Huawei shows off its new EMUI 11

At the Huawei Developer Conference 2020, Huawei unveiled EMUI 11. Wang Chenglu, President, Software Department, Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG), outlined the key features of the new operating system, including the new human factors-based user experience (UX) design, new privacy and security features, and improved all-scenario experiences.

Artistic design scientifically optimized for user interaction

In product design, perfection is achieved where art meets science and, with EMUI 11, Huawei strikes an ideal balance between the two. The new artistic design offers a breath of fresh air, while the transitions and UI interactions have been optimized for human factors to improve the user experience.

Fuelled by new artistic inspiration and augmented with new technology, EMUI 11 offers a canvas for users to express their boundless creativity with new Always-On Display (AOD) options. The new AOD lets users customize their screen with a personal flair by using modern art. Inspired by the work of the renowned painter Piet Mondrian, the new AOD is adopted with a primary color palette of red, yellow, and blue. Users are also free to go beyond Mondrian’s color scheme and coordinate the AOD color palette with their own photos. For instance, users can easily match the color of the AOD with their daily outfits by snapping a picture of their clothing. AI algorithms will extract the color of the image and generate a matching palette for the AOD.

Huawei’s Human-Factors Engineering Research Lab contributed to the ergonomic design of EMUI 11. Comprising some of the best academics in and human factors engineering from top universities including Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research team thoroughly analyzed the user experience and optimized EMUI 11’s visual and interactive experience to attain the highest degree of user comfort and enjoyment.

New long-take transition animations, inspired by their namesake technique in the field of cinematography, help users focus better on the task at hand. Huawei’s human factors research results indicate that, compared to regular transitions, long-take transitions effectively shorten user eye movement and lessen fatigue while improving recognition efficiency.

Improved distributed technology delivers new user experiences

All-scenario features powered by Huawei’s distributed technology, such as MeeTime and Multi-Screen Collaboration, have already become signature features of EMUI. This innovative technology enables devices to virtualize and share their software capabilities with each other. Users are no longer bound by hardware limitations and are free to customize their experience based on their individual needs and preferences.

Benefitted by improvements made to distributed technology, Multi-Screen Collaboration now supports up to three active windows. Students can make particularly effective use of this feature while attending online classes. For instance, they can use the first window to watch the stream, the second window for a notetaking app, and discuss lecture materials with fellow classmates on the third.

Multi-Screen Collaboration also enables better synergy between PCs and tablets. Once a connection is established, the tablet can act as an external webcam or second screen for the PC, while the PC can share its input peripherals with the tablet. Documents saved on the PC can be edited directly through the tablet, either with touch inputs or a stylus for illustrations. In a business meeting, users can easily mark-up presentation slides as and when they are needed to help them explain their ideas or use the second screen to look-up additional information to facilitate discussions.

Certified security and privacy features to safeguard personal data

The EMUI has always featured comprehensive security solutions to protect Huawei device users. On the system level, EMUI’s TEE OS kernel obtained the highest level of CC EAL5 +, which is the highest commercial OS microkernel security level in the world. Huawei strictly complies with local and international regulations on user privacy, including GDPR and GAPP, and the company received certifications including but not limited to ISO27701 and ePrivacyseal. These are some of the most influential privacy protection certifications in Europe. All these certifications serve as a testimony to Huawei’s commitment to global standards across the full product lifecycle – from design, R&D, and maintenance – and protecting user privacy.

EMUI 11 also comes with new privacy features. When transferring images, users can easily purge the file of all sensitive personal data such as location, time, and device details before it is sent. Encrypted memos also keep personal notes personal by securing the content with a PIN or biometric lock.

EMUI 11 Beta Program

During the keynote, Huawei also announced the EMUI 11 beta program. Eligible devices include HUAWEI P40, HUAWEI P40 Pro, HUAWEI P40 Pro+, HUAWEI Mate 30, HUAWEI Mate 30 5G, HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro, HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G, PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate 30 RS, HUAWEI MatePad Pro, and HUAWEI MatePad Pro 5G. Beta eligibility will be extended to Honor 30, Honor V30, HUAWEI nova 7, and more at a later date.

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Redmi Note 10S review: No fuss mid-range all-rounder

07/27/2021

The Redmi Note 10S is one-fourth of the company’s current Note 10-series. Positioned in between the base and Pro variant, this device exhibits a mesh of features that borrow or upgrade from the other models.

I’ve been using the Note 10S as my daily driver for a while and have been putting it through its paces in the real world. With that, I’ve found good reasons that make it a considerable purchase in this price segment.

Design

If you’re familiar with the build of the Note 10, you’ll find that it’s almost indistinguishable from the Note 10S. The physique is slim, light, and easy to use with just one hand.

I could grip it comfortably all the way around because of the curved edges. It also has IP53 dust and splash protection.

The Redmi Note 10S houses a glossy plastic back and comes in three colors — Pebble White, Ocean Blue, and what we have on-hand, Onyx Gray. The cameras are neatly presented in a rounded rectangle module that sits on the upper corner of the device.

The glossy back exhibits a really nice sheen when light hits it and makes it look very elegant. But as expected, fingerprints are easily transferred. There is a plastic case in the box to save yourself from constantly wiping the device.

On the right side, we have the volume rocker and power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. Unlike most integrated fingerprint sensors, the Note 10S’s button sits flush or flat on the side.

This became my method of choice in unlocking the device as it was consistently responsive. And since we’re wearing masks almost all the time, it’s the most accessible, too. The Note 10S does also offer face unlock alongside the usual PIN input.

