Back in November, beta testers began receiving Android Nougat on their Honor 8 devices and today, Huawei announced that general availability for the update will begin in February. The version of Nougat will be Android 7.0 - rather than the latest 7.1.1 - but the update will be bundled with EMUI 5.0, which is the latest version of Huawei's skin for the OS, which shipped in the Mate 9 and is coming to a number of other Huawei devices next quarter.
New features include the following:
Ability to run different profiles in parallel – switch effortlessly between their professional and personal lives.
Machine learning enables EMUI 5.0 to dynamically optimize processing resources by analyzing the user’s behaviour over time and prioritizing frequently used apps.
EMUI 5.0 comes with improved capabilities and flexibility around security. For example, the user can ensure specific apps stay ultra-secure with such features as App Lock.
EMUI 5.0 also features a more intelligent power management system, with a selection of power saving modes so you can manage your device’s battery consumption more easily.
With the new update, Huawei says that you'll be able to reach 90% of the handset's core functions with two to three taps. Also, those that enjoy having an app drawer will be pleased to find that they can switch between the standard layout and one with an app drawer.
This is all on top of the other features that are included in Nougat itself, such as split-screen multitasking. There are other minor features as well, such as the ability to set separate wallpapers for the home and lock screens and the ability to reply from notifications.
To be clear, this update will be rolling out beginning in February, but Huawei hasn't specified when in the first quarter of 2017 its other devices will be receiving it.
