Lenovo Z5 smartphone which was launched last year in summers is receiving internal test update on a few units. It gained good popularity due to bezel-less display at that time. There are multiple enhancements that Lenovo has added in the latest update. Although Lenovo is a little late to the party, but it is always better late than never. Nearly after a year of its launch, Lenovo has started testing the Android P upgrade.

There are many changes that Lenovo is aiming to engulf into the Z5 Android P upgrade. They are testing kernel upgrade for enhanced performance and increased power efficiency. Further, there would be an appearance upgrade with new User Interface experience. It is targeted to improve the overall user experience and improve the accessibility of the device. The new ZUI will incorporate various new features which will make it more user-friendly. They have incremented the new update with 4D U-touch gesture, magic input box, PiP mode, and other enhancements.

Moreover, the internal test update brings various new improvements. It will carry the latest Android 9.0 Pie carrying refined face recognition. Users can enable the new unlocking method by heading over to phone’s settings>security>fingeprint. It has also added extreme power saving technology which will improve the efficiency of the device by turning off any unnecessary tasks in the night. Even, it is also helpful in saving your battery charge if your device remains idle for long hours.

Moreover, Lenovo has added a new calorie count feature which will monitor your daily intake. A card display is also present, helping you to process payments quickly and securely. It brings a new Desktop editing mode with new layouts. The new gesture controls allow users to turn on flashlights, camera and can even manually set up its control.

• Read More: Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Lenovo Z5 Pro GT vs Huawei Mate 20 Pro: Specs Comparison

Additionally, Lenovo Z5 comes with a 5.99-inch bezel-less display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. In the camera section, the device comes with dual 16+8 MP rear camera. On the front side, there’s a single 8 MP camera for selfies and video calling. Lenovo Z5 is powered with Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octa Core processor and 6GB RAM.

It may take some time for the stable update to hit the Lenovo Z5 in next some couple of months.

(Via)

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HMD Global run Nokia is working pretty hard to provide the latest Android 9.0 Pie to all the models before Q2 2019. Already, they have rolled out the latest and the greatest Android 9.0 Pie to various Nokia models. Now, they are working on the update for Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus slating for rollout “in the next few days”. HMD Global’s Juho Sarvikas has confirmed that company is putting every effort to cater the latest alteration of Android on all major and minor Nokia devices in the first half of 2019.

Particularly, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus will start receiving the update by the end of the week. It may take some more time to roll out the update in all regions. Well, whatever the reason is, your Nokia devices will be updated to the latest Android version within the next couple of weeks.

Nokia 6 2017 version is also on the list of getting the Android Pie update in a week or two. As per the Judo Sarvikas, the development team is just finalizing the phone’s Dolby Atmos audio features for Android Pie. All other work has been done and the development is in its final stages before hitting the floor.

The low-end Nokia 1 and Nokia 3 devices will see the update before the starting of Q3 2019. All other minor and major devices will also get the Android 9.0 Pie update in the first half of 2019.

• Read More: Nokia 3.1 Plus receives January 2019 security patch; gets Rs. 1,500 ($21) price cut in India

Nokia is working tirelessly in providing the latest updates to its devices. Particularly, this time Nokia stood first in rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie update to its devices. HMD Global powered Nokia is committed to providing all major Android updates for a couple of years and three years of security updates to its devices.

Well, how many of you have received the Android Pie update on your Nokia devices?

(Source)

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Well, it seems an extra advantage for the users who are going to buy a new smartphone running Android 9.0 Pie. Project Treble will gradually help Android devices to get timely updates, and we hope it will end the Android fragmentation upto some levels. Last week at Android developers Summit 2018, Google demonstrated the benefits of Project Treble by running same GSI (Generic System Image) on all devices.

In step forward, now Google has conveyed that all the new devices launching on Android 9 Pie will endeavor Treble-compliance. All the new devices from every OEM can now take full advantage of the Treble architecture to deliver timely updates. We hope to see some significant improvements in the next month’s Android distribution charts. It would be good to see Android 9.0 Pie to get some big chunk of share in comparison to the last few months since its launch.

In a similar statement, Google said the aim is to “see more devices from OEMs running Android Pie at the end of 2018, as compared to the number of devices that were running Android Oreo at the end of 2017”.

