Even if Huawei seems to be betting hard on HarmonyOS 2.0 during this period, bringing it to dozens of phone models and hundreds of millions of terminals, the company is not giving up on Android. As such, it revealed today EMUI 12, the newest UI applied over Android.
Design
It's true that this debut came with less fuss than EMUI 11 or 10 for example. The interface is now more airy and we have some new functions. The design of this skin looks similar to that of HarmonyOS 2.0. EMUI 12 brings a redesigned interface, with more rounded corners and a lot of gradient.
Keep the shades of black, blue and white though and we also have new animations to make this UI look more alive. Huawei claims that it was inspired by the sky and the movements of the stars. The new EMUI also allows changes at the font level using a slider.
Quick Settings/Control Panel
In addition, users can swipe down on any screen to open a Control Panel, accessing audio playback, Wi-Fi settings, Bluetooth, shortcuts and other. We now have a notification center separate from Quick Settings, activated with a swipe down from the top left account.
Device+
We also find a Device Plus area in Control Panel/Quick Settings, where you can press a MatePad/MateBook icon to activate the Multi Screen mirroring and collaboration functions. You can also take phone or video calls from your tablet or laptop after making that connection. You can easily transfer photos, edit files and drag and drop them between devices.
If you press the MateBook icon you can edit files from the PC on the phone, and if you press Huawei Vision you can move a video from the phone to the TV. If you click on the headphones icon, you can move the audio playback from the MatePad or phone to the headphones.
Collaboration with the laptop
EMUI 12 also brings the so-called "Distributed File system", which offers instant access to photos and documents on laptops. Huawei compares the experience to accessing a drive from a laptop, without cables though. You need certain more powerful Huawei phones and MateBooks with PC Manager 11.1.
Productivity/performance
On the productivity side we have a function related to MeeTime. It supports cross device integration which means you can move your video call in real time between Huawei TVs, phones, tablets. Huawei claims that EMUI 12 loads web pages and applications faster and makes scrolling more fluent. It also promises that the responsiveness will be top notch even after long periods of use.
Security
EMUI 12 allows you to unlock your phone from your laptop when you have Multi Screen Collaboration enabled. You can also set the clock for unlocking in this mode.
Availability
We still don't have a clear availability for EMUI 12, but in theory it should come to flagships by the end of 2021. Meanwhile HarmonyOS 2.0 is available for 65 devices, but it's still limited to the Chinese market.