Huawei Showcases Proprietary User Interface for Android Devices

Sneak preview of “Emotion UI” demonstrates Huawei’s ambitions in the consumer arena and how company will further differentiate itself in the device market

Mobilk - Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, has launched a sneak preview of its new Emotion UI—an Android-based user interface (UI)—which in future could be integrated into the company’s lineup of popular handheld devices sold throughout the Middle East and abroad. Reinforcing Huawei’s user-centric design philosophy, “Design with Empathy”, the Emotion UI is built on a clear understanding of how consumers interact with their smartphones and what they expect from these interactions. 

 

The Emotion UI improves device usability and provides a much simpler navigational experience for consumers. It enables users to customize the design and functions of their smartphone home page to suit their personal needs, in addition to simplifying folder functions for easier management of applications. The “Me Widget” further allows users to combine all their information and the functions they need in a single, customizable widget, while the “Smart Tutorial” acts as a comprehensive support tool to help entry-level users get up to speed with their phone’s features in the shortest time possible.

 

Previewed at the recent IFA 2012 global technology show in Germany, the Emotion UI will now enter the next phase of its development which will be driven by consumer wants and needs. Huawei is in fact making an open call for consumer feedback for use in the UI design and development process. 

 

“Emotion UI is a reflection of Huawei’s empathic design philosophy – built by consumers for consumers. In designing this user interface, we spoke to consumers to find out what they wanted from their smartphones, the type of experiences they sought when interacting with their devices and what we, as consumers ourselves, want from our smartphones. The team was very conscious about placing people before technology. We believe that it is only through listening to what consumers want and need that we can truly develop products that they will love,” said Dennis Poon, Global UI Design Director, Huawei Device.

 

The Emotion UI preview is in part a result of increased Huawei investment in product innovation, with the company’s global research & development (R&D) spending increasing more than 30% last year alone. Such investments are expected to contribute to the company’s plans to grow its consumer device portfolio by shipping more than 100 million mobile phones by the end of 2012—including 60 million smartphones—to reach a global target of $30 billion in annual revenues in the next five years. During 2011 Huawei recorded approximately $7 billion in sales for its consumer devices, a rise of 44% from the previous year.

 

The unveiling of the Emotion UI announcement also comes on the heels of a string of Huawei device releases within the region including the availability of its much anticipated Huawei Ascend P1 smartphone—the first Huawei smartphone to be introduced regionally under the company’s latest Ascend Platinum series geared toward the high-end smartphone market. Despite being a relative newcomer to the mobile phone business, Huawei has ambitious plans to establish itself as one of the top five global smartphone vendors within the next two years, reaching top three status by 2015.