The new experimented GSI build is built on AOSP source code with all other fixes and enhancements reported by manufacturers. It seems the makers have already played a lot with it, and now it’s time for third-party developers to test it and make it native for the devices. The app developers can also access the same build to harness the power of GSI build. It will help them to test their apps across different devices. The facility to test the app can be extended to any Treble compatible device that is unlocked.

The team behind the GSI is making it more competitive by inducing more and more features. They have also promised to bring in early access to future Android platform builds to start developing the app compatibility before the release.

• Read More: OnePlus 5/5T gets Project Treble support in the latest OxygenOS 5.1.6 update

What is Project Treble?

As like of primitive Android version, where Google releases a new update to the ecosystem, then the chip makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek make it compatible with their processors by adding support via low-level code. Finally, the OEMs prepare the software update and rollout to the users. To eliminate this three-phase update process, Project Treble has been introduced.

Project Treble simplifies this whole process. Now, instead of waiting for new codes for chipsets by major chip makers, the OEMs can use the driver interface to push the latest updates. Smartphone manufacturers need not to wait for chip makers to start developing and testing the new Android distribution.

(Source)

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It’s quite surprising to see Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition running on the latest Android 9.0 Pie distribution. Today, folks over at Sammobile has spotted the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition at WiFi-Alliance running Android 9.0 Pie. As per the source, a total of seven Galaxy devices have been spotted running the Android 9.0 Pie. The list includes all the flagships of the Korean giant launched in over past few years.

The listings have appeared at WiFi Alliance on November 12, 2018. So, it seems either Samsung is testing the new builds or have successfully tested as they are again certifying the devices from WiFi Alliance. Well, whatever the reason is for again listing on WiFi Alliance, it has given a chance of joy for the users of these devices.

The list of the devices that have been spotted at the WiFi Alliance is:

• Samsung Galaxy S9
• Samsung Galaxy S9+
• Samsung Galaxy S8
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy Note 9

We hope all the Note 7 FE users are aware of the circumstances about how it evolved out of two recalls in 2016 following several fire incidents. It is a boon for those Note 7 FE users as they will get another chance to endeavor the latest Android system. It carries same specs as like of the Galaxy Note 7 except the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, which took place instead of a Snapdragon 820. Even, a 3500 mAh battery was replaced with the 3200 mAh battery.

Talking about Galaxy S9 and S9+, then the Korean giant is going to roll out Android 9.0 Pie beta in the next couple of weeks. Units in countries such as the US, Germany, and Spain will be the first ones to taste Android 9.0 Pie.  The final version might be pushed out in January, next year as like of Galaxy Note 9.

• Read More: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ and Note 9 to get Android Pie-based & One UI’ in January

Ultimately, the new listing at WiFi Alliance is hinting that Samsung is nearing the rollout of beta tests on various of its flagship smartphones. In the upcoming few days or weeks, you can expect a beta or stable Android 9.0 Pie update on the devices mentioned above.

(Via: 1, 2)

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On the one hand, Xiaomi is teasing the successor of Mi Mix series, while on the other, it is rolling out an update for the Mi Mix 2S. It is one of the Xiaomi’s flagship phones which is a part of Google’s Android Pie Beta program. The update is available for download via an external link, and its OTA is also going live. The new update brings various new changes including new features, fixes, and performance improvements.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is all set to get the new full-screen gestures, new UI tweaked for full view display and much more. Further, it brings the whole optimized system with Adaptive battery feature which learns to save some power by learning from the user’s usage patterns. There are various features that Xiaomi has added in the latest MIUI 10 which helps to improve the overall productivity of the device.

Xiaomi has added many AI driven features such as new pre-loading of apps, camera-based AI scene recognition, and AI beautify. Overall, it will improve the camera capabilities. There’s a whole new redesign of essential elements on the phone’s screen like the recent menu, notification panel, icons, volume drawer, etc.

• Read More: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s (8+256GB version) gets a big price cut; Mi Mix 3 coming!

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S and expected Mix 3S specs

Additionally, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with 6GB of RAM and a 6-inch bezel-less display. It is coupled with Adreno 630 GPU for graphics and 8GB of RAM on board. Similarly, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is getting teased to carry a 10GB RAM with a 100% screen-to-body ratio. It is going to be the first smartphone to carry 5G compatibility. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 will revolutionize the industry through its sliding design allowing the company to use its front to fit in the full-view display along with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

Let’s wait and watch! Until then you can enjoy Android Pie 9.0 update on Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.

