Related
removed.
Looks interesting. The sales page claims lots of apps are available and high customization.
I'm a little worried because I can't find any link to an SDK.
Good luck with it.
Nice find. Please update us with your review. I'm very curious about the notifications. It says, notification alarm? ??
So, wil it show the notification? Or will it only show an icon or play a sound?
Hardware Specification:
BLE SoC: nRF51822 Bluetooth 4.0
Processor: ARM Cortex M0 32 bit processor
Memory:
FLASH: 256KB embedded
ExternalRAM: 16KB
RAM: 8KB
External FLASH: 512KB
Display Size: SHARP 1.26 inch Memory LCD
Resolution: 144 x 168 pixels
Bluetooth: -93 dBm sensitivity in Bluetooth® low energy mode
Antenna: Built-in
Sensor: 3-Axis Accelerometer
Key: Up, Down, Enter, Back
Battery: 110mAh
Vibration: ERM
Charger: Magnetic 2-pins
Certification: CE, FCC, and RoHS
Waterproof: 5ATM
Temperature: Operation 0~50'C, Storage -10~60'C
Humidity: 0~90%, Non-Condensed
Software Specification:
BLE Stack: GATT, GAP, Running Speed and Cadence
ANCS Profile: Social, Email, Incoming Call, Text Message
Features:
1. Work with iOS and Android 4.4 smartphone (Bluetooth 4.0 Or Above )
2. Clock interface customization
3. Notification alarm
4. Smartphone camera control
5. Smartphone music control
6. Find my phone
7. Battery alarm
8. Pedometer
imho, the success of any (non-standalone) smartwatch depends on the companion app that comes with it. AND knowing you'll get firmware updates (and know where to get them).
all those things that use BTNotifier or whatever version of it can't hold a candle to the like of Pebble, Sony Smartwatch 2 and Android Wear.
yes, these (china) watches are cheap, but you get what you pay for (really regret buying the U8 watch).
what kind of companion app comes with this watch?
JarlSX said:
imho, the success of any (non-standalone) smartwatch depends on the companion app that comes with it. AND knowing you'll get firmware updates (and know where to get them).
all those things that use BTNotifier or whatever version of it can't hold a candle to the like of Pebble, Sony Smartwatch 2 and Android Wear.
yes, these (china) watches are cheap, but you get what you pay for (really regret buying the U8 watch).
what kind of companion app comes with this watch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I never speculate until I get it in my hands. Once I receive it I will let you guys know how it works, battery life, and companion app. No doubt, without a proper app - it would be just a toy.
found this watch by accident. yes please give your most detail review for this one page didnt say compatible with my phone galaxy note 2 but since both has bluetooth 4.0 i think they are compatible.
i also want to know the o/s they are using. not android wear, i think?
Isn't really active here on xda, but wanted to tell you guys that I just bought this. So lets hope for the best that it's a good device
They say that there is apps being programmed to it already so there must be some way to program our own. So if anyone gets information about how to develop to this one please tell me/the rest of us
Kabeltv said:
Isn't really active here on xda, but wanted to tell you guys that I just bought this. So lets hope for the best that it's a good device
They say that there is apps being programmed to it already so there must be some way to program our own. So if anyone gets information about how to develop to this one please tell me/the rest of us
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seems good
Looks great.
Will it be full compatible with an One Plus One? Thinking if it will work with an OPPO Find 7, I believe OnePlus One will made too...
Hmm is this has speakers and microphones so I can receive and make calls? (By connected to my mobile of course) . Need to decide between this or IKWEAR IK8 haha
Just got it today (DHL shipping was very fast).
First impression, it's very lightweight and thin. Magnetic charging cable is very much like in Pebble. The watch face is always on and you can enable backlight and motion (turns backlight as you move the wrist). Paired up OK with my Note 2. There is "weloop" app in Play store, but not everything is enabled in there yet. It seems that iPhone app is more complete while they are still working on Google app.
As of right now, from the app you can select Message Filtering and choose apps whose notification you want to be displayed on your watch. So you can get all your email notifications, txt message notification, phone calls, etc. There is also a way to access all recent notification history. You can use it as a remote shutter to take pictures and videos, and it controls music playback on your phone. The watchface replacement, silent alarm, and fitness app are not enabled yet, though it has a built-in pedometer to track number of steps, burned calories, and a total walking distance (though not sure how accurate it is).
It doesn't have android wear or any sort of android OS, it has it's own proprietary OS. There is no speaker or mic, obviously for battery conservation. One neat thing, I was able to check its firmware and it got updated over the air, no need to do manual fw update.
For now, this is just initial impression. Hopefully they will update android app version to enable all the features, especially changing the watchface of this clock. Once app is finalized and updated, i will write a detailed review with pictures.
vectron said:
Just got it today (DHL shipping was very fast).
