From the release of the iPhone 7 to the malfunctioning Android Note 7, it seems like smartphones and technological advances are always in the news these days. Indeed, the revenues of consumer electronics and appliance rentals are projected to reach 5.7 billion U.S. dollars this year.
Soon, the way that these technologies dominate our world may be changing, and the change is signaled by yet another noteworthy gadget release — Huawei Technologies has just released a new smartphone, complete with new artificial intelligence.
Huawei hopes that their new technology will help them compete more directly with Apple and Samsung. The new Mate 9 is a fast phone with a long battery life and has a feature that enables it to learn about the habits of its user.
It also automatically places most frequently used apps within easy reach, unlike the iPhone.
“It learns how you use your phone,” said European head of handset portfolio and planning at Huawei, Arne Herkelmann.
Indeed, the standard smartphone package is no longer enough. Manufacturers are looking for new ways to stand out and pioneer new trends. “AI and voice control will be main features on smartphones in the coming years,” said Roberta Cozza, an analyst at the research firm Gartner.
The wave of new A.I. technologies is definitely coming. Last month, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, launch the Pixel smartphone, which carries Google Assistant, the voice-activated A.I.
Samsung, still reeling from the huge blow of its failed flagship phone, said it was going to purchase Viv, run by co-creators of Apple’s Siri, in order to integrate voice-assistant services into its devices.
The Mate 9, among other things, also offers a 5.9-inch screen, a camera with autofocus, and directional microphones with noise cancellation.