Huawei and Honor Android 10 update release date, EMUI 10, and more: Rolling out for Mate X!

At the Google I/O 2019, things were all good when the search giant announced Android 10 beta 3 and named the Huawei Mate 20 Pro among the devices joining the Pixels in testing the OS at the time. Huawei even published an early list of devices that would be upgraded to Android 10 as soon as Google makes it available for its devices, but two weeks later, the narrative changed as Huawei was banned from Android. What followed is well documented and in fact, it’s far from over.

Regardless, know that all the Huawei phones released till the ban, including the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro, are eligible for Android 10 update that will be arriving as EMUI 10 update. Let’s talk about the eligibility of various Huawei and Honor Android phones and tablets as regards Android 10 and EMUI 10 update, and also their expected release date.

Latest News

March 17, 2020: After rigorously testing Android 10 on its most expensive smartphone in production, Mate X, Huawei has started rolling out the stable build. The Android 10-based EMUI 10 carries software version  10.0.1.115 and brings all of 10’s standout features.

January 20, 2019: Huawei has confirmed that it has finally started rolling out the latest version of Android to the likes of P30 Pro, P30, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20, Mate 20 X, and Nova 5T. More devices are expected to join the pack in the coming months.

December 03, 2019: Huawei, despite operating way below its full capacity due to US sanctions, has been doing its best to keep the current users up to speed, churning out swift software updates. Huawei P Smart 2019 may not be the most exciting smartphone in Huawei’s lineup, but that hasn’t kept the company from blessing it with Android 10-based EMUI 10.

EMUI 10 brings a bunch of UI tweaks, improvements, and features, making it a worthy update. This latest update carries software version EMUI 10.0.0.134(C432E3R1P3) and weighs in at 3.42GB.

November 18, 2019: Despite being locked in a legal battle with Google in the United States, Huawei has been quite prompt in rolling out Android 10 to supported devices. The Chinese OEM is now rolling out Google’s latest OS to three Honor devices — Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro, and Honor View 20 — as Magic UI 3.0. As you can expect, this latest Magic UI update also brings a host of interesting changes, compelling enthusiasts to have a go at the latest version of Android.

Huawei and Honor Android 10 EMUI 10 device list

It’s worth noting that most of the info in the table post isn’t official, but just educated guesses based on our past experience with Huawei software update plans.

Huawei/Honor device	Expected Android 10 release date (EMUI 10)
Huawei Mate X	Released on March 17, 2020
Huawei Mate 20 Pro	January 2020
Huawei Mate 20 X	January 2020
Huawei Mate 20 Porsche Design	Q1 2020
Huawei Mate 20	January 2020
Huawei Mate 20 Lite	Q2 2020
Huawei P30 Pro	January 2020
Huawei P30	January 2020
Huawei P30 Lite	Q1 2020
Huawei Mate 10 Pro	Q2 2020
Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design	Q2 2020
Huawei Mate 10	Q2 2020
Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design	Q2 2020
Huawei Mate 10 Lite	Q2 2020
Huawei P20 Pro	Q1 2020
Huawei P20	Q1 2020
Huawei P20 Lite	Q2 2020
Huawei Honor View 20	Q2 2020
Huawei Honor View 10	Q2 2020
Huawei Honor Magic 2	Q2 2019
Huawei Honor Note 10	Q1 2020
Huawei Honor Play	Q2 2020
Huawei Honor 8X	Q1 2020
Huawei Honor 8X Max	Q1 2020
Huawei Honor 8A	Q1 2020
Huawei Honor 10	Q2 2020
Huawei Honor 10 Lite	Q1 2020
Huawei P Smart Z	Q1 2020
Huawei P Smart 2019	Q1 2020
Huawei P Smart+	Q1 2020
Huawei P Smart 2018	Q2 2020
Huawei Nova 5, 5 Pus, 5i, 5T and 5i Pro	Q1 2020, January 2020 (5T)
Huawei Nova 4	Q1 2020
Huawei Nova 4e	Q1 2020
Huawei Nova 3	Q1 2020
Huawei Nova 3i	Q1 2020
Huawei Nova 3e	Q2 2020
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y9 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y9 2018	Q2 2020
Huawei Y7 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y7 Pro 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y7 Prime 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y7 Prime 2018	Q2 2020
Huawei Y7 2018	Q2 2020
Huawei Y6 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y6 Pr0 2019	Q2 2020
Huawei Y6 2018	Q3 2020
Huawei Y5 2019	Q3 2020
Huawei Y5 Prime 2018	Q3 2020
Huawei Y5 Lite 2018	Q3 2020
Huawei Y3 2018	Q3 2020
Huawei MediaPad 10.6, 8.4, 8.4 Turbo	Q1 2020