First impression, it's very lightweight and thin. Magnetic charging cable is very much like in Pebble. The watch face is always on and you can enable backlight and motion (turns backlight as you move the wrist). Paired up OK with my Note 2. There is "weloop" app in Play store, but not everything is enabled in there yet. It seems that iPhone app is more complete while they are still working on Google app.
As of right now, from the app you can select Message Filtering and choose apps whose notification you want to be displayed on your watch. So you can get all your email notifications, txt message notification, phone calls, etc. There is also a way to access all recent notification history. You can use it as a remote shutter to take pictures and videos, and it controls music playback on your phone. The watchface replacement, silent alarm, and fitness app are not enabled yet, though it has a built-in pedometer to track number of steps, burned calories, and a total walking distance (though not sure how accurate it is).
It doesn't have android wear or any sort of android OS, it has it's own proprietary OS. There is no speaker or mic, obviously for battery conservation. One neat thing, I was able to check its firmware and it got updated over the air, no need to do manual fw update.
For now, this is just initial impression. Hopefully they will update android app version to enable all the features, especially changing the watchface of this clock. Once app is finalized and updated, i will write a detailed review with pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post some photos especially with the screen on. I want to see how it's look like especially the screen pixelation.
vectron said:
Just got it today (DHL shipping was very fast).
First impression, it's very lightweight and thin. Magnetic charging cable is very much like in Pebble. The watch face is always on and you can enable backlight and motion (turns backlight as you move the wrist). Paired up OK with my Note 2. There is "weloop" app in Play store, but not everything is enabled in there yet. It seems that iPhone app is more complete while they are still working on Google app.
As of right now, from the app you can select Message Filtering and choose apps whose notification you want to be displayed on your watch. So you can get all your email notifications, txt message notification, phone calls, etc. There is also a way to access all recent notification history. You can use it as a remote shutter to take pictures and videos, and it controls music playback on your phone. The watchface replacement, silent alarm, and fitness app are not enabled yet, though it has a built-in pedometer to track number of steps, burned calories, and a total walking distance (though not sure how accurate it is).
It doesn't have android wear or any sort of android OS, it has it's own proprietary OS. There is no speaker or mic, obviously for battery conservation. One neat thing, I was able to check its firmware and it got updated over the air, no need to do manual fw update.
For now, this is just initial impression. Hopefully they will update android app version to enable all the features, especially changing the watchface of this clock. Once app is finalized and updated, i will write a detailed review with pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is the Android support app? I can't find anything in the Play Store. Also, please post pics!
The app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yf.smart.weloop - and it's the same one if you download directly from weloop.cn (second link at the top in the upper right corner, brings up QR scan for the direct link). Unfortunately, a lot of the info is still in Chinese. As a matter of fact, I had to try a few options to figure out how to switch Chinese to English in the setup of the watch.
What I can say is that hardware and design are SOLID! Been using it for a day, still at 100% battery. It does all the basic notifications, and extra (with fitness stuff, music control, camera control). The app is a work in progress and from what I understand it's more complete for iPhones while Android is next. I also see they have a big community (all in Chinese, unfortunately) with people posting with their suggestion and reporting problems (per Google translator). So, it definitely got a lot of support and can only get better from here.
I will post a TON of pictures later today, but a full review will have to wait until I see a more polished app update. Just keep in mind, this is not Android Wear or modified Android OS watch. This is a very good clone similar to Pebble design with proprietary fw. I think the key here is a very long battery life, durability and waterproof rating, small and thin and lightweight, and all the basic notifications and controls (with vibration). There is no high res graphics in there, but the watch face is always ON and it can last weeks. I was just using it outside and even without backlight - it has a "sharp" contract (no pun intended since it uses Sharp screen and great visibility in a direct sunlight.
I changed my original post to a FULL detailed Review with a TON of pictures!!!
So, please go back to the Post #1 of this Thread to check it out!!!
vectron said:
I changed my original post to a FULL detailed Review with a TON of pictures!!!
So, please go back to the Post #1 of this Thread to check it out!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! It's a shame the Play Store app is unavailable for download in Poland though...
vectron said:
I changed my original post to a FULL detailed Review with a TON of pictures!!!
So, please go back to the Post #1 of this Thread to check it out!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your review and the pics! :good: Its cool you got it although DX.com says the Shipping beginns at Sep. the 15th. Seems like it was a nice suprise as the DHL-guy came :laugh:.
I have two questions you may could answer: 1. will it work with Android 4.3 devices? I know they say it does only support 4.4 but maybe they just say so, because they cant guarantee it will work with ANY 4.3 device at the time.
2. Do you think it is possible to change the strap? It doesnt look like an standard-srap, you say, but is it ever changeable? I am not a great fan of that TPU-straps.
