Editor's Note: This article is sponsored content from Huawei and was not reported or published by the Tom's Guide staff.
We’ve spent some quality time enjoying the new EMUI 9.0 update from Huawei. This newest Android operating system update delivers on its promise of improved performance, new features, and a streamlined user experience. After one month exploring the new features, here’s what stands out about the platform upgrade coming with every new Huawei Mate 20 Series phone.
Fast, intuitive user experience
What stands out first about Huawei’s EMUI 9.0 release are the improvements in performance and user experience. There’s faster speed in tap response, app launch times, and ease of use.
The new interface optimizes the placement of buttons so you can navigate using one hand more easily. It’s great that you can toggle between photos, albums, highlights and more using the thumb of the hand holding the device. Overall, expect a smoother, more streamlined experience that Huawei claims will work even on older devices. The intuitive new gestures and navigation cut down on clicking between apps.
Improved AI capabilities
Spotlight Reel, HiVision, and HiTouch are three new artificial intelligence capabilities inherent in EMUI 9.0. Spotlight Reel uses AI to automatically generate ten-second montages highlighting people found in your video collection. It’s a nifty little tool users will findn engaging and very entertaining.
HiVision and HiTech have a bit more real world application potential. Using HiVision, you can search the internet just by pointing your phone’s camera at something. The AI in HiVision can recognize landmarks from 15 countries and over 10 million famous works of art. It’s pretty amazing – point it at a plate of food and it can also provide a calorie estimate for a wide range of dishes.
Meanwhile, HiTech’s AI can be used to search online shopping platforms for more than 120 million items. By pressing and holding two fingers over an image, users can search more than 200 eCommerce platforms and the onlines stores of almost 100 brands to find an item. These two powerful tools capture the potential of AI in new and interesting ways, and it will be interesting to see how Huawei continues to build them out.
Give your productivity a boost
EMUI 9.0 gives users One Click Projection, Highlight, and Capture on Big Screen, handy for projecting content onto larger screens for presentations or movie nights. The new productivity features are particularly compelling; for example, Huawei Share lets you transfer files to a Bluetooth-enabled printer (in addition to a Huawei mobile and PC). There’s also a new and improved way to backup files on your phone using an SD card, USB drive, or Network Attached Storage (NAS), which is great if you’re looking for a way to save your media without an internet or data connection.
Pure, simple enjoyment
Three design principles govern the EMUI 9.0: it's simple, enjoyable, and consistent. Take the streamlined settings menu. Huawei has pared down the number of items on display and added an Advanced Tab to house higher-level customization options. EMUI 9.0 groups together different items in smarter categories, and makes it intuitive to find what you need and make the changes you wish.
You’ll also like the natural feel that runs throughout the experience. EMUI 9.0’s redesign brings the phone’s timer, clock, and compass under the same aesthetic. The platform’s design was inspired by the environment, and you can clearly see the theme throughout the experience.
After a month of use, the platform looks great far. If you’re excited by what you’re hearing about the EMUI 9.0, stay tuned: the software is rolling out to Huawei phones and will be released for widespread download soon.