Jan 06, 2017 08:00 AM EST By yasi bilangel, UniversityHerald Reporter

Huawei Mate 9 will be out in the U.S. market starting Jan. 6 retailing for $599 dollars and the phone now comes with pre-installed Alexa, Amazon's cloud-based voice service. For Mate 9 owners, Alexa will be available through over-the-air update reportedly by early 2017.

Huawei recently confirmed in CES 2017 that its flagship phone, the Huawei Mate 9, will be available in the U.S. market starting today, Jan. 6. For the first time, Huawei will have pre-installed Alexa, through partnership with Amazon, rivaling the Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant and Samsung's recently announced Bixby.

Huawei Mate 9 With Amazon's Alexa

Most flagship phones now come with its own voice assistant and the Huawei Mate 9 will be the first for the Chinese smartphone maker to feature a pre-installed Alexa, which is Amazon's cloud-based voice service. The Mate 9 has a convenient User Interface that enable users to speak to Alexa to do common tasks, namely, set the alarm, make to-do list, get traffic information and know the weather, The Verge reported.

For Huawei Mate 9 owners, Alexa will be rolled out over-the-air sometime in early 2017 according to GSM Arena. Alexa in the Huawei Mate 9 marks a milestone for both Huawei and Amazon since most smartphone manufacturers have acquired their digital assistants while Huawei was able to fogre a partnership with Amazon.

Huawei Mate 9 Key Specs

The Huawei Mate 9 has a 5.9-in 1080p display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in memory. It has 4,000mAh battery capacity, a fingerprint sensor and the dual-lens camera at its back.

The Huawei Mate 9 is powered by the Kirin 960 processor, which is continuously modified by a machine-learning algorithm to ensure that the device does not slow down over time. The phone has impressive specs and features with the only reported downside that it might be too bulky to be used easily in one hand.

Huawei Mate 9 Price and Availability

The Huawei Mate 9 retails at $599 dollars and is now available at Best Buy. It may also be purchased via online stores like Amazon, NewEgg and B&H.

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