unfortunately shipped with Android 9 and hasn't been updated to Google's latest offering since then. Thankfully, the device is now receiving Android 10.
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.
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- XDA Developers obtained a timeline from My Drivers detailing when which devices will receive EMUI 10.0. The Mate 20, 20 Pro, 20 X, and 20 RS Porsche Design are slated to receive the software in the form of a beta by the end of September 2019. Huawei's subsidiary devices Honor 20, 20 Pro, View20 and Magic 2 will receive the beta in September as well, albeit branded as Magic UI 3.0.
Right after announcing its very own mobile operating system HarmonyOS during its developer conference, Huawei quickly followed up by showing its continued commitment to Android. The company unveiled the latest iteration of EMUI, number 10.0, based on Android Q. A beta version of it is coming to the Huawei P30 series on September 8, which further confirms what we were already expecting: Google is most likely launching the stable release of Android 10 Q at around the same date.
In March, amid a tightening trade war between the U.S. and China, Huawei consumer group CEO Richard Yu told Die Welt that it had a backup OS ready to deploy if it could not use Android for any reason. That reason came last week when the Department of Commerce effectively enacted an import ban against the world's second-largest smartphone brand by volume, blocking millions of phones from receiving software updates. Though the ban has been placed on hold until mid-August, Yu has now laid out a deployment plan for that backup OS.
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.
There's a lot of Huawei news today, but here's some more. Android 9 Pie, baked under a thick layer of EMUI, is rolling out to the P10 and Honor 8X, according to some helpful tipsters. Reports have been trickling in over the last couple of days, but now the update seems to hitting a wider range of users.
Late last week, I turned on my Mate 10 Pro out of a cynical curiosity to see if Huawei had pushed out Pie/EMUI 9 yet. Much to my surprise, the phone alerted me to an update waiting to be downloaded and installed. Turns out, it was the very Pie one I'd been hoping for. Since then, it appears that it's getting a wider release, though an exact time frame is difficult to pin down.
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- Newegg has the U.S. version of the Mate 10 Pro for just $499.99. Enter enter promo code NEFPAR4 at checkout to get the full discount.
With Christmas right around the corner, the deals aren't likely to stop for a little while. Take this one, for instance — Amazon is once again shaving some money off the asking price for a U.S. Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Whereas we've seen the phone drop to $500 before, now you can pick one up for $479.99. Even today, that's not bad.I had the opportunity to take a second look at Huawei's late-2017/early-2018 flagship. Though it has some flaws, I found it to be an excellent device. Gorgeous, fast, and reliable, the Mate 10 Pro was one of my favorite phones to use earlier this year. The 6" 18:9 display may only be 1080p, but it's still nice to look at, the Kirin 970 is an awesome SoC to this day, and the 4,000mAh battery carries the phone well past a day's worth of use. The cameras are also some of the best in the Android world, though still a far cry from the Pixels or even Samsung.I'd say that the biggest problem with the U.S. version of the Mate 10 Pro right now is updates. Mine is still sitting on a months-old build of EMUI 8/Android 8.0. Pie started rolling out to the international variant a few days ago, so hopefully we'll see this phone get some love, too. But after that, I wouldn't hold my breath. And with Huawei discontinuing its bootloader unlocking program, those of you who are conscious of updates and device life cycles may want to take that into consideration when pondering this deal.Again, Amazon only has the beautiful blue version (the best, in my humble opinion) on sale. Just hit up the buy link below to get started.
Huawei's EMUI Android skin used to be a real mess, but it's gotten much better over the last few years. EMUI 9 is the latest version, which Huawei pre-announced a few months ago. Now, we have all the details, and it's shipping on the Mate 20. EMUI 9.0 is based on Android 9 Pie, so some of the new features won't be a surprise. Others are pure Huawei.
One of the best budget phones last year was the Honor 7X, but Huawei released a slightly improved version under its own branding, the Mate SE. Amazon has the gold variant of the latter on sale for $191.92, roughly $58 off the $249.99 MSRP. Funny thing is, this phone seems to be in a price free fall, dropping a few dollars in the last twelve hours, so you might find it cheaper by the time you look at it.Like its Honor 7X sibling, the Mate SE sports the same 5.93" 18:9 FHD+ IPS LCD, Kirin 659 SoC, and 16MP+2MP rear/8MP front cameras. The difference between the two, besides the branding, is that the Mate SE got a bump in storage and RAM over the 7X. It comes with 64GB and 4GB, versus the 7X's 32GB/3GB.This deal is only good on the gold variant — the grey version is still $249. If you need a solid budget phone that lasts a long time, takes decent photos, and isn't a nightmare to use, this is one to consider.Source: Amazon
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- According to some Twitter users, Oreo is also available in France and Germany for the Honor 8, though owners may have to access the update via Huawei's HiSuite.