THX
EDIT: @TomaszD84 - try the QR-Code from weloop.cn, it appears when you click on the 2nd of the 3 buttons in the upper right corner
Saw the device while browsing DX couple days ago, looked really promising and the YouTube ad looked really professional. I'm intrigued by the battery life, the only thing that has kept me from getting a smart watch is the pathetic battery lives of the watches. I don't need to charge my wristwatch(yeah so 90's...) every night. Can you tell more about the battery life now that you've used the device for some time?
If it had speaker and mic, I'd get one right away...
Yes indeed, it was a surprise to receive it so fast. As you can understand by visiting a link in my sig, I write hundreds of gadget and accessories reviews and get my review samples from manufacturers direct or through retailers such as dx.com since they can communicate with me in English. I guess it's a brand new product, and personally I'm excited about it because I have been following SmartWatches for awhile now.
I will try to see what's going on with that wristband but it doesn't look like a standard 22mm band, that's for sure.
4.3 vs 4.4, I remember notification was introduced in 4.3 where it worked before with my MetaWatch and older 4.3 on my Note 2 before the 4.4.2 stock update. But I can't say for sure if it will work for you. Might have to root to 4.4
Regarding battery, this is my 2nd day with a watch with a semi light weekend use. Will give you an update a week later. Right now it's still at 100%.
Just been out for a run for the first time with my SW3.
I had Runtastic Pro running on my phone, however on my watch I could get displayed was the Time, Distance and Calories.
Does anyone else that uses Android Wear and Runtastic know how to get it to display your pace?
powerful_rogue said:
Just been out for a run for the first time with my SW3.
I had Runtastic Pro running on my phone, however on my watch I could get displayed was the Time, Distance and Calories.
Does anyone else that uses Android Wear and Runtastic know how to get it to display your pace?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here. I hope a new version with support for standalone GPS will be available soon with possibility to choose the indicator we want.
Flav106 said:
Same issue here. I hope a new version with support for standalone GPS will be available soon with possibility to choose the indicator we want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah so its not just me then! Thought I may have missed a setting somewhere!
Must admit I was pretty stunned that it dosent show pace, especially as that app is running on the phone with that information available!
Received an email back from Runtatsic - Basically they will forward the suggestions onto the development team.
Think I will purchase SyncMyTracks from the Play Store and start using RunKeeper. Their development seems to be a lot quicker when it comes to the Sony SmartWatch 3. Had the beta app for less then a week and its already seen numerous updates.
For those lucky enough to have their watch. How many watch faces are there pre loaded?
There are 18 watch faces pre loaded on the watch.
Watch Faces
although, will there be many more like i've seen on XDA for the MOTO360?
Ok got my ZW yesterday. I have to say, I love the build and the design...what's disappointing is that I can't use any of the third party apps to build a watch face. I've tried two diff apps and nothing will push the design to the watch. It appears that the ZW manager is preventing any third party designs to come thru. IF THIS IS TRUE, and Asus doesn't open up the design api this would be a deal breaker for me. I know this is a small thing, but its to restrictive considering that ALL of the other AW watches support third party apps. UGH!
jimi_pooh said:
Ok got my ZW yesterday. I have to say, I love the build and the design...what's disappointing is that I can't use any of the third party apps to build a watch face. I've tried two diff apps and nothing will push the design to the watch. It appears that the ZW manager is preventing any third party designs to come thru. IF THIS IS TRUE, and Asus doesn't open up the design api this would be a deal breaker for me. I know this is a small thing, but its to restrictive considering that ALL of the other AW watches support third party apps. UGH!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Facer just fine... maybe something is wrong with your connection between your watch and phone?
Nickyro23 said:
I used Facer just fine... maybe something is wrong with your connection between your watch and phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that was the one I hadn't tried yet and was going to next. Do the faces show up in the ZW manager?
jimi_pooh said:
Thanks, that was the one I hadn't tried yet and was going to next. Do the faces show up in the ZW manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, only use the facer app... facerepo.com has a bunch of user made faces that are decent. Some aren't designed for the ZW though, so they won't look right. Trial and error. When downloading, download directly to the facer app. Should pop up giving you that option when you press download. What were the apps you were using that didn't work?
Nickyro23 said:
No, only use the facer app... facerepo.com has a bunch of user made faces that are decent. Some aren't designed for the ZW though, so they won't look right. Trial and error. When downloading, download directly to the facer app. Should pop up giving you that option when you press download. What were the apps you were using that didn't work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried WatchMaker and AndroidWearWatch
jimi_pooh said:
I tried WatchMaker and AndroidWearWatch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool thanks
"Luxury Watch Faces", "Wear Face Collection" and "Intellicom Watchfaces" have all worked for me.
dgjenkins said:
"Luxury Watch Faces", "Wear Face Collection" and "Intellicom Watchfaces" have all worked for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are they as far as affecting battery life on the watch?
