Huawei announced back at CES 2017 that it planned to bring Amazon Alexa to its Mate 9 smartphone and it's now making good on its word.
Amazon's digital assistant is now rolling out to Huawei Mate 9 handsets in the United States, but don't expect to have a mini Amazon Echo in your pocket. While the Huawei Mate 9 gets credit for being the first Alexa-enabled smartphone, one could argue that the Alexa integration is rather incomplete.
Huawei Mate 9 Alexa Integration
Having Alexa onboard the Huawei Mate 9 will likely be most rewarding for those who also own an Amazon Echo speaker, as it will allow them to use the voice assistant across devices. For others, however, the integration might seem incomplete as the Mate 9 doesn't offer the seamless Alexa experience the Echo does.
First of all, the Amazon Echo has a range of far-field microphones and it's always listening, able to pick up voice commands from across the room without requiring additional user interaction. That's not the case with the smartphone version. With the Huawei Mate 9, users first have to launch the Alexa app and keep it running to enjoy the functionality of the smart assistant.
At the same time, the implementation still appears to be in its early stages, with a lot of room for improvement. Users can get weather information and recommendations via the Alexa app, but the location relies on pre-set settings instead of just using the smartphone's GPS for more accuracy. Other features such as food ordering or alarms are not available yet.
In other words, the Alexa functionality on the Huawei Mate 9 is more of an app rather than a truly integrated assistant, but it does have its highlights.
Amazon Alexa On Huawei Mate 9: What Can It Do?
Despite the incomplete integration, the Huawei Mate 9 Alexa integration still offers a number of neat features and options that should notably enhance the experience. For instance, it's great to be able to access most Alexa skills even if you don't own an Amazon Echo, Tap, Dot, or some other Alexa-enabled gadget.
The Alexa integration also favors home automation, allowing Mate 9 owners to manage their smart home remotely even if they're out and about. Users could turn on the heat or air conditioning before they get home, open the garage door as they drive up the alley, and so on.
Having Amazon's assistant on the smartphone also allows for a cool Alexa shopping experience through voice commands, as users can simply tell Alexa to create lists, place orders, and more.
The Huawei Mate 9 with Alexa on board also provides easy access to news, entertainment, games, trivia, music, and a lot more. Calling an Uber or a Lyft is also easy - just tell Alexa to book you a ride.
Huawei and Amazon will likely keep working on the integration so things should go smoother in time, but for now there are upsides and drawbacks. Some Alexa skills such as setting alarms and timers, geotracking, or music/movie controls should become available soon.