Honor 8 users are on a bit of an emotional roller coaster when it comes to getting Android 8 Oreo. In January, they were told that the 2016 device would not receive Android Oreo at all, even though the Honor 8 Lite and Honor 8 Pro were getting the new OS version, due to "hardware and software limitations." That didn't really sit well with anyone, though, and a few months later the Honor 8 Android Oreo beta arrived in China, before rolling out to the public in July, alongside builds for a variety of other Honor and Huawei devices. Now, the Oreo update has finally arrived for users in India.
Without a doubt, Huawei can make spectacular devices when it tries. And while recent memory points to the P20/P20 Pro, the Mate 10 Pro from last year ought not be forgotten. And now, you can pick one up for yourself on Amazon for $549.99, complete with a U.S warranty. That's $250 off MSRP, or $100 off the recent sale prices.The Mate 10 Pro is a great phone. The beautiful chassis holds a vibrant 6" FHD+ AMOLED display, a Kirin 970 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, an impressive 12MP+20MP camera setup, and a huge 4,000mAh battery that lasts for a very long time. You'll also find Android 8.0 Oreo and EMUI 8. $550 buys a lot of phone here, and one of the better Android cameras, too.Both the grey and eye-catching blue are on sale, though I do highly recommend the latter. We're still in the window for you to get a bootloader unlock code for these phones, so you'll be able to take advantage of the custom ROM side of Project Treble support. If you pick one of these up, I suggest that you apply for a code as soon as possible; you don't ever have to use it, but at least you'll have the option to do so if you choose.Source: Amazon
Some six months after launching its late-2017 flagship, the very capable Mate 10 Pro, Huawei took to the stage in Paris at the end of March to show off the new P20 series. The spotlight was, of course, on the P20 Pro with its unusual third camera, but the little sibling was not to be left out. Though it lacks the tertiary sensor that's present in its larger brother, the "regular" P20 sports most of the same features.
The Honor 7X – arguably the best budget phone in the U.S. right now despite launching with Nougat – is slated to officially get Oreo starting next Monday, April 30. Honor announced this via its USA Twitter page and in a press release. The update not only brings the phone up to Android 8.0, but it adds several new features to the $199 phone.
Shortly after coming to the U.S., the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is already seeing a nice discount. You can pick up this phone for $649.99, $150 off MSRP, from Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, and Newegg. Honestly, this is a great deal.Both Ryan and I reviewed the Mate 10 Pro, so be sure to check out our thoughts on it. Basically, we both came away with the consensus that this is a very good phone. The Kirin 970 SoC and 6GB of RAM make this phone fly, the 12MP RGB+20MP monochrome Leica camera system takes fantastic shots, and the 6" FHD+ 18:9 AMOLED display is nice. Oh, and the phone itself is quite the looker. The 4,000mAh battery goes forever, making the Mate 10 Pro one of the longest-lasting flagships available (especially in the U.S.).$650 is a good price for the Mate 10 Pro, if you can handle EMUI — software remains Huawei's weak point. Take your choice on which retailer to buy from; Amazon has Prime, B&H has no sales tax outside of NY/NJ, Best Buy has in-store pickup, and Newegg is... well, you get the point. Both the grey and gorgeous blue colors are on sale (not the $1200 Porsche Design variant, sad panda). Just head over to the source link of your choice below.Source: Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg
Huawei has had a tough time of things in 2018, getting the rug pulled out from under it just before it launched the U.S. version of its flagship Mate 10 Pro on AT&T. The blows just kept coming with Verizon pulling out of a deal, followed by "security warnings" from some of the American government security agencies. While all of the political mess is somewhat fun to look back at and is good for a nice chuckle or two, my focus here is on the phone itself, Huawei's centerpiece.
In a "finally" moment, Huawei announced that the Honor View10 is coming to the United States. Available today for pre-order from the Honor store, the View10 comes in either black or blue for $499.
Continuing to expand its international Honor device portfolio, Huawei is bringing another previously limited-market phone to other parts of the world. The Honor 9 Lite, previously only released in China and India, is a toned down version of the Honor 9 and it is coming to Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the U.K. for a mere €229 via Honor's online store starting today, February 6.