Huawei Android 10 release date

• Stable Android 10-based EMUI 10 rollout started for P30 Pro, P30, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20, Mate 20 X, and Nova 5T in select regions
• Android 10-based EMUI 10 released for Huawei P Smart 2019
• Android 10-based Magic UI 3.0 released for Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro, and Honor View 20
• A beta program for Android 10 based EMUI 10 OS is now live for P30 sets (in China only)
• First Android 10 update (EMUI 10) could release on September 8, 2019
• Huawei P30, P30 Pro to get it first, followed by Mate 20 series

Huawei has confirmed that its Android 10 update will be rolled out as EMUI 10 OS. Know more about EMUI below. Company has confirmed that the Android 10 rollout will begin with the P30 and P30 Pro handsets, in China, where the beta program is already live (here).

Huawei confirmed earlier that the beta version of Android 10-based EMUI will indeed be available at about the same time as Android-10’s official rollout date. The first ones to get the Android 10 updates are P30 and P30 Pro but other devices that are should be next in line would be Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, Mate RS Porsche Design, Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro, Honor V20, and Honor Magic 2, all of which may get the Android 10 via EMUI 10 beta program in September itself.

This may be a lot of work for Huawei given how heavy EMUI is, but considering what we’ve seen in the leaked EMUI 10 for Huawei P30 Pro, this could be possible.

What is EMUI 10

Well, EMUI is Huawei’s custom skin that they top the Android OS from Google to give a differentiated user experience (like it or not!). EMUI 10 is the name of the OS update that will be based on Android 10. Not only Huawei, but all the devices from its sub-brand Honor too will get Android 10 via EMUI 10 OS update.

So if you want Android 10 for your Huawei and Honor device, watch for EMUI 10 update.

For all the devices eligible for Android 10-cum-EMUI 10, the company will first launch a beta program to test out the update before making it available to the public.

EMUI 10 features

As noted, we expect that EMUI 10 will come running on top of Android 10. That said, here are the features that Google expects Huawei to bake into EMUI 10 when it arrives.

System-wide dark mode

This has been the talk since Android 10 beta went live. In fact, if you have Android 10 beta installed on your Mate 20 Pro, head to Settings > Display and enable the dark theme across the entire system. Alternatively, you can also turn it on via the new Quick Settings tile or even when you enable the Battery Saver mode.

Gestures for navigation

Android 10 also goes full-on with navigation gestures, this time getting rid of the back button in favor of swiping from the right or left side of the screen for the same function. Other gestures remain unchanged from EMUI 9.

To enable the new navigation system, go to Settings > System > Gestures.

Live caption

Android 10 introduces on-device Live Caption to media playing (videos and audio), podcasts, audio messages, and even recorded stuff on your phone, regardless of the app in use. By on-device, it means no internet is needed for the captions to show, which is pretty cool.

For more of these Android 10 features, check out our full coverage here.

Device -wise Android 10 release date

Check out below what we think about each device’s eligibility and release date as regards EMUI 10 Android 10 update.

Huawei Mate X

• Eligible for EMUI 10
• Released on March 17, 2020

The foldable Mate X was expected to arrive in June 2019, but Huawei pushed back the release date to September 2019. Given the deeper integration of foldable phone support in Android 10 compared to Pie, it’s taken Huawei longer to release the software — March 17, 2020.

