Apple Allows Behind-the-Scenes Look Into Audio Lab Used to Test HomePod, AirPods, and More

At the same time that reviews launched this morning for Apple’s upcoming HomePod smart speaker, a few websites also shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the audio lab where Apple tested the device. Apple invited journalists into the lab last week, and Jim Dalrymple of The Loop shared his experience in a post today.

Images via The Loop
Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, noted that the lab where HomePod was tested wasn’t only for HomePod, as Apple also focuses on speakers found in iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AirPods, as well as the audio performance of Siri and Apple TV. For HomePod, Apple vice president of hardware engineering, Kate Bergeron, said the project began six years ago with a “small, focused team.”

“HomePod started by us asking a question: What would it mean if we decided to design a loud speaker where we could put it in any room, and that room wouldn’t affect the sound quality,” said Bergeron.

Once testing began, Apple used multiple chambers to study HomePod. The first became one of the largest anechoic chambers in the United States (first image), allowing Apple engineers access to a non-reflective and echo free room to put the speaker’s sound through its paces.

Another room was made to focus on voice detection and Siri recognition, while the third was a “Noise and Vibration” chamber (second image) built to detect and help prevent electronic noises and buzzing from escaping HomePod when it’s plugged in but not playing music.

The chamber itself sits on 28 tons of concrete. The panels are one foot thick which is another 27 tons of material, and there are 80 isolating mounts between the actual chamber and the concrete slab it sits on.

The chamber is designed to be -2 dBA, which is lower than the threshold of human hearing. This basically provides complete silence.

Because the audio lab was built to test many products in addition to HomePod, Apple’s senior director of audio design and engineering, Gary Geaves, hinted that progress made on the speaker in the lab has led to advances in other, unnamed Apple devices. “There’s been certain catalysts in the development of HomePod that are feeding other products,” said Geaves. “That’s one of our advantages—we work on a bunch of different areas of audio.”

HomePod pre-orders began on January 26, and remain available for launch day delivery of February 9 in the United States, although Apple Store pickup has now become unavailable in all three launch countries. For the U.K. and Australia, delivery estimates have also slipped today, with the current shipping date marked as February 12.

To read more about Apple’s HomePod audio lab, be sure to check out The Loop’s full article.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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Apple Plans Second Data Center for iCloud Services in China

Apple is planning to build a second data center in China, with an operation date set for 2020 and location in Ulanqab City, according to a report today by Xinhua Net (via Reuters).

Located in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the second center is said to provide various iCloud services for users on the Chinese mainland. Plans are for the center to run on 100 percent renewable energy sources, similar to other data centers built by Apple.

Apple Inc., the United States tech giant, will build a data center in Ulanqab City in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, after its first data center in southwestern Guizhou Province, the local government has announced.

The Ulanqab City data center will be Apple’s second in China, following an announcement last summer for its first China-based data center located in the southern province of Guizhou. The first center was set up in partnership with data management firm Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry and in accordance with the country’s new cybersecurity laws.

At the time, Reuters reported that Apple was the first foreign tech firm to announce amendments to its data storage arrangements in China to comply with a new cybersecurity law that was implemented in June, requiring foreign firms to store data within the country. While concerns about surveillance and data security were brought up, Apple assured reporters it had strong privacy and security protections in place, stating that “No backdoors will be created into any of our systems.”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: China, data center
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Apple Watch Had Record Year With Estimated 18M Shipments in 2017, Topped Entire Swiss Watch Industry Last Quarter

Not only did the Apple Watch just have its best quarter ever in terms of sales, but it also had a record-breaking year overall, capped off by topping shipments from the entire Swiss watch industry combined last quarter.

Apple Watch shipments topped an all-time high of 18 million units in 2017, according to estimated data from research firm Canalys, an over 50 percent increase compared to the roughly 12 million units Apple shipped in 2016.

Canalys claims that 48 percent of the shipments were the latest Apple Watch Series 3 models, while 52 percent were Series 2 or older models. Among the Series 3 models, around 13 percent of customers opted for an LTE-enabled model, while 35 percent of people were satisfied with the Wi-Fi and GPS version.

