Huawei P30 Pro update (EMUI 9.1.0.178)

Huawei P30 Pro update (EMUI 9.1.0.178) adds DC Dimming, lower latency Bluetooth streaming, and more

The Huawei P30 Pro is the latest flagship from Huawei that not only boasts of probably the most innovative camera arrangement on a smartphone yet, but is also equipped with flagship Kirin 980 SoC, up to 8GB of RAM, an attractive design, and more premium characteristics. The future of the flagship, however, seems ambiguous because of the U.S. government’s ban which hurts Google’s business with Huawei. The ban forces Google to revoke Huawei’s Android license as well as prevents Huawei from installing Google apps and Google Play Services starting August 19th. Further, the ban will also restrict the company from updating existing devices, leaving it in a tricky situation.

In the meantime, Huawei is striving hard to push updates to its smartphones before the ban comes into place. With its market share at stake, Huawei has already rolled out the EMUI 10 preview based on Android Q beta for the Huawei P30 Pro but for users who prefer a more stable experience, the company has released several fixes for the smartphone with the new EMUI 9.1.0.178 update. The update brings optimizations for the fingerprint scanner, the display, and the overall system UI while also bringing DC Dimming as well as a new ultra-low latency Bluetooth mode.

Before we take a look at the new features available with the latest update, here’s a rundown of the changelog:

• This update adds the DC dimming mode, preventing screen flickering.
  • Adds the DC dimming mode, preventing screen flickering. Go to Settings > Display > Eye comfort to enable Flicker reduction.
• Adds Huawei’s ultra-low latency Bluetooth technology, allowing for high-quality sound and no-lag audio and video syncing, providing a thrilling listening and viewing experience.
• Improves photo quality, making colors appear more natural and authentic.
• Fixes the abnormal display of videos recorded by the front camera.
• Adds the option to enroll a second face.
• Optimizes fingerprint authentication. Re-enroll your fingerprints for an improved user experience
• Fixes the issue where the display colors are abnormal in certain scenarios.
• Allows for messages and notifications to display on a locked screen with live wallpaper.
• Fixes the issue where the screen does not turn off automatically in certain scenarios. Optimizes system stability, for smoother overall performance.

DC Dimming is one of the most intriguing additions to the Huawei P30 Pro with this update. The feature is becoming a fad for smartphones with AMOLED displays as OEMs have started to grow conscious of the damaging effects of the flickering in AMOLED displays. At low brightness, the LEDs used as the backlight for the AMOLED panel pulsate instead of glowing continuously. While the pulsation is not easily apparent, it causes strain on the eyes, especially while using the smartphone in low light. The DC Dimming feature fixes this by regulating DC current. At the same time, the update also improves the color reproduction of the display.

Meanwhile, the new ultra-low latency Bluetooth technology should allow for a better multimedia experience by reducing the delay in audio transmission and allow for better sync between the audio and the video. We’re not sure how the feature works – whether it is a new codec or just a software optimization – but it sounds promising.

Besides these improvements, Huawei P30 Pro’s in-display fingerprint scanner is promised to have been improved with the update while the ability to add a second face for the face unlocking feature has been added. Further, there is some improvement in the quality of the images. The update is likely to be available on the P30 Pro units globally and be rolled out in batches.