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1 comment Iván Ramírez @ivan_r

The customization layer is proprietary software that manufacturers add to Android, including changes to the design, apps, and services. Today we're talking about EMUI, Huawei's customization layer, and formerly also Honor phones.

First, we'll summarize the history of EMUI, then we'll go over in detail what EMUI is, what applications and services are included in it, what is the latest version available, and which phones will be upgraded to this version.

A brief history of EMUI

EMUI was born in 2012 as Huawei's customization layer and under the name of Emotion UI. It made its debut on the Huawei Ascend P1, presenting itself as arguably the "most thrilling operating system." that many more customization options have been added including themes and icons.

At the beginning, EMUI was Emotion UI: the most "emotional" layer debuted on the Huawei Ascend P1 in 2012

EMUI - aka Emotion UI - debuted with Chinese voice control, Huawei Cloud cloud services, and then fashionable HTC-style widgets that are customizable. There was still a lot of scheumorphism in icon design at the time, although the appearance of some of them is no different. too much from what we have today.

EMUI, when it was still called Emotion UI

In the following years, there were EMUI updates that were inspired by both Xiaomi's MIUI and Apple's iOS. For example, in EMUI 3.0, the app drawer was removed by default, bringing all app icons to the home screen.

Over time, EMUI managed to find its own identity thanks to further changes and alterations to its design, especially after EMUI 9 and the culmination in EMUI 11. That's when Huawei's American veto appeared on its way. Without access to Google services, the company plans to jump from EMUI to HarmonyOS in 2021, so EMUI will be gone before it can celebrate its 10th anniversary - no EMUI 12 is expected.

This is EMUI

The best way to describe EMUI is by the term "Chinese layer", although this description is not as accurate in the latest versions. Over the years, EMUI has transformed its design into something more like Material Design, although there is still some flavor of Chinese design, with smaller elements and more condensation of the content.

In Engadget EMUI 11: 44 tricks, tips and functions to get the most out of your Huawei phone

EMUI is considered to be quite a personalized Android layer where a good deal of the elements have been more or less modified. Not only custom styles and themes, the apps and services themselves, or the setting and menu items that change places, but the system has important changes inside. which attract developers and users such as aggressive battery management.

EMUI started out as a very Chinese Chinese layer, but has absorbed some Material Design over time while retaining iOS inspiration as well

Currently, EMUI gives you the ability to use it according to your preferences: with or without an app drawer, or with or without gestures. The lock screen is not much different from the rest, although it includes the infamous cover and shortcut change to activate the recorder, calculator, flashlight and other shortcuts. by swiping up. Notifications and shortcuts are almost like in pure Android.

As an overloaded Android layer, EMUI contains more things than what is available in pure Android and therefore you have to find where to put them in the settings menu. The result is the same in almost all layers: a very personal settings menu, with more items than in pure Android.

The app drawer continues to take inspiration from iOS - which is ironic since iOS doesn't - and the final view shows a horizontal carousel of screens with an always-on button to open apps in a split screen.

In short, EMUI is something like Android with a pinch of iOS and Material Design, its own apps and tools, and two souls living in the same body: Google Play and Huawei services. The result is more functional than the chaotic reality suggests.

Recommended EMUI applications and tools

EMUI has always been a functional system without Google, because in its native China these pre-installed services are not included. Consequently, it includes its own alternative to all Google apps and services. Thus, mobile phones with EMUI have their own dialer app, calendar, clock and other essentials terminal applications.

EMUI comes with its own version of all the basic applications (calendar, gallery, music) and many of its own functions

So, in pre-veto cell phones, there were two apps that did the same thing: Google Photos and Gallery, Google Play Music and Music, Calendar and Calendar, Files and Files, and so on.

Of course, not all are duplicates. EMUI adds a large number of its own tools, applications and services that become an added value for those who have a mobile brand. Here are some of the unique features and uses of EMUI:

Latest version of EMUI and compatible mobile phones

As of today, the latest available version of EMUI is EMUI 11, which was officially announced in September 2020 and, interestingly, is based on Android 10. EMUI 11 does not include radical changes, but focuses on offering more personalization options, new features in own apps (app gallery and company) and privacy enhancements such as one-time permissions.

EMUI 11 is expected to be the last version of EMUI until HarmonyOS is acquired, although there may be an EMUI 11.1 bridge in between. At the moment, the future of EMUI is in the air and, most of all, we look forward to what happens to HarmonyOS, the US veto and other related The phones compatible with EMUI 11 are:

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