The keyword is estimated, since Apple doesn’t actually reveal Apple Watch sales on a standalone basis. Instead, the device is grouped under Apple’s expanding “Other Products” category, alongside the Apple TV, Apple Watch, accessories like AirPods and Beats, and as of next quarter, the HomePod.

Apple analysts, who closely examine the “Other Products” revenue and other clues to estimate Apple Watch sales, each have similar totals. Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies estimates Apple Watch shipments totaled 17.4 million last year, while Horace Dediu of Asymco comes in at 17.7 million.

I am at 17.4 m for 2017. So consensus is this ballpark so safe to assume this range is correct. https://t.co/jB1JjxoVc9

— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) February 6, 2018

Canalys estimates Apple Watch shipments at 18 million in 2017. My estimate has been 17.7 million.

— Horace Dediu (@asymco) February 6, 2018

On an earnings call last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the Apple Watch had its best quarter ever during the final three months of 2017, with over 50 percent growth in revenue and units sold for the fourth quarter in a row, and strong double-digit growth in every geographic segment that Apple tracks.

Cook added that sales of Apple Watch Series 3 models were also more than twice as high as Series 2 models in the year-ago quarter.

Interestingly, it appears that this growth has resulted in Apple Watch shipments coming in higher than all Swiss watch brands combined for the first time last quarter, according to IDC research director Francisco Jeronimo.‏ In other words, Apple is now the biggest watchmaker in the world.

For the first time, #Apple shipped more Apple Watches in 4Q2017, than the entire Swiss Watch Industry shipped watches! Apple is the biggest watch maker in the world #AppleWatch pic.twitter.com/G6M6TJ7uO2

— Francisco Jeronimo (@fjeronimo) February 4, 2018

The key takeaway here is that the Apple Watch continues to grow at an impressive rate as the device approaches its third anniversary in April. Apple Watch also remains the world’s most popular smartwatch by a significant margin, and is now even giving the iconic Swiss watch industry a run for its money.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: CanalysBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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European Regulators to Review if Apple Acquiring Shazam Will Significantly Hurt Competition

The European Commission today announced it has accepted requests from Austria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden to assess Apple’s proposed acquisition of Shazam. The agreement is still pending approval.

The regulatory body will consider whether the transaction may lead to a significant adverse affect on competition in Europe:

On the basis of the elements submitted by Austria and the countries joining the referral request, and without prejudice to the outcome of its full investigation, the Commission considers that the transaction may have a significant adverse effect on competition in the European Economic Area. The Commission has also concluded that it is the best placed authority to deal with the potential cross-border effects of the transaction.

The European Commission didn’t specify how the deal could hurt competition, but Shazam does have partnerships with European companies like Spotify that could be affected by the acquisition. However, it’s standard for major acquisitions to be subject to review, so the deal may be approved of without scrutiny.

Apple confirmed it plans to acquire Shazam in December in a statement provided to MacRumors and other publications:

We are thrilled that Shazam and its talented team will be joining Apple. Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS. Today, it’s used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, across multiple platforms. Apple Music and Shazam are a natural fit, sharing a passion for music discovery and delivering great music experiences to our users. We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam upon approval of today’s agreement.

Shazam is a popular service that can identify the name and lyrics of songs, music videos, TV shows, and more. It has apps across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and iMessage, while the service has been built into Siri since iOS 8. The app is also integrated with streaming music services like Apple Music.

In September 2016, Shazam announced that its mobile apps had been downloaded more than one billion times since launching. Shazam’s original iPhone app launched in 2008, and uses machine learning algorithms to identify audio clips. The app has since expanded into areas like augmented reality.

Tags: European Commission, Shazam
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Apple Considering Offering Rebates to Customers Who Purchased Full-Price iPhone Batteries

Apple is considering providing rebates to customers who purchased full-price iPhones before its reduced-cost $29 battery replacements were made available, reports Recode.

