Huawei Mate 8 Review – Bigger but Compact for its Class

Software and User Interface

Software and UI

Set with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Mate 8 has proprietary Emotion UI (EMUI) which most people don’t prefer and can’t get used to. The version 4 of it mostly brings from the previous versions but there is still a room for customization.

Overview

The most I hear about the EMUI, people won’t tell exactly what it lacks but they don’t just like it as there is a variety of Android user interfaces including OEM ones or the ones in the market which they believe are better to get used to. I do believe it’s just a matter of time, you get used to what you keep using for a good amount of time. Huawei’s EMUI doesn’t have anything that is specially wrong but it has its own way of presenting the things to its users.

With no app drawer, as mostly would already know it, the we have only the home screens that can be rearranged in anyway how the users like it to be for them. There are ways how the home screens swipe through, there are widgets what we can add into home screens along side the app icons and folders. We can switch from 4 columns grid to 5 columns if we prefer.

Lock Screen

In a mannered way when you turn on the Mate 8 from a black screen, the lock screen appears that can be customised with Magazine style which shows a different wallpaper on each turn-on event. Swiping in any direction the the screen gets unlocked but swiping from the exact bottom edge, a set of quick controls and shortcuts appear.

Sure the lock screen has the security feature that’s been there on feature phones since decades. However the fingerprint security is what will void to stay at the lock screen and take you straight to the home screen if you are identified as an authentic user of the phone.

Home Screens and Features

Home screen offers with multiple walls of app icons and a sticky bottom row that could be used for most frequent functions of the phone e.g. Calling, Messaging, Internet browsing etc. As mentioned above, There is no app drawer which is mostly felt as the iOS way but it’s good that Huawei kept the way of Android with widgets and customizable home screens. But if you like the app drawer for all of your apps and instead want only a few (your favourite) ones on the home screen then you are not entertained. That’s way the EMUI offers.

Swiping anywhere on the home screen but not from top initiates the search feature that is also pretty much like the iOS with blurred background and search box on top with recently used apps or functions below. This feature searches through everything on the phone, in contacts, in messages, in emails, in apps, in settings etc. If you don’t find anything, it also provides a link to search online for the keyword you have put in.

Notifications and Shortcuts

Notification center can be pulled down from the top status bar that brings to sections to switch from. There are shortcuts in the right tab, and the notifications on the left.

The third screen above is customization section that opens right from the shortcuts section and serves with all the available shortcuts where the upper half lists the shortcuts which are currently present on the main shortcuts section (center). The shortcuts in the lower half are unused which can be dragged to the upper half to display in the main shortcuts section.

Fingerprint Scanner

Most importantly we have fingerprint scanner on board with Mate 8 that’s been considered a must have option in every next high-end flagship. In Mate 8, with absolutely no objections, it’s really efficient and quick. Talking about the action, take the unlock screen mechanism, you would hardly feel a fraction of second as the screen is unlocked before you.

The placement of the fingerprint scanner on the back is much easily accessible when you hold the phone. Pick the phone up from the table and touch the enrolled finger tip on the scanner, the screen is on an unlocked. It’s pretty quick, you should see for yourself in the video demonstration below.

Video: Fingerprint Enrollment & Performance

Multi-screen or Multi-window

With the bigger screen the Huawei Mate 8 offers multi-window support to run two simultaneous apps on a screen but it doesn’t seem to be capable fully to run most apps as it only works with a handful of built-in apps. So you hardly will need to use that feature. The feature can be initiated via recent apps key on the on-screen navigation keys or you can use a knuckle gesture for that.

The Knuckle Gestures

Yes, the Mate 8 comes with one of the most hyped feature Huawei has talked about – the Knuckle. That’s actually what Huawei has done to use your knuckles to perform something on touch a screen phone that won’t accidentally initiate something you don’t want to. Such as if you perform a Knuckle gesture with your finger joint on the screen where an app icon is there, it won’t open the app. Instead it will initiate some action bound to the gesture. Actions include, taking screenshots, draw a letter on the screen, no matter where you are, to open an assigned app, turning on the dual window (multi-window) option.

One-Handed Screen Mode

To support one handed use of the larger phone, the Mate 8 has option to switch to smaller screen on either of the sides (left or right). You swipe from the middle navigation key to left to shrink down the screen size for left hand or vice versa. Swiping from the side where it is now, will resize the screen to full mode.