Huawei Mate 20 series

• Android 10 is guaranteed for four Mate 20 variants
• Release expected in Q3 or Q4 2019
• It’s unclear if the Mate 20 Lite will get 10

The Mate 20 series has four high-end models and an entry-level Mate 20 Lite variant. While the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, and Mate 20 Porsche Design are all guaranteed to receive EMUI 10 based on Android 10 somewhere in Q3 or Q4 2019, it’s unclear if the same will be true for the Mate 20 Lite.

Unlike the four that had Pie out of the box, the Mate 20 Lite came preinstalled with Oreo and only received Pie via a software update, which means an update to 10 would be its second. So, even if it does get 10, the rollout could begin somewhere in Q1 or even Q2 2020.

Huawei Mate 10 series

• All but for Mate 10 Lite are eligible for EMUI 10
• But nothing is official yet

Assuming Google and Huawei get back to terms, we expect the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, and Mate 10 Porsche Design to all receive updates to EMUI 10 with Android 10 at the base. The update should also be released for the Mate RS Porsche Design, probably somewhere in Q4 2019.

If this happens, Android 10 would be the second and last major OS upgrade for the Mate 10 handsets. But as for the Mate 10 Lite, there’s no room for EMUI 10 given that it came preinstalled with Nougat.

Huawei P30 series

• EMUI 10 beta program is live now (September 5)
• All three variants are eligible
• Stable version expected in Q3/Q4 2019

Huawei confirmed that the P30 and P30 Pro will be upgraded to Android 10 soon after Google updates the Pixels, which is somewhere in August 2019. If anything, the leaked EMUI 10 beta is a sign that the company is working towards this goal, but it remains to be seen if this date will materialize.

As for the P30 Lite, the fact that it comes pre-installed with EMUI 9.0 makes it eligible for EMUI 10, but we can’t say when it will receive the 10-based update. Given it’s a mid-tier device, we won’t be surprised if the rollout begins somewhere in Q1 2020.

FYI, the P30 Lite is also known as Huawei Nova 4e in other markets and yes, the Nova 4e will also get EMUI 10.

September 05, 2019: Huawei has opened up the beta program for the P30 and P30 handsets in China today. We expect the release of EMUI 10 beta update based on Android 10 very soon for these two devices.

Huawei P20 series

• The P20 and P20 Pro are eligible for EMUI 10
• A Q4 2019 release date can’t be ruled out
• P20 Lite could get EMUI 10 in Q2 2020

The entire Huawei P20 series, including the P20 Lite, came preinstalled with EMUI 8. The P20 and P20 Pro have already received EMUI 9 and the P20 Lite is in line to do so. All three phones should also receive EMUI 10, although we expect the P20 and P20 Pro to receive it way ahead of the P20 Lite in Q4 2019, with the latter probably having to wait until Q2 2020.

Huawei Honor View 20

• Eligible for EMUI 10 based on Android 10
• The update should arrive in Q3/Q4 2019

The Honor View 20 was among the devices promised to receive EMUI 10 based on Android 10 at about the same time Google releases the OS to its Pixels. Once again, we can’t stop insisting on how bold this statement is from Huawei, so well have to wait and see if it actualizes.

Huawei Honor View 10

• Eligible for EMUI 10 update
• The official rollout should begin in Q1 2020

For a device that will be receiving its second major OS update, it doesn’t look like Huawei will be in any major hurry to bring EMUI 10 on board despite being eligible. Granted, the OS should arrive somewhere in Q1 2020, although we won’t be surprised if the beta version arrives before Q4 2019 ends.

Huawei Honor 10 series

• EMUI 10 expected on Honor 10 and 10 Lite
• The rollout should begin in Q1 2020

Both the Honor 10 and Honor 10 Lite are eligible for EMUI 10. The former will be receiving a second major update while this will be the first OS upgrade for the Lite version, which comes with EMUI 9 preinstalled.