Apple confirmed that it is exploring the option following an inquiry from U.S. Senator John Thune, who asked whether Apple would offer rebates to customers who had already purchased new batteries at higher prices.

Has Apple explored whether consumers who paid the full, non-discounted price for a replacement batter in an effort to restore performance should be allowed to seek a rebate for some of the purchase price?”

Apple vice president for public policy Cynthia Hogan answered Thune’s inquiry today and said that Apple is indeed looking into whether a rebate program can be provided to customers. “Yes, we are exploring this and will update you accordingly,” she told Thune.

Apple began offering customers with an iPhone 6 and newer low-cost $29 battery replacements starting in December following outrage over the company’s decision to introduce an iPhone-slowing power management feature in older devices.

Though the power management feature was first introduced in iOS 10.2.1 early in 2017, the details behind how it works were not fully discovered or explained by Apple until December. As it turns out, in older devices with degraded batteries, the power management feature can result in processor throttling at times of peak usage. Replacing the battery in affected devices solves the problem.

When Apple made $29 battery replacements available to customers in late December it also provided some customers who had already made a purchase with refunds, but the company limited refunds to batteries purchased on or after December 14. Customers who purchased a replacement battery before December 14 at the full $79 price have not been able to get their money back.

Should Apple make a rebate program available to customers who previously made a battery purchase, it would presumably cover customers who purchased replacement batteries earlier in the year.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7Buyer’s Guide: iPhone 8 (Neutral), iPhone 8 (Neutral)
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Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 11.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first beta and two weeks after releasing iOS 11.2.5, an update that focused primarily on bug fixes and security improvements.

Registered developers can download the iOS 11.3 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

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iOS 11.3 is a major update that introduces a long list of new features, like Messages on iCloud for storing your iMessages in iCloud, and ARKit 1.5, a new, upgraded version of ARKit that can more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces and recognize and place objects on vertical surfaces like walls.

There are four new Animoji on the iPhone X (dragon, bear, skull, and lion), and in the Health app, there’s a new Health Records feature that aggregates all of your medical records in one easy-to-access place. Health Records are limited to participating institutions, though.

AirPlay 2 features have been introduced in iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3, allowing audio to be played to multiple Apple TVs, and for HomeKit, iOS 11.3 introduces official support for HomeKit software authentication options.

Other new features include a new “For You” section in Apple News that displays the top videos of the day, support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) for more accurate location when placing an emergency call in a supported country, more information about app size in the Updates tap in the App Store, and a new Privacy screen and icon that will show up whenever Apple asks you for info. iBooks has also had the “i” removed from its name, so it’s just “Books” now, and the App Store now lets you sort reviews by most helpful, most favorable, most critical, and most recent.

In the future, Apple plans to introduce more detailed information about the health of a device’s battery. The update should provide a lot more data about battery health, and there will also be an option to let customers turn off the power management feature entirely, though Apple does not recommend disabling it. The new features will be available in Settings –> Battery and are available for iPhone 6 and later.

Business Chat, which will let you interface with businesses like Wells Fargo, Delta, Hilton and Lowe’s right in the Messages app is coming when iOS 11.3 is released, and improvements to Apple Music will bring better support for music videos. Users will be able to stream music videos without adds and create and view music video playlists.

iOS 11.3 will be released to the public in the spring. Spring kicks off on March 20, so iOS 11.3 will be in testing for quite some time.

Update: According to Apple’s release notes, starting with iOS 11.3 beta 2, users performing tethered updates or restores on iPhone X will need to use iTunes 12.7.3. Apple says certain features, including Face ID, may not work as expected when using an older version of iTunes.

Apple also says that the current beta does not support the 6th-generation iPod touch, but support will be added in a future beta release.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 11.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first beta and two weeks after releasing the tvOS 11.2.5 update.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode and Apple Configurator.

The tvOS 11.3 update introduces support for AirPlay 2, allowing the Apple TV to be added to the Home app as part of a HomeKit setup.

