Huawei GR5 Mini Now Running Android Nougat with EMUI 5.0 Update

The Huawei GR5 Mini, which holds the top spot among smartphones priced under NPR 20,000 in Nepal, has just been updated to EMUI 5.0, built on Android 7 Nougat, making it even more appealing. For owners of the GR5 Mini running the older EMUI 4.1 software, here's how to upgrade to the newer version.

To upgrade your Huawei GR5 Mini from EMUI 4.1 to EMUI 5.0, start by ensuring the HiCare app is at version 2.0.2_OVE or higher, updating it via Google Play Store if necessary. Next, verify that your device’s build number is NMO-L31C636B152, checkable under Settings > About Phone. Then, open HiCare, agree to the prompts, and under Services, select “OS upgrade, early adopters”. Finally, go to Settings > Updater to download and install the update, after which your GR5 Mini will be running EMUI 5.0 on Android 7 Nougat.

The EMUI 5.0 update introduces several notable changes over EMUI 4.1. The home screen features a refreshed design with new icons, fonts, colors, and layout, along with a cleaner left-aligned time and weather widget. The notification shade is now a single swipe that displays both quick settings toggles and notifications, and thanks to the Android 7 Nougat base, users can send quick replies directly from notifications. Huawei has also added an optional app drawer that can be enabled or disabled as preferred. Recent apps are now displayed as three-dimensional stacked cards similar to stock Android. Additionally, the new App Twin feature allows users to log into two accounts for apps like Facebook or WhatsApp on the same device.

For those unfamiliar with the Huawei GR5 Mini, here are its full specifications: a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 424 ppi, powered by a 2.0 GHz Kirin 650 Octacore processor with an i5 coprocessor, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage expandable up to 128 GB via microSD. It sports a 13 MP rear camera with aperture f/2.0, optical image stabilization, LED flash, and 1080p video recording, plus an 8 MP front camera with aperture f/2.0 and 720p video recording. The phone runs on Android 6 Marshmallow out of the box but is now updateable to Android 7 Nougat, includes a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and is powered by a non-removable 3000 mAh Li-Po battery. The device is available for NPR 19,999.