(Via)

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After rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie based EMUI 4.0 update on Honor View 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro, now it’s time for the Mate P20 Pro. Today, we have received some information that suggests Huawei P20 Pro is now getting Android 9.0 Pie update in the European region. Currently, Huawei has not confirmed or announced the update details, but it is reported that some users are getting it. From this, we can assume that the full rollout will take place globally by the end of this year.

As per the changelog which is posted on the Huawei’s server states nothing except the usual Android 9.0 features and little UI changes with improvements in the overall system. The update is available for Huawei P20 Pro with model no. CLT-L09 and C432. The build number 9.0.0.108 remains same that has hit Mate 10 Pro and Honor View 10 devices.

Users who can’t wait for the OTA update can also flash the update file manually on their devices by following proper procedure. Manually flashing needs unlocked phones, and many other issues come with it. So, we suggest you should wait for the official OTA update as it is easy to install and more reliable. For the time being, you can check the update by heading to the Settings > About phone and then scroll down to find the update.

• Read More: Huawei Mate 20 with Kirin 980 makes an appearance on GeekBench

This is the third Huawei device which has received the Android 9.0 Pie update this month. Still, there are many pending devices that are yet to taste the Android 9.0 Pie update.

(Source, Via)

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It’s not only Xiaomi, and OnePlus that are rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie update to its devices. Huawei has also joined the elite club by pushing the Android 9.0 Pie based B108 9.0.0.108 build on Huawei Mate 10 Pro. The latest update is rolling in the European region with EMUI 9.0 on the top of Android P. Users who haven’t received the OTA update can download the update files to flash the it manually.

The OTA update is rolling out in a phased manner means it will roll out to some users first, then after successful verification, it will be made available for the broader audience. If you don’t want to wait for the OTA update, you can download the update zip for both the Huawei Mate 10 Pro variants (BLA-L09 and BLA-L29).

New changes on EMUI 9.0 

Several new features and enhancements have been added to the latest EMUI 9.0. Notably, it brings new UI for Quick settings, newly designed volume slider, AI support for battery and camera, manual theme selection, notch support, improved adaptive brightness, and Google Digital wellbeing feature.

There are plenty of other changes which include various optimizations for performance and security than the older version.

Additionally, Huawei Mate 10 carries Kirin 970 with 6GB + 128GB and 4GB + 64 GB storage variants. It packs 6 inch AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio measuring 402 ppi density. In-camera there’s a 12 megapixel + 20 megapixel on the rear side and 8-megapixel shooter on the front side. In connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, aptX HD, LE and GPS.

Download Android P for Huawei Mate 10 pro

BLA-L09C432E4R1P8B108-log – 9.0.0.108

• Download Update.Zip
• Download Data File update_full_BLA-L09_hw_eu.zip

BLA-L29C432E4R1P8B108-log – 9.0.0.108

• Download Update.Zip
• Download Data File update_full_BLA-L29_hw_eu.zip

If you are going to flash the new ROM manually, we suggest you take a backup before proceeding. Also, keep your device charged more than 70%. Well, how many of you have already received the Android 9.0 update on your Mate 10 Pro?

Via

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Huawei announced its latest EMUI 9 custom ROM based on Android 9.0 Pie on Saturday. The new UI will make its full debut onboard the Mate 20 which is expected to be announced next month. However, the company has commenced the roll out of a beta version of the EMUI 9 for certain Huawei and Honor models. 

Details released by the company indicate that the EMUI 9.0 beta program is open for Huawei Mate 10, Mate 20 Pro, Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. The Honor models include the Honor 10, Honor View 10 and Honor Play. This isn’t restricted to China so, if you own any of the listed models, head over to  Huawei’s Friendly User Test page where you’ll need to download the beta app and then sign up for an account before applying to join the program. Since this is a beta version, though, not all features will work properly. There may likely be bugs which beta testers are expected to report when detected in the course of usage.

Read Also: Huawei P20 and P20 Pro Price Cut Down to $479 On Giztop

EMUI 9.0 comes with some changes in the UI which Huawei says makes it “Simple, Enjoyable and Consistent.” The changes include new gesture controls which aid users to quickly navigate, multitask and open the AI assistant. There is also a new password manager capable of auto-filling passwords using ID verification from the fingerprint scanner or via facial recognition. The settings menu wasn’t spared as the items there have been trimmed down. EMUI 9 also comes with GPU Turbo 2.0 which reduces the touch response of the phone by 36% and adds a new app assistant. This new GPU 2.0 feature will support four more games: Vainglory, Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, and NBA 2K18. These are in addition to PUBG and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang which also carries support for the second generation version of GPU Turbo.

