Huawei
When we first learned that Huawei planned to bring Amazon's Alexa to its Mate 9 flagship, there weren't many details on what that implementation would look like. All we really knew was that it would be rolling out via software update to the phone, and that its availability would be limited. Today, Huawei has unveiled just how the integration will work. Sadly, parts of this implementation don't make sense, with the most disappointing being the fact that you have to press your phone twice before you can talk to Alexa, which defeats the point of having a voice assistant.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, here's how the feature will work. Starting today, the company will be rolling out updates over the air that will push the Huawei Alexa app to Mate 9 owners in the US (those in other countries will have to wait, although it's not clear till when). You'll have to install that as well as Amazon's own Alexa app to use the tool, and that's what will have the information from your Amazon account. Then, whenever you want Alexa to, say, help you order a new book or turn on your lights, you have to open the Huawei Alexa app and tap the round microphone button before speaking.
In a news release, Huawei itself describes Alexa as a "primarily voice-driven experience, ideal for people on the go," so the lack of hotword support is confusing, if not frustrating. It's not as if Huawei wasn't able to create hotword shortcuts for its own "Okay Emy" tool in the past. The company said that this is the way Alexa works "currently," although it did not say if that will change in the future.
Huawei's execution of an initially exciting feature is flawed, but having Alexa on your phone is still very useful, considering the assistant's prowess at controlling smart home appliances and shopping. If you're disappointed with this news and want an alternative means of getting Alexa on a mobile device, there are also Alexa-powered smartwatches to consider.