With AirPlay 2, you can play a song on multiple Apple TVs in different rooms, and when AirPlay 2 officially launches, that same functionality will extend to other AirPlay 2 devices like HomePod and AirPlay 2 compatible speakers.

Other new features in tvOS 11.3 include enhancements to Match Content support, automatic frame rate switching on the fourth-generation Apple TV, and automatic mode switching for AirPlay video sessions.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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How to add music to Instagram videos

It’s 2018, and if you’re anything like us, you spend half your time recording shaky home videos on your smartphone and the other half sharing them via Instagram. But what if in the video you took of your dogs happily frolicking at your recent family barbecue you can hear your Uncle Jim loudly talking about his last social escapade or doomed new business venture? You want your friends to see how much fun Spot and Kona are having, but you don’t want them to get the skinny on the latest family drama. What do you do?

Well, you could simply mute the video so that it makes no sound at all — Instagram makes this easy to do. However, we’ve found a better answer that doesn’t lead to 15 seconds of silence. There are a few mobile apps specifically built to take any video you’ve recorded on your phone and merge it with an audio file to create a work of art that’ll have people double-tapping on your post all day long (and maybe tapping their feet, too). Want to record your weekly toenail clipping session, set it to the dulcet tones of Marvin Gaye, and share it for all the world to see? Look no further! (The internet has seen stranger things, we suppose.) These apps will let you easily lay down a music track to any video, adding a finished touch to your Instagram videos to make the stand out from the crowd.

Note: Most of these apps only allow you to use audio recordings or music files that are saved to your device. So if you exclusively use streaming apps, considering finding a few music files first. 

VidLab (free)

VidLab is a versatile, tool-laden editing app that can do just about anything you ask of it. Want to add text to a video? Done. Instagram filters not good enough? VidLab has its own set you can apply. The app allows you to choose any audio file from your device to cut and lay over your video, as well as a suite of in-app sound effects. You can also choose to record original audio on the spot. The app even includes an option that lets you search iTunes or Google Play for audio files, where you can purchase any ones you want to use. The main drawback of the app is you have to shell out a few bucks if you want to remove the VidLab watermark from your videos or add extra affects or fonts, but it has to make money somehow, right?

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Videoshop ($2)

Videoshop (it’s like Photoshop, but for video — get it?) brings all the same tricks to the table as the aforementioned VidLab, plus a few of its own. It’s currently free on Google Play, but costs you $2 on the Apple App Store. However, that $2 buys you a powerful editing app that supports 1080p video. You can also flip videos horizontally, combine multiple clips into one, add animated transitions from clip to clip, and make Vine-esque stop motion videos. You can also create copies of videos and edit each clip individually, and the app includes dozens of filters and text overlays that allow for ample customization. It’s compatible with iOS 8.2 and later, and Android version 4.3+.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Flipgram (free)

Flipgram is a full-fledged video editor that sets itself apart by being more than just an app — it’s a creative community! You can find inspiring content from other creators within the app and share your own videos to inspire others! But even if you’d prefer not to interact within its bespoke social space, Flipgram still allows you to share to Instagram and your other social media. It also features a built-in music library, making it easier to access your favorite tracks. In addition to adding music, you can stitch together multiple video clips, add still photos, overlay text, and more!

Download now from: 

iTunes Google Play

Background Music for Video (free)

If you’re not interested in trawling through the numerous editing tools available with the previous apps, or if you simply prefer a gimmick-free experience, take a look at Background Music For Video. No, it doesn’t have a catchy name. No, it doesn’t have a sexy interface. But it will get the job done, and it’s a great choice for users who just want to quickly add some music to a video without stopping to smell the roses. Just pick your video, pick your audio file, and set the start and stop parameters. You’ll be all set to upload your new artwork to your Insta profile in no time.

Download now from: 

iTunes

Quik by GoPro (free)

GoPro revolutionized the world of action video, and now the company is looking to revolutionize the world of mobile video editing. Quik will automatically create stories from your pictures and videos (both those shot with your phone and with a GoPro camera, if you have one), add filters and music, and add one of several unique video edits — like stop-motion or “slice,” which cuts the screen in half and plays the video one side at a time — to create a masterpiece. Though this may sound over the top, the app allows you to change any of the video’s properties, giving you full control over the look of your video.