Nickyro23 said:
How are they as far as affecting battery life on the watch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had the watch for two days now so it's hard to tell. Honestly, although I've downloaded and tested other watch face apps, I'm using the "explorer" face that comes with the zenwatch stock app. I have it always on, with steps and battery for both watch and phone showing. Lowest intensity on the screen is more than bright enough.
First day was a 16 hour day and I put it back on the charger with about 30% left. Yesterday was 14 or 15 hours with about the same left. I get tons of notifications and yesterday used the notifications while using navigation (that works well).
All I care about is getting through the day on a charge and it's doing that nicely, so I'm happy.
The nice thing about the included watch faces is that they were all built with the included first-party watchface API, unlike the ones in the Moto 360. So the cards behave nicely mostly hidden and transparent at the bottom, rather than taking up half the screen.
dgjenkins said:
I've only had the watch for two days now so it's hard to tell. Honestly, although I've downloaded and tested other watch face apps, I'm using the "explorer" face that comes with the zenwatch stock app. I have it always on, with steps and battery for both watch and phone showing. Lowest intensity on the screen is more than bright enough.
First day was a 16 hour day and I put it back on the charger with about 30% left. Yesterday was 14 or 15 hours with about the same left. I get tons of notifications and yesterday used the notifications while using navigation (that works well).
All I care about is getting through the day on a charge and it's doing that nicely, so I'm happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Yea I may stick with the stock watch faces too. I actually like them a lot.
Berzerker7 said:
The nice thing about the included watch faces is that they were all built with the included first-party watchface API, unlike the ones in the Moto 360. So the cards behave nicely mostly hidden and transparent at the bottom, rather than taking up half the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Facer faces have worked for me with no change to the way notifications are handled. I use the square face watch faces that were designed for the LG G Watch with a few modifications the the ratios for the screen size diff.
Intellicom WatchMaker works sort-of. If you have rooted/modified your phone, apparently you cannot update to v5.01 on the watch, which is required (5.0 anyway) for the latest version to work. Their version 1.11 works with 4.4W2, but of course, some of the new features are not present.
DDowns said:
If you have rooted/modified your phone, apparently you cannot update to v5.01 on the watch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that's the case. My watch updated to 5.0.1 automatically, and my phone is rooted and otherwise messed with.
jimi_pooh said:
The Facer faces have worked for me with no change to the way notifications are handled. I use the square face watch faces that were designed for the LG G Watch with a few modifications the the ratios for the screen size diff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
can you tell me what ratios you modified to get the square watch faces to work with the zenwatch?? its not centered on mine..
Thanks
bustanut666 said:
Hi,
can you tell me what ratios you modified to get the square watch faces to work with the zenwatch?? its not centered on mine..
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Change the res to 320 x 320. If things are supposed to be center on the horizontal axis then put 160 for x, if center on vertical axis then 160 for y. Sometimes the size of the element needs to be changed as well, I usually set them two to three sizes up. Just play around with it and after making changes look at the face in the app and see if it aligns properly and such.
m3lover1 said:
Change the res to 320 x 320. If things are supposed to be center on the horizontal axis then put 160 for x, if center on vertical axis then 160 for y. Sometimes the size of the element needs to be changed as well, I usually set them two to three sizes up. Just play around with it and after making changes look at the face in the app and see if it aligns properly and such.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bustanut666 said:
Hi,
can you tell me what ratios you modified to get the square watch faces to work with the zenwatch?? its not centered on mine..
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He hit on the head @bustanut666
I thought it might be useful to have one thread for bugs and issues in the bets itself, that Samsung can read and hopefully fix. This is not for issues installing the bets, but for issues in the bets itself. Suggest people try to keep it short and not repeat what others write.
Some things I have found so far:
Can't change the location shown on clock widget location by swiping up/down on it when on home screen
BOSE 700 Bluetooth headphones lose connectivity with sound after 10-25 seconds (on Netflix and Spotify, even native video app). Doesn't happen on Samsung buds
Goodlock doesn't work
Both Netflix and Amazon Prime would not access previously saved (prior to beta update movies) and had to have clear data and cache
Sometimes gets stuck on lockscreen, the one that just shows the clock with seconds too, that I never understood where it came from. Need to touch power off and on to get to regular lock screen
Active2 watch won't unlock after encrypted mail is activated. Pin won't work [OK that's a gripe with the Active2 bit I figured if Samsung is reading this... Please fix this l!!!]
The new gestures, while much better than before, are closer to the iPhone, but they are...well... Heavy to use. It's just more laborious and less instant than the buttons are. This isn't an iPhone. I really want to like it but it's just heavy. Still not as natural as on the iPhone.
For reasons I cannot pinpoint, I find Google keyboard less accurate at fixing my mistakes, when touch typing. Swiping if the same.
