Huawei is rolling out the beta update to both Huawei and Honor branded devices. Not all devices are getting the update, of course, but it is good to see that the company has at least stood by their word.
Several OEMs are working on bringing the latest Android software to its flagship devices. OnePlus has already started testing a public version of Pie for the Chinese OnePlus 6 variant. Companies such as Xiaomi, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony will also bring the software to its top phones by the end of this year.
Huawei/Honor Android 9.0 Pie Beta Update
Currently, users of the Huawei Mate 10/Mate 10 Pro, Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design, Huawei P20/P20 Pro, Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design, Honor 10, Honor V10, and even the Honor Play, will be able to sign up for beta program. If you own any of these devices, you will be able to download and try out the Android 9.0 Pie beta software.
However, before you can download the software, you will have to register as a member of the beta program. There are limited slots open, so you should probably sign up soon. Once you are accepted in to the program, you will receive the update in early September. There are two different slots that users can register for, and the first batch will receive the update in early September, while the second slot will get the update at the end of September.
Once again, this is for the new Android 9.0 Pie beta software, so there will be plenty of bugs and some apps may not be compatible. Huawei will also be using its own EMUI 9.0 skin, which will have more customizations and such. The update will bring several new features, including gesture support, better and smarter battery, and much more.
According to Huawei, users who are registering for the beta testing program, should be on the latest software version, and the devices should have more than 6GB of free storage. The device must not be rooted, or the beta software will not work.
Huawei will reportedly announce the new EMUI 9.0 software at the IFA 2018 show that is happening at the end of this month. We are not sure about all the new features that will be available with the new EMUI update, but it will definitely be faster and smoother than before.
It has also been reported that the first phones to receive the Android 9.0 Pie update would be the Huawei P20 series, followed by others. And that seems apt, because this is Huawei’s flagship series of smartphones.
Honor Play: Specifications, Features
The Honor Play is a mid-range gaming phone from Huawei’s online brand, Honor. It is currently available for purchase in India, and is a great bang for buck. The phone comes with a notched 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the Kirin 970 processor, and is coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The phone comes with a dual-camera setup at the back, with a 16MP sensor and another 2MP depth sensor. At the front, you get a 16MP camera for selfies. Honor is selling this is a budget gaming phone, and it comes with the GPU Turbo feature that can improve gaming performance by up to 60 percent, while not using too much battery. It also comes with a 4D haptic feedback for gaming, along with a Histen 7.1 channel 3D audio software.
In terms of battery, you get a 3760mAh unit, which supports fast charging. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, with the EMUI 8.2 skin on top.