You can also choose music from your own library, or from the app’s vast selection of songs. You can select or deselect pictures and clips you want to include as well, and choose which after-effects you’d like to apply. So, if you just want to add some tunes to a quick video of you cooking food, you can do that. Or, if you want to create a full collage of your recordings and pics from a recent ski trip in the Rockies, one replete with filters and effects, you can do that too.

Download now from: 

iTunes Google Play

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Thanks Samsung, you’ve ruined Mobile World Congress 2018

Looking forward to a massive, seemingly unending parade of delightful, tantalizing, cutting-edge new smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this year? Don’t bother.

Samsung has ruined all that. Sure, there will be a quite the number of great phones to see; but a few we’re really looking forward to in 2018 won’t be there. Why? Fear, and it’s all Samsung’s fault.

Samsung has an event on February 25 in Barcelona, Spain, and you don’t need to be a cryptographer to work out the secret in its teaser image. Samsung will announce the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, a day before the show actually opens its doors. You’ve probably heard about them. They’re going to be two of the world’s biggest selling phones in 2018. While tech journalists will flock to the event and smartphone fans over the world will ogle the live stream, every other big-name phone company has effectively run from Barcelona screaming.

Three top names that won’t show off a competing flagship phone at Mobile World Congress are Huawei, HTC, and LG. More could follow. If you’re waiting for the rumored LG G7, HTC U12, and Huawei P20, they’ll all come at a later date. How many of the above would have chosen MWC as the launchpad for their flashy new phones if they knew Samsung was turning up with a couple of tablets and not a lot else, like it did last year?

The Galaxy S9 is coming, run away

Okay, it’s not entirely Samsung’s fault. LG is rethinking its mobile strategy, and Huawei had a poor start to the year when AT&T (and now reportedly Verizon) pulled out of a deal to sell its Mate 10 Pro smartphone. HTC also just sold a chunk of its mobile engineering team to Google, but we’re not so sure if that’s affecting its launch plans.

But at the end of the day, Samsung has the Galaxy S9. Everyone knows it’s going to be a huge deal, and likely a very good phone indeed. The leaks surrounding the Galaxy S9 indicate it’s going to correct a major issue with the Galaxy S8 — the camera. It wasn’t bad, but it was soon eclipsed by other 2017 phones because it wasn’t too different from the Galaxy S7.

Jung Yeon-Je/Getty

Samsung proved it could make a brilliant camera with the Galaxy Note 8, and we’re expecting the Galaxy S9 to be even better — at least on the Galaxy S9 Plus. Samsung’s most definitely not copying Apple by making its larger phone more desirable by giving it a dual-lens camera, and lumping a single lens on the smaller, cheaper Galaxy S9. The design looks very similar to the S8, but that doesn’t matter because it’s gorgeous.

Every other big-name phone company has run from Barcelona screaming.

Then there is the launch event itself. Spectacular doesn’t quite come close to describing it. Samsung always goes all-out to make an impression at its “Unpacked” events, and given the importance of the Galaxy S9, this one won’t be any different. February 25 will be Samsung Day, and we doubt anyone could steal the limelight if they tried.

That’s the problem. If Mobile World Congress is a horror movie, Samsung is the monster in the closet everyone is too terrified to take on.

Dollars, eyeballs, and column inches

HTC won’t bring the U12, or any other major phone release, to MWC and will hold its own event at a later date. Huawei has already chosen Paris for its next big phone launch in March, which we expect to be the Huawei P20. It will still likely launch a product or two at the show — perhaps a successor to the Huawei Watch 2. LG isn’t holding an MWC press conference at all, so the G7 definitely won’t be there; however like Huawei, we’re expecting it to put on a brave face and give us something to gawk over.

It costs a lot to put on a massive show at Mobile World Congress, and promotion is everyone’s goal. Samsung’s marketing budget for the Galaxy S9 is sure to be gigantic, and Digital Trends, along with every other publication, tech-centric and otherwise, will be writing about the phone.