I know it's a beta, but battery life feels worse. 25% in a little.over an hour. I find the new battery stats much less useful than before. Just not as clear, as if changed for the sake of change.
ekerbuddyeker said:
I thought it might be useful to have one thread for bugs and issues in the bets itself, that Samsung can read and hopefully fix. This is not for issues installing the bets, but for issues in the bets itself. Suggest people try to keep it short and not repeat what others write.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While sharing here is fine. Samsung is using the members app to gather feedback.
So yeah an issue may be found to be repairable via community interaction. But don't expect samsung to formally address any issue you don't send bug reports in on or post about in the members app...
I doubt samsung is looking for forums to weed through to gather information on how their beta is performing.
Probably you are right. But hopefully they do look at xda!
One thing that I find very annoying is the Battery usage statistics. They're gone.
I can't find proper statistics showing my battery usage since last full charge. I also can't find proper statistics containing power draw for things like the OS itself, the screen, modem standby and all the otehr things that deal with OS or hardware draw.
Would be great if they would add proper statistics again.
You can use galaxy labs, although I think that there is some redundancy, if ui 2.0 lost the batt usage, galaxy labs has it, is is "battery tracker"
winol said:
You can use galaxy labs, although I think that there is some redundancy, if ui 2.0 lost the batt usage, galaxy labs has it, is is "battery tracker"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems kinda pointless to upgrade your UI, remove a key feature that a lot of people use then put out a 3rd party app, that doesn't come stock, to fix it....
Just saying...
I agree. The d battery stats were clearer. Can't see clearly how many hours since last charge
I can't install any apk from any explorer of the phone. That's wierd.
Concur app doesn't work
Google Pay doesn't work. Says it's not authorized when I tried to use it.
ekerbuddyeker said:
Probably you are right. But hopefully they do look at xda!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can copy and pasted in Samsung members and that way is sure they'll see.
BTW thanks for your post...
I'm not a beta fan so I'll just wait and also I won't even upgrade until Goodluck is available. Also feel like android 10 takes more then is gives
ATT Visual.voicemail.app doesn't work properly. Doesn't see the Sim on 975f/DS for me
Last week EMUI 12 made its debut on my phone with some cosmetic improvements. The following are my thoughts on it as a 2 year user of huawei products. This should help users evaluate the attributes EMUI 12 offers to help them decide whether or not its worth to upgrade....
Control Center, Notification Area & Media Player
While my initial impressions of the control center were good they later turned poor with its function relative to the notification area from which it is split. Admittingly, it is a stunning feature visually no one can deny. But while both notification area and control center do not occupy the same space, many users are unimpressed and agape in frustration. To paraphrase a user regarding it, "its something we got to get used to."
At first I was disappointed by this split personality. But after a week playing with it, I'm still trying to get used to it. Although its somewhat convenient to swipe left to right at the top to switch between the two spheres, the smartest thing huawei should have done was extend this back and forth swiping to the bottom where its most frequently needed and far more accommodating. Had huawei added this functionality a lot of users would not be complaining about it especially since this is a tall phone with a big real estate display and one shouldn't have to suffer to reach all the way up with both hands. Just one swipe down for the control panel and another swipe across at the bottom to alternate between it and the notifications area on which your fingers rest naturally would have done the trick!
Regarding the controversial media player widget, the aim of its placement in the control panel is to add accessibility to MP3. Although admittingly it is wise to situate it there for easy access for media, the problem emerges when you must use huawei's own proprietary media player in order to play songs. Your favorite third party music players like Spotify and PlayerPro are not supported, sadly. Removal of the widget from view is not possible so it lingers in the corner like a dead satellite in orbit uselessly taking up unnecessary space.
Very disappointing that huawei failed to see this given their vested time in making the EMUI 12 project solid for its users. Perhaps this is a feature huawei may add in future updates.
Visuals
Noticeably, the screen is brighter under manual brightness setting which is a good plus. Images are evidently sharper than what they were under EMUI 11. However, auto brightness is still enabled by default at bootup which is another annoyance.
Concerning the font style huawei has imposed, unfortunately, there's no way to change that since it is etched in by corporate de facto decree. Yet another hindrance. Also, the feature to change the font size globally failed to impress since there was really no problem with the font size before.
Battery
On average, I charge my Mate 20 X every 5 - 7 days. After about a week's use of EMUI 12, I did notice slight battery improvement. It's not exactly earth shattering gain in juice but its nonetheless a slight enhancement since this is a phone whose battery life many have complained about for the past 4 years ever since it was first introduced to the public.
Sound
Sound quality is the same as in previous version iterations. It is much louder which is a tad ok despite the fact that it has always been loud. However, making a loud phone louder is barely considered an improvement.