As for the date, we don’t have one, but history tells us that Q1 2020 should be the ideal date to speculate for both models, although their beta versions could arrive early.

Huawei Honor Play

• Eligible for EMUI 10
• Expected in Q4 2019

Considering how popular the Honor Play is, it won’t surprise us if Huawei released EMUI 10 beta in Q4 2019 and the stable version in early Q1 2020. But this is just a hunch, although Huawei should communicate pretty soon about this handset’s 10 update in particular.

Huawei Honor Note 10

• Eligible for EMUI 10
• Update expected in Q4 2019 or Q1 2020

The Honor Note 10 has EMUI 8 preinstalled and has already received EMUI 9 based on Android 9 Pie. Given its flagship status, the Note 10 is an obvious candidate for EMUI 10, but we don’t know when the OS will arrive.

Still, it’s likely that Huawei will be ready with EMUI 10 for the Note 10 in Q4 2019 (beta) and spread it to more units in its stable form in Q1 2020.

Huawei Honor 8X series

• Both 8X and 8X Max are eligible for EMUI 10
• The update should arrive in Q1 or Q2 2020

Huawei Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max are both eligible for an update to EMUI 10. Having debuted with EMUI 8, this will be their second major software update, which means Huawei won’t be in such a hurry to upgrade them.

That said, we are looking forward to a Q1 or even Q2 2020 release date for EMUI 10 on both devices.

Huawei Honor 8A

• Eligible for EMUI 10
• EMUI 10 expected in Q2 2020

The Honor 8A is an entry-level handset that comes preinstalled with EMUI 9. This gives it a ticket to receive EMUI 10, but its low-end status means it may have to wait until Q2 2020 before the software update arrives.

Huawei Honor Magic 2

• Eligible for EMUI 10
• The update is expected in Q3/Q4 2019

The Honor Magic 2 is among the devices promised to lead the way going into Android 10. This means we are looking at a potential release date in Q3 2019 for the beta version and maybe Q4 2019 for the stable release.

Huawei P Smart series

• EMUI 10 is expected on Smart Z, Smart+ and the 2019 edition
• Original P Smart may miss out

Huawei has in recent times been rolling out two major OS updates to its devices. Granted, the entire P Smart series beginning from the 2017 edition should receive EMUI 10, but this we can’t be sure.

What looks certain, though, is that EMUI 10 will be released for owners of the Huawei P Smart Z, P Smart+ and P Smart 2019 models, all of which have EMUI 9 pre-installed.

Huawei Nova 4 series

• Both Nova 4 and Nova 4e are eligible for EMUI 10
• The update may arrive in Q4 2019

The Nova 4 comes preinstalled with EMUI 9, making it eligible for EMUI 10 undisputed. However, we don’t have an official date, but given its elevated status in the Nova series, we expect an update to EMUI 10 to arrive towards the end of this year.

As for the Nova 4e, which is otherwise known as Huawei P30 Lite, we expect EMUI 10 to show up the earliest in Q1 2020.

Huawei Nova 3 series

• EMUI 10 is expected on both Nova 3 and 3i
• The Nova 3e should also get lucky
• The update should arrive in Q1 2020

Huawei Nova 3 and 3i are expected to receive EMUI 10 updates as the second major OS upgrade. But for now, Huawei hasn’t confirmed this, even so, we expect that if the OS begins rolling out, it will be in Q1 2020, at least for the Nova 3, followed by the Nova 3i later in the same quarter or in Q2 2020.

If you own the Nova 3e, which is also known as Huawei P20 Lite, you can only hope for the best, although we can’t be sure about this one.

Other Huawei devices

Not all Huawei devices will be upgraded to EMUI 10. Apart from the premium models and other handsets listed above, only those in the midrange and entry-level market that come pre-installed with EMUI 9 are guaranteed to receive EMUI 10.

Also, several devices from 2018 could still receive EMUI 10, but we can’t be sure. Thus, the list below has devices that we aren’t sure if Huawei will consider them for an update to EMUI 10, but we hope they get the new software.