Sharing space with any other company is already bad news, but sharing space with Samsung is really, really bad news. Outspending Samsung also seems like a very poor use of anyone’s budget. It’s much more sensible to hold your own event later on, when Samsung won’t be looming over it like a Bixby-controlled Dementor.

We get it. It makes good business sense. But we can’t help feeling a little robbed.

The brave few

Is it going to be ‘Samsung Presents: Mobile World Congress 2018?’ No, not quite. In addition to whatever Huawei and LG show, there are several companies bringing new phones. Sony, Motorola, and Nokia will undoubtedly announce a handful of phones, and there will be plenty of other surprise devices to find in MWC’s cavernous halls too. It just won’t be the flagship phone shootout it could have been.

We’ll get to see awesome new phones spread over the next few months.

On the bright side, it also means we’ll get to see awesome new phones spread over the next few months, rather than all in one go at the end of February. It also gives us a better chance to properly assess releases, as we’re blessed with more time to do so. So while we complain, it’s actually not a bad thing — but modern life is all about urgency and instant gratification; we want everything now, thanks very much.

But it’s also a dangerous game to play. People only have so much money to spend, and if it gets spent on the Galaxy S9 because it’s the only new game in town during March or April, then sales will be lost for everyone else.

If at the end of February you’re wondering how the new Galaxy S9 stacks up against the new phones from every other manufacturer, you won’t know, because they’re all hiding in the corner, quivering. You’ll know when they emerge over the next few months. We won’t be quivering though, we’ll be in Barcelona to courageously take on the Galaxy S9, and everything else at the show, then tell you all about it. We can’t wait.

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4 cameras and a mirror-like finish make the midrange Honor 9 Lite stand out

Not content with launching the Honor 7X and the Honor View 10 at the end of 2017, Honor has already announced its first smartphone for 2018 — the Honor 9 Lite. While it takes the name of Honor’s stunning Honor 9 smartphone, it shares more of a visual resemblance to the Honor 7X while carrying over over one of the Honor 9’s best design features — the beautiful mirrored rear cover.

Honor says it has applied a nanoscale optical coating made of glass to the rear panel  to give it that distinct mirrored finish. Unlike the Honor 9, the Honor 9 Lite has an 18:9 aspect ratio screen under a 2.5D piece of glass on the front, which measures 5.65 inches, and a 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution. This gives it a bezel-less appearance, which Honor has embraced with all of its most recent phone releases. While the design will turn your head, it’s the camera setup that makes the Honor 9 Lite interesting.

The phone has four camera lenses — yes, four — two on the front and two on the back. Both have the same dual-lens 13 megapixel and 2 megapixel sensors. Honor uses its dual-lens cameras to produce a blurred background bokeh effect, which can be re-created in regular shots taken with the rear camera, and with selfies taken with the front camera. The front cams have an f/2.0 aperture, and a new beauty mode so you always look your best.

This is a midrange smartphone, so it doesn’t use Huawei’s high performance Kirin 970 chip like the Honor View 10. Instead, it has the Kirin 659 inside, just like the Honor 7X. The fingerprint sensor is set in the top center of the rear panel, and Honor says it’ll unlock your phone in 0.25 of a second. There’s no word yet on face unlock, or other technical features like RAM or storage space. The Honor 9 Lite has already been announced in China, and if it shares the same specs, it will have 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB storage, plus a MicroSD card slot.

Finally, the Honor 9 Lite comes with Android 8.0 Oreo installed with version 8.0 of Huawei’s EMUI user interface over the top. This is the same as what’s installed on the Honor View 10 and the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. If you’re wondering about the price and release date for the Honor 9 Lite, it will be sold in the United Kingdom starting February 6 through various retailers including Amazon, but the price will be confirmed at the phone’s launch event. There’s no word on a U.S. release yet, but Honor has consistently announced its phone for release in the U.S. shortly after a European unveiling. We’ll keep you updated here.

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