(source)

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Just as we reported yesterday, Huawei has officially announced openings for beta testers that would be among the early adopters of its Android Pie OS upgrade in China. The upgrade is going to cover nine (9) different Huawei models and these include the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10 Porsche Design, Mate RS Porsche Design, P20, P20 Pro, Honor 10, Honor V10, and Honor Play.

The upgrade will not only usher in new features that come with Android 9.0 Pie but will also usher in Huawei’s own EMUI 9.0 custom skin. Huawei is yet to disclose the features EMUI 9 will bring along with it but Android 9.0 Pie comes with several new features, one of which is a new navigation system. With Android Pie, navigation is now gesture-based. There is also a new feature called Adaptive Battery which uses machine learning to improve power management. There is also adaptive brightness and a number of UI changes.

Read Also: HMD Global confirms Android 9.0 Pie update for all Nokia smartphones

The recruitment exercise is open for users of the 9 eligible models in China via Huawei’s Pollen Club EMUI forum’s website. Since this is a Closed Beta version, Huawei did reveal that not all the latest features that the full upgrade offers will be available. We expect the closed beta recruitment for the global ROM to rollout in no distant time.

(source)

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Following the official release of Android 9.0 Pie, manufacturers have been announcing devices that are eligible for the latest version of Android. Today, Motorola released a list of its phones that will get the update.

Motorola says the update will begin rolling out this fall but don’t be surprised if some phones don’t get it until next year. The eligible devices are listed below:

1. Moto Z3
2. Moto Z3 Play
3. Moto Z2 Force
4. Moto Z2 Play
5. Moto X4
6. Moto G6 Plus
7. Moto G6
8. Moto G6 Play

Apart from the Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2, and Moto X4, no other Motorola phone released in 2017 will get updated to Android 9.0 Pie which is sad. However, we are not surprised.

READ MORE: Motorola P30 launched in China with notched display and Snapdragon 636

Motorola has a bad track record when it comes to software support. The V was only updated to Android 8.1 Oreo back in June and the Android 8.1 Oreo soak test for the Moto G5 Plus began at the end of July. The Moto E5 series isn’t getting the update too. We are also not surprised as we already knew this right from when they were announced.

Android 9.0 Pie brings a new navigation system, adaptive brightness, adaptive battery and a number of UI changes.

(Source, Via)

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Sony tries to release major OS updates for its devices (read flagships) fairly quickly. Now that Android 9.0 Pie is official, the manufacturer has released the list of phones that will get the update and when they will begin to receive it.

So far, Sony will update six of its phones to Android 9.0 Pie. These phones are its flagships from this year and last year. They are the Xperia XZ1 Compact, the Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Compact, and Xperia XZ2 Premium.

Sony has also revealed that the update will begin rolling out as from September and will be done by November which is pretty fair. There is no info on when the update will be made available for its mid-range phones.

READ MORE: Sony Xperia XZ2 gets a solid $300 discount in China on JD

Android 9.0 Pie brings a new navigation system, adaptive battery, adaptive brightness and a bunch of other new features. It is already available on the Pixel phones as well as the Essential PH-1.

(Via)

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Google has officially released the latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system and has rolled out the update to its Pixel-series phones. Now, Vivo has confirmed that it will also release the new version of Android update to its devices in the fourth quarter of this year.

However, the company has not yet provided a precise timeline for the Android Pie update. While the Chinese phone manufacturer has not provided the list of devices that will receive the update, it seems that the Vivo X21 could be the first device from Vivo to receive the Android 9.0 update.

The company’s current flagship smartphone — Vivo Nex, which comes with the unique elevating front-facing camera, is also expected to be among the first batch of phones from Vivo that will receive the Android 9.0 Pie update. In a statement, the company said:

Designing for consumers’ needs continues to be Vivo’s top priority. Upgrading to the latest Android Pie operating system to deliver better mobile experience is therefore an area Vivo is working on bringing to consumers as soon as possible.

Apart from Pixel-series phones, the update has also been released by Essential for its Essential Phone soon after the official announcement