'Double Tap to Wake' Feature
Huawei yet again omits the 'double tap to wake' feature about which folks have grumbled the phone lacks and needs. It would be enjoyable to possess it since the grand majority of the smartphones in the world have this feature already baked in from jump. Yet again, huawei continues to stick to their script of ignoring users' complaints and suggestions of improving this phone.
Other Issues
We all love notifications as a heads-up system that we can't do without. For comfort's sake, they must strike a delicate balance between short and informative without being overbearing. However, the frequent annoyance of 'network location' notifications that pokes at folks ad nauseum plagues their experience. Add to that, the sticky 'display over other apps' notification adds pain to injury especially when you cannot swipe these types of notifications away. Instead, you either grin and bear it or install from the playstore an app that removes them. The only issue with that is, the app will not be permitted to remove these notifications at boot up due to security restrictions introduced to Android versions 8 or 9 - the same security restrictions that by the way force these notifications in the first place. In such a case at boot up, you monotonously open up the app at each and every power cycle to zap them. This can prove to be a headache with automatic scheduled power management set on a daily basis but it's the only fix available given the system impediment.
Wishful thinking would have one fantasize about using powerful ADB commands to possibly cure the situation at the source. Unfortunately, not even it can help. The ideal way to resolve it without use of pesky 3rd party apps is by rooting the system. Regrettably again, huawei shamelessly decided to lock the bootloader of this 4-year old Mate 20 X with the advent of EMUI 10 preventing full benefits of rooting that otherwise extend the phone's hidden features, including bypassing the aforementioned annoying system-imposed security measure.
As for the multi-window dock that pops out from the side on EMUI 11, suggested apps never got pinned to the top as they unfortunately do now by default on EMUI 12. This adds unnecessary clutter to an already slim dock which might drive people to install 3rd party dock alternatives.
Personal Thoughts on Huawei
Unfortunately, in their eternal holy quest to emulate the iPhone o/s, huawei continues to repeat the crucial mistake of not adopting what huawei customers truly want to see on their huawei phones; instead, it prefers to prioritize its needs ahead of those of its loyal base. A real killjoy. Unlike samsung, they keep ignoring customers at the expense of their annoyances and stick them with whatever they think they want, even offering cheap incentives as compensation: the old stick and carrot trick. Huawei should keep it Android, not iPhone.
This is surely not the first time huawei shakes its finger at huawei customers after begging its software team to introduce long sought after features in future upgrades. It's actually a historical, ongoing internal problem the company is too stubborn to understand let alone address. Huawei, not Trump, was and is the reason behind the company's market share decline, fed up customers are switching to other competitive phones and struggles to keep up with major industry peers. To suggest that huawei is not a champion of the consumer is by far a gross understatement.
As one may have already observed, the word "annoyance" never ceases to spread its tentacles throughout this review. If you can deal with the drawbacks inherent in EMUI 12 then go for it, upgrade. If not, stay with EMUI 11 as it's still a "relatively" good version that makes people thankful they didn't upgrade.
Personally, I can tolerate EMUI 12's shortcomings to a certain point. Continued lack of much needed and missing features makes me doubt its keep and gives me reason to switch to either the Note 20 Ultra or S22 Ultra eventually. As always, blame huawei for it!
stick to EMUI11.
What exactly is a "sticky 'display over other apps' notification"?
zlaer said:
Last week EMUI 12 made its debut on my phone with some cosmetic improvements. The following are my thoughts on it as a 2 year user of huawei products. This should help users evaluate the attributes EMUI 12 offers to help them decide whether or not its worth to upgrade....
Control Center & Notifications Area
While my initial impressions of the control center were good they later turned poor with its function relative to the notification area from which it is split. Admittingly, it is a stunning feature visually no one can deny. But while both notification area and control center do not occupy the same space, many users are unimpressed and agape in frustration. To paraphrase a user regarding it, "its something we got to get used to."
At first I was disappointed by this split personality. But after a week playing with it, I'm still trying to get used to it. Although its somewhat convenient to swipe left to right at the top to switch between the two spheres, the smartest thing huawei should have done was extend this back and forth swiping to the bottom where its most needed and far more convenient. Had huawei added this functionality a lot of users would not be complaining about it especially since this is a tall phone with a big real estate display and one shouldn't have to suffer to reach all the way up with both hands. Just one swipe down for the control panel and another swipe across at the bottom to alternate between it and the notifications area on which your fingers rest naturally would have done the trick!
Very disappointing that huawei failed to see this given their vested time in making the EMUI 12 project solid for its users. Perhaps this is a feature huawei may add in future updates.
Visuals
Noticeably, the screen is brighter under manual brightness setting which is a good plus. Images are evidently sharper than what they were under EMUI 11. However, auto brightness is still enabled by default at bootup which is another annoyance.