Though I do have to note that the fingerprint sensor is incredibly sensitive when set to touch for unlocking. It constantly scans what it comes into contact with which causes constant vibration. Remedy this by sticking to press for its unlocking method.

Going back to the device, you can find the dual SIM card slot can be found on the left while on top we have one of two speakers on the device, and the IR blaster. On the bottom, we have the second speaker, USB Type-C port, and headphone jack.

Display and multimedia

Fronting the Redmi Note 10S is a 6.43-inch AMOLED DotDisplay with narrow bezels all around. The screen is sizeable and comfortable to use on different apps and tasks.

Colors are a bit on the cool side but you can adjust the temperature in the device’s settings.

We found colors aren’t the most accurate but shouldn’t be a problem for the everyday user. As a whole, It’s still able to deliver well-saturated colors with dark blacks thanks to the AMOLED display.

The device also fares well under sunlight but the reflective screen does make it harder to see in harsh light. But indoors, I found the screen’s brightness to be more than enough for all of the tasks I go through on a daily basis.

Bezels are thin all around with the chin being the thickest. Up top, you’ll see the punch-hole notch for the selfie camera. There’s a silver ring around it making it a bit noticeable but it’s easy enough to get used to.

Overall, I had no complaints with the display and in using it for different productivity and social media apps. Watching videos, though, was a different story.

The Redmi Note 10S’s software seems to oversharpen videos. It can be bothersome especially when you’re watching a scene with a lot of blacks or shadows as artifacts tend to show up and details are lost.

Oddly enough, it only seems to happen with videos so you may want to consider this if you like to watch a lot of content. But if not or it’s not your priority, the Note 10S’s AMOLED screen provides fair and reliable performance in all other aspects.

The device is equipped with dual speakers that output sound quality that’s expected.

They’re loud, audible, and have a good balance of lows, mids, and highs. But because it’s Hi-Res audio certified, you can get a better experience by plugging in a compatible set of headphones into the headphone jack.

Performance

At the heart of the Redmi Note 10S is a MediaTek Helio G95 processor which should perform similarly to the Note 10’s Snapdragon processor. Our unit came with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage but there is an 8GB RAM variant for more demanding users.

Additional storage up to 512GB can be achieved by inserting a microSD card.

My experience with the device and its software was pleasantly fast and snappy. Apps opened quickly enough and gestures were responsive. I could also easily jump in and out of these apps without lag which helped in multi-tasking.

Gaming is on the conservative side of performance. Heavy titles like Genshin Impact struggles on the highest settings but that’s pretty expected.

On medium, you still get noticeable frame drops but with a couple of adjustments, you should be able to achieve better gameplay performance. Less demanding titles like League of Legends were more playable on this device.

The phone does heat up after continuous use but not enough to cause discomfort. Performance does start to slow down, though, so marathoning may not be an option for this device.

In my time with it, the Redmi Note 10S gave a reliable and workable performance, especially for productivity tasks. I had no problems going through daily routines of accessing emails, uploading content, and social media.

Hiccups in game performance didn’t have me reaching for this phone to play but it was a compromise that I didn’t mind making for a phone at its price.

Camera

One of the most prominent updates of this phone from the Note 10 is its camera system.

The Note 10S upgrades to a 64-megapixel main shooter. It works together with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle, 2-megapixel macro, and 2-megapixel depth sensor.

Photos are pleasing when there is plenty of light available. Shooting outdoors in bright sunlight, both the main and ultra-wide cameras were able to bring out a good amount of details and color.

Low-light performance is a hit and miss. You can sometimes get pretty clear and detailed images but there are times shadows and darker tones exhibit noticeable noise.

The 13-megapixel front-facing camera is pretty much the same. It does very well in bright light and adequately in low light. Personally, I enjoyed the front camera as it gave me pretty sharp and good-looking selfies.

AI beautification works well to enhance features instead of exaggerating them. Cutouts for portrait mode are also impressive and enhance the overall look of the photo.

All in all, the Redmi Note 10S’s quad-camera system performs up to the mark for its price range. It also gives users a good range of tools and features while the front-facing camera provides flattering portraits that are definitely upload-ready.

Battery

Onboard the Note 10S is a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The Note 10S is supposed to reach a full charge in 69 minutes. This proved truthful in our tests using the shipped charger and cable.

In the real world, the Note 10S’s large battery is a champ. The 5000mAh capacity coupled with the phone’s power-saving tech allowed me to survive a whole day.

We were out shooting on the tracks and I had the Note 10S as my main phone and as a hotspot for my second phone. I was surprised and impressed to see that it didn’t run out of juice until the end of the day.

Creature Feature

In our reviews, The Modern Creatures aims to find special features in a device that makes it worth having – something that gives it an edge over its competitors. And for the Redmi Note 10S, it would be its long-lasting 5000mAh battery.

Not having to worry about the device’s battery is a luxury we appreciate and we got that with the Redmi Note 10S. The 5000mAh battery fuels all the tasks you need to do in a day and its power-saving tech frees you from charging cables.

Final Thoughts

The Redmi Note 10S may have a confusing position in the Note 10-series lineup but it’s clear that this device offers a slightly upgraded model with better cameras and overall performance at a more accessible price.

It’s great for users who need more stable and reliable performance for everyday tasks and loads as its upgraded processor helps in multi-tasking and other productivity features. Add its long-lasting battery and upgrade cameras, you’re getting a feature-filled phone at a wallet-friendly price.

The Redmi Note 10S comes in with an attractive price of just PhP 11,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant. You can purchase it through Xiaomi’s official store on Lazada and Shopee.

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