HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020: All the landmark announcements and launches

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

The HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020 concluded a few days ago. But in terms of key announcements regarding new product launches and the company’s software ecosystem as a whole, this year’s dev conference was the most significant one.

HUAWEI launched the impressively thin and powerful MateBook X ultrabook, debuted the sleek HUAWEI Watch GT2 Pro, unveiled a new noise-canceling true wireless earbuds, and more.

But more importantly, the company talked in detail about its in-house cross-device operating system – HarmonyOS 2.0 – while detailing the advancements made with AppGallery and HMS core as a whole. It was essentially a flood of announcements, but here the most important ones that really stood out:

HarmonyOS 2.0

HDC 2020 served as the introduction platform for HarmonyOS 2.0, an updated version of HUAWEI’s homegrown OS that is faster and more functional. HUAWEI finally announced that Harmony OS is coming to smartphones next year (with SDKs planned to be released later this year), and will make its way to tablets and wearables soon.

It brings improved latency, high throughput, high reliability, and dynamic delay calibration to make cross-device file transfer more convenient, all thanks to the distributed data management system.

HUAWEI has also made major advancements in the area of security and privacy as well. HarmonyOS 2.0 relies on a versatile authentication portfolio that includes everything from facial recognition and fingerprint data to voice match and even heart rate data to grant access to system information and capabilities.

HUAWEI says it is also more efficient when it comes to collaborative meeting space and motion-control games. HUAWEI plans to fully open HarmonyOS for the dev community in October next year. 

AppGallery

HUAWEI also made major revelations talking about progress made when it comes to the AppGallery and initiatives being taken to welcome aboard more developers. The company revealed AppGallery now serves over 490 million users in more than 170 countries, app downloads reaching 261 billion in the first half of 2020, and that over 1.8 million developers have joined the ecosystem so far.

The company is also offering the dev community a ton of incentives such as marketing resources and more favorable revenue-sharing models to help them reach a wider audience, 360-degree support to developers ranging from ideation and development to distribution and operation management, as well as promotion opportunities for their apps via tactics like gift codes and offering rewards for downloading certain apps. 

EMUI 11

The next major upgrade for HUAWEI’s Android 11-based smartphone skin – EMUI 11 – also made its debut at the dev conference. Talking about new features, EMUI 11 introduces a customizable always-on display, a smarter multi-window interface that now lets users adjust the size of floating windows, and Multi-screen Collaboration 3.0 to easily share your smartphone’s screen on a PC and run up to three floating windows at once.

Users can directly edit files saved on the smartphone through the PC, and even take audio or video calls. The Notepad app has received a scan to create and Extract Text features, which allows users to pull text data from an image. Talking about privacy, users will now be able to remove data such as location, time, and device details before sharing it, while the memos can now be protected behind a PIN or biometric lock.

HMS 5.0

The Chinese giant also detailed v5.0 of the HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS) Core which brings improvements in five key service areas – payments, ads, browsing, maps, and search. HMS 5.0 brings Computer Graphics Kit, Scene Kit, Accelerate Kit, AR Engine, and more such upgrades to offer an all-round performance improvement.

It also offers WidePlay DRM that offers copyright protections for music and entertainment apps and also ensures that AppGallery now connects with the HUAWEI Cloud. HUAWEI also talked about HMS Core’s advanced AR and ML capabilities to boost e-commerce, its gaming potential, and the advancements it brings in the domains of transport and navigation. 

HUAWEI MateBook X and MateBook 14 

HUAWEI launched the ultra-sleek MateBook X last week, introducing it as one of the thinnest laptops out there. It is smaller than a sheet of A4 paper and weighs just around 1kg.

It packs a 13-inch 3K display and draws power from Intel’s 10th Gen processors. It also supports 65W fast charging and is also the first HUAWEI laptop to come with Wi-Fi 6 support. 

The MateBook 14, on the other hand, is the more mainstream option and hence is also more affordable. It comes with a 14-inch 2K display and is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series processor. It features a pop-up camera that is hidden underneath a function button, supports 65W fast charging, and ships with the HUAWEI Share tech. 

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro 

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2 Pro is a looker, rocking a watch face that is made of sapphire while the watch frame is made from titanium. It supports 24-hour heart rate monitoring, all-day stress monitoring, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, among other fitness-centric features.

It is claimed to last two weeks on a single charge and supports over 100 workout modes. It features a 1.39 inch AMOLED display and also comes with a 5 ATM water-resistance rating.

HUAWEI Watch Fit

HUAWEI Watch Fit

The company also launched the HUAWEI Watch Fit sports watch that features a rather larger rectangular display. It supports real-time heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, can last up to 10 days on a single charge, and offers 5 ATM water resistance too. It packs a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 280×456 pixels, which translates to a pixel density of 326ppi.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro

In addition to smartwatches and laptops, HUAWEI also launched the FreeBuds Pro true wireless earbuds. They offer the in-house Dynamic ANC tech to recognize the ambient noise and negate it, providing a distraction-free music listening experience. Each earbud features two Bluetooth antennas to offer 360-degree signal coverage, while custom-tuned 11mm drivers handle the audio output.

The FreeBuds Pro also supports gestures such as long press to toggle the ANC mode, swipe to control volume, and pinch to control music playback. They are claimed to last 7 hours on a single charge, while the charging case adds another 23-hours of playback time. Plus, they can be connected with two devices simultaneously and offer a seamless switching experience as well. 

HUAWEI FreeLace Pro

Lastly, HUAWEI also launched the FreeLace Pro neckband-style Bluetooth earbuds that also offer Dual-mic Active Noise Cancellation for an immersive music listening experience. They feature a larger 14mm driver and an aluminum-magnesium alloy diaphragm to deliver punchy bass and a wide soundstage. They can be charged directly by plugging them via the USB Type-C port into a smartphone. The new HUAWEI offering is claimed to last an impressive 16 hours on a single charge with noise-cancellation enabled. 

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HUAWEI’s new MateBook X blends power and productivity in a super sleek build

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

At the HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020, the Chinese electronics and telecom equipment giant has lifted the covers from two new laptops – the ultra-sleek MateBook X and the MateBook 14 powered by AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 series processor. Both the laptops look sleek, pack a ton of power under their slim chassis and offer the innovative HUAWEI Share toolkit that makes cross-device collaboration with smartphones much more convenient as well as productive.

HUAWEI MateBook X

Starting with the HUAWEI MateBook X, it is claimed to be smaller than a sheet of A14 paper, is notably thinner than the MacBook Air and weighs just around 1kg, which means carrying it around will be a breeze. And despite the impressively thin build, HUAWEI has packed four speakers inside the laptop and two front facing mics for better audio capture during Plus, it rocks a magnesium aluminium alloy build and employs a new spraying process that uses a glitter-like material to achieve its unique surface finish. HUAWEI has equipped its new ultrabook with a 13-inch 3K display (3000×2000 pixels) with slim bezels that offers an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio and a taller 3:2 aspect ratio.  

On the inside, you’ll find Intel’s 10th Gen Core i5 (10210U) or its i7 sibling processor ticking alongside 16GB LPDDR3 of RAM and 512GB SSD. The fingerprint sensor comes embedded in the power button, while the selfie camera is hidden beneath one of the function keys and pops up when needed. It packs a 42Wh battery that supports 65W fast charging courtesy of the compact power brick, and allows charging and data transfer via both its USB Type-C ports. Plus, it is also the first HUAWEI laptop to come with Wi-Fi 6 support and will be up for grabs in four color options – Silver Frost, Forest Green, Interstellar Blue and Sakura Pink.

The MateBook X starts at €1,599 (~ $1,900) for the Core i5 variant, while the Core i7 model will set buyers back by €1,799 (~$2,140). It will hit the shelves starting next month.

A little something about HUAWEI Share

The trackpad has a HUAWEI Share chip embedded inside it, allowing users to quickly launch the collaboration and file-sharing feature by just tapping their phone against it. Aside from casting your phone’s display on the MateBook, users can use their mobile apps on the larger screen, use drag-and-drop gesture to transfer files, directly edit files stored on their phone, instantly create a hotspot, and even accept audio and video calls directly on their laptop. It even brings a shared clipboard feature, which means you can copy and paste content between the two connected devices. All of it happens via a picture-in-picture format on the connected PC’s screen.

HUAWEI MateBook 14

This one is the more mainstream laptop that borrows the sleek aesthetics from its pricier sibling, but goes with an AMD chip instead of Intel silicon. It features a 14-inch 2K display ( 2160×1440 pixels) with slim bezels on all sides and offers a 3:2 aspect ratio. The touch-sensitive display also supports multi-finger gestures, allowing users to capture a screenshot with three fingers, just like they would do on a smartphone. The MateBook 14 starts at €849 (~$1,000) and will go on sale next month.

Under the hood, you’ll find AMD silicon with a choice between the Ryzen 7 4800 H and Ryzen 5 4600H processors. It comes equipped with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of PCIe SSD. There’s also a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button for authentication, and just like the new MateBook X, the MateBook 14 also supports the new HUAWEI Share features and has an elevating camera that is hidden underneath a function button. It comes equipped with a 56Wh battery that is rated for 10 hours of continuous 1080p video playback, and can be juiced up using the 65W fast charger that ships in the retail package. 

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HUAWEI outlines AppGallery progress and initiatives for developers at HDC 2020

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

HUAWEI has today announced some key AppGallery milestones and the initiatives it is offering the developer community to boost the growth of its app ecosystem at its annual dev conference. The company revealed that AppGallery now serves over 490 million users in more than 170 countries across the world, with app downloads reaching 261 billion in the first half of 2020. Talking about the developer community, HUAWEI notes that so far, over 1.8 million developers have joined the AppGallery ecosystem, helping integrate more than 96,000 apps with the HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS) core. And to serve users more efficiently, HUAWEI is joining hands with local partners to create meaningful use case scenarios across domains such as banking, transportation and navigation among others. 

“An underlying priority for AppGallery is reaching the diverse needs of users across different regions and provide them with relevant and quality app services. AppGallery’s ‘Global + Local strategy’ is an innovative approach to app listing that provides consumers with an enhanced experience by focusing on popular local apps.“

 Initiatives for developer community 

HUAWEI is attracting more developers to the AppGallery and HMS ecosystem by offering a wide range of initiatives ranging from consultation and brand marketing to in-app exposure boosting tactics. With that in mind, the company is building three global ecosystem cooperation labs in Russia, Poland, and Germany to provide enablement, testing, and certification services for developers. Additionally, five global developer service centers will be established in Romania, Malaysia, Egypt, Mexico, and Russia to support apps that have a focus on creating local experiences. HUAWEI will also offer extensive support for overseas developers looking to enter the Chinese market, and also to those looking to diversify into the global market after launching an app or service in China. 

Talking about the initiatives, HUAWEI will support developers with marketing resources and more favorable revenue-sharing models to help them reach a wider audience. The AppGallery Connect platform will provide 360-degree support to developers ranging from ideation and development to distribution and operation management. Developers will also get exclusive offers to promote their apps via tactics like gift codes and offering rewards for downloading certain apps. Moreover, support systems such as inclusion in recommendation cards will help drive app downloads, while native promotion in the AppGallery will drive awareness about apps.

Success stories

HUAWEI also outlined a host of success stories where the company’s partnership with overseas brands provided a significant boost to engagement and revenue. Take for example Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia with more than 67 million active customers. HUAWEI says that within 11 days of launching its NFC contactless payment system based on HMS, the app recorded over 21 million downloads and its installed device base crossed the 3.2 million mark. Similarly, new AmiGO downloads went up by 22 times in Europe after arriving on the AppGallery, while app activity for Bolt’s ride-hailing service skyrocketed by 136 times after partnering with AppGallery.

Additionally, Kumu – a live stream app targeted at the Philippines market – saw its paid user base increase by 220% and recorded a 40x rise in revenue after launching a marketing campaign with support from HUAWEI. The Chinese company says it has witnessed similar success stories across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific by providing support to developers serving local as well as international audiences.

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HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020 starts on September 10, exciting announcements ahead

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

HUAWEI has announced that its annual dev gathering – the HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020 – will kick off on September 10 and go through September 12. We are expecting a ton of major announcements regarding both new hardware as well as the company’s software ecosystem which is now based on HMS (HUAWEI Mobile Services) core for smartphones and of course, the under-development HarmonyOS. For starters, the official HUAWEI Mobile Weibo handle has teased the debut of a new true wireless earbud, wired Bluetooth headphones, laptops, a smartwatch, and what appears to be a fitness band with a rather larger rectangular display.

As per the keynote schedule on the official HDC2020 website, CEO of the Consumer Business Group (HUAWEI), Richard Yu, will talk about the company’s ecosystem of connected consumer products that includes everything from smartphones and laptops to wearables and routers. There will also be sessions on the growth and development of HMS, but there is one session that particularly intrigues us. “Powering a Boundlessly Connected World – All-Scenario Device OS Launch” is what HUAWEI is calling this keynote delivered by Wang Chenglu, chief of its software engineering division. 

This will most likely be about HarmonyOS, the in-house operating system that will reportedly run across all HUAWEI devices. According to a recent report, HUAWEI will unveil a new version of HarmonyOS at its developer conference, and will also talk about a slew of upcoming devices that will run the operating system down the road. Moreover, the Chinese giant will also hold sessions covering a broad spectrum of topics ranging from e-commerce, fitness and AI to its Petal search engine project, gaming, HMS Core 5.0, as well as AR and VR.

Another key area that we’re particularly excited to hear about is the AppGallery and the progress HUAWEI has made when it comes to securing more partnerships. To recall, HUAWEI pledged around a billion dollars to boost the development scene around HMS and AppGallery, and it would be interesting to see that journey unfold and further carried forward during the “Growing with Partners, Embracing New Opportunities” keynote session. It will be addressed by Wang Yanmin, the President of Global Partnerships & Eco-Development at HUAWEI Consumer Business Group. We’ll be covering all key aspects of HUAWEI’s developer conference, and will especially focus on what Yanmin has to say about the AppGallery’s growth so far and what the company has in the store for the foreseeable future. At this point, it goes without saying the HUAWEI’s success in the smartphone segment relies on the app ecosystem it offers, now more than ever.

Talking about products though, HUAWEI has already teased the debut of its next true wireless earbuds – the FreeBuds Pro. As per an extensive leak, they will offer active noise cancellation and will feature a bone sensor as well that will likely assist during call recording. Additionally, another leak has given us a detailed look at HUAWEI’s upcoming smartwatch – the Watch GT2 Pro. It will offer features such as wireless charging and up to 14 days of battery life, all in a sleek package. Unfortunately, HUAWEI has not teased a smartphone launch so far, so we are unlikely to hear about the upcoming Mate 40 series flagships at the HUAWEI Developer Conference 2020.

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