Concerning the font style huawei has imposed, unfortunately, there's no way to change that. Sadly, it's etched in by corporate decree. Yet another annoyance. Also, the feature to change the font size globally didn't impress since there was really no problem with the font size before.
Battery
On average, I charge my Mate 20 X every 5 - 7 days. After about a week's use of EMUI 12, I did notice slight battery improvement. It's not exactly earth shattering gain in juice but its nonetheless a slight enhancement since this is a phone whose battery life many have complained about for the past 4 years ever since it was first introduced to the public.
Sound
Sound quality is the same as in previous version iterations. It is much louder which is a tad ok despite the fact that it has always been loud. However, making a loud phone louder is barely considered an improvement.
'Double Tap to Wake' Feature
Huawei yet again omits the 'double tap to wake' feature folks about which have grumbled the phone lacks and needs. It would be enjoyable to possess it since the grand majority of the smartphones in the world have this feature already baked in from jump. Yet again, huawei continues to stick to their script of ignoring users' complaints and suggestions of improving this phone.
Other Issues
We all love notifications as a heads up-system we can't do without. For comfort's sake, they must strike a delicate balance between short and informative without being overbearing. However, the frequent annoyance of 'network location' notifications that pokes at folks ad nauseum plagues their experience. Add to that, the sticky 'display over other apps' notification adds pain to injury especially when you cannot swipe these types of notifications away. Instead, you either grin and bear it or install from the playstore an app that removes them. The only issue with that is, the app will not be permitted to remove these notifications at boot up due to security restrictions introduced to Android versions 8 or 9 - the same security restrictions that by the way force these notifications in the first place. In such a case at boot up, you have to monotonously open up the app at each and every power cycle to zap them. This can prove to be a headache with automatic scheduled power management set on a daily basis but it's the only fix given the system impediment.
Wishful thinking would have one fantasize about using powerful ADB commands to possibly cure the situation at the source. Unfortunately, not even it can help. The ideal way to resolve it without use of pesky 3rd party apps is by rooting the system. Regrettably again, huawei shamelessly decided to lock the bootloader of this 4-year old Mate 20 X with the advent of EMUI 10 preventing full benefits of rooting that otherwise extend the phone's hidden features, including bypassing the aforementioned system-imposed security measure.
As for the multi-window dock that pops out from the side on EMUI 11, suggested apps never got pinned to the top by default as they unfortunately do now on EMUI 12. This adds unnecessary clutter to an already slim dock which might drive people to install 3rd party alternative docks.
Personal Thoughts on Huawei
Unfortunately, in their eternal holy quest to emulate the iphone o/s, huawei continues to repeat the crucial mistake of not adopting what huawei customers truly want to see on their huawei phones; instead, it prefers to prioritize its needs ahead of those of its loyal base. A real killjoy. Unlike samsung, they keep ignoring customers at the expense of their annoyances and stick them with whatever they think they want, even offering cheap incentives as compensation: the old stick and carrot trick.
This is surely not the first time huawei shakes its finger at huawei customers after begging its software team to introduce sought after features in future upgrades. It's actually a historical, ongoing internal problem the company is too stubborn to understand let alone address. Huawei, not Trump, was and is the reason behind the company's market share decline, fed up customers switching to other competitive phones and its struggles to keep up with major industry peers. To suggest that huawei is not a champion of the consumer is by far a gross understatement.
As one may have already observed, the word "annoyance" never ceases to spread its tentacles throughout this review. If you can deal with the drawbacks inherent in EMUI 12 then go for it, upgrade. If not, stay with EMUI 11 as it's still a "relatively" good version that makes people thankful they didn't upgrade.
Personally, I can tolerate EMUI 12's shortcomings to a certain point. Continued lack of much needed and missing features makes me doubt its keep and gives me reason to switch to either the Note 20 Ultra or S22 Ultra eventually. As always, blame huawei for it!
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Click to collapse
I have been searching for reviews on EMUI 12 and I'm so happy I found this one. I'm using a Mate 20 Pro. I think EMUI 12's Control Panel is rubbish. I can't stand the fact that there is a music player "widget" there that doesn't even link to my default player, and when my bluetooth is on, the icon is too big so the "h" at the end of the word "Bluetooth" goes onto the next line which (as a designer) I think looks horrific. Then, to touch on the split betwen the notifications and the ctrl panel... As someone with small hands, this is impossible to navigate with one hand. I really hope that Huawei listens to the rants I have been posting all over and reverts some of these annoyances back to their perfectly functional predecessors... So other than these complaints, the UI is fine... It looks pretty but it needs inprovement.
ming64 said:
stick to EMUI11.
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Sounds good!
RemoWilliams said:
What exactly is a "sticky 'display over other apps' notification"?
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'Display over other apps' notification is one that "warns" you of a 3rd party app that displays its elements as an overlay over other apps.
Miss Gray said:
I have been searching for reviews on EMUI 12 and I'm so happy I found this one. I'm using a Mate 20 Pro. I think EMUI 12's Control Panel is rubbish. I can't stand the fact that there is a music player "widget" there that doesn't even link to my default player, and when my bluetooth is on, the icon is too big so the "h" at the end of the word "Bluetooth" goes onto the next line which (as a designer) I think looks horrific. Then, to touch on the split betwen the notifications and the ctrl panel... As someone with small hands, this is impossible to navigate with one hand. I really hope that Huawei listens to the rants I have been posting all over and reverts some of these annoyances back to their perfectly functional predecessors... So other than these complaints, the UI is fine... It looks pretty but it needs improvement.
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Click to collapse
Appreciate your praise of my review. Aiming to please and educate folks out here.
Honestly, the control panel isn't entirely a horrible idea had huawei made it an effort to invest the proper time and research needed to make it function seamlessly with other apps and ergonomically finger-wise. Regrettably, its become a novelty to some, a little shop of horror for others - at this point it is more the latter.
Dolefully, huawei is not known for analyzing minute nuances of detail - which in many cases outstrips major ones - needed to make a great product function the way it should to the satisfaction of users. It doesnt understand how to get the drop on tech in step with other phone companies. They dont know how to ride the wave. Personally, I wish the company dissolves into utter extinction never to resurface its ugly head again as a text book example for teaching companies how not to run a company!
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
Just noticed: when setting an alarm, hour no longer changing when you're setting the minutes and crossing the 60 minute mark. Good to keep in mind, to avoid unpleasant surprises. They should have put effort instead to allow for setting default ringtone for new alarms, and also for the option to have vibration off by default.
RemoWilliams said:
Just noticed: when setting an alarm, hour no longer changing when you're setting the minutes and crossing the 60 minute mark. Good to keep in mind, to avoid unpleasant surprises. They should have put effort instead to allow for setting default ringtone for new alarms, and also for the option to have vibration off by default.
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Click to collapse
Actually, thats a handy upgrade in EMUI 12. Under EMUI 11, I made mistakes setting the time which caused embarrassment with missed scheduled meetings because changing the minutes "beyond 60" also changed the hour without my awareness.
RemoWilliams said:
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The EMUI 12 upgrade is an iphone clone with minute internal tweaks.
Concerning your complaint about the control center, currently I'm testing all the system's APKs using ADB and have so far isolated about 60 of them for the purpose of upping battery juice. If I do come across an APK that's responsible for the control center I will alert you so you can remove that package. But honestly, I dont think it helps to remove it since the control center is a mutually exclusive feature from the notif area which cannot function either on its own or if it can it would lack the necessary panel upon which all the widgets of the present control panel are shown (i.e., wifi, bt, data, etc). Stay tuned.. will let you know.
zlaer said:
Actually, thats a handy upgrade in EMUI 12. Under EMUI 11, I made mistakes setting the time which caused embarrassment with missed scheduled meetings because changing the minutes "beyond 60" also changed the hour without my awareness.
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Click to collapse
Yes, true, that's handy. But not if you've been used to the old behavior for years
zlaer said:
The EMUI 12 upgrade is an iphone clone with minute internal tweaks.
Concerning your complaint about the control center, currently I'm testing all the system's APKs using ADB and have so far isolated about 60 of them for the purpose of upping battery juice. If I do come across an APK that's responsible for the control center I will alert you so you can remove that package. But honestly, I dont think it helps to remove it since the control center is a mutually exclusive feature from the notif area which cannot function either on its own or if it can it would lack the necessary panel upon which all the widgets of the present control panel are shown (i.e., wifi, bt, data, etc). Stay tuned.. will let you know.
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Click to collapse
Being able to swap notification panel and control panel would suffice for me. I need the notification panel on the right hand side!
RemoWilliams said:
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
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Ah, icon size can be adjusted: Settings > Home Screen & Wallpaper > Home Screen settings > Icon size.
RemoWilliams said:
Ah, icon size can be adjusted: Settings > Home Screen & Wallpaper > Home Screen settings > Icon size.
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Very good. Thinking about selling my 20 X and buying a note 20 ultra. It's about time
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
MSK1 said:
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
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If you're referring to EMUI 12, I kind of agree.
zlaer said:
If you're referring to EMUI 12, I kind of agree.
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Yep.
It's a shame... Was looking forward to that update
MSK1 said:
Yep.
It's a shame... Was looking forward to that update
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We all were.. Youre not the only one.
MSK1 said:
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
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"Disaster" is a bit harsh IMO. After having used EMUI 12 for 10+ days now, for me, it has one positive aspect (updated security patch), and one negative aspect (split notification/control panel, with the notification panel being on the left side instead of the right). All other changes either don't bother me, or I don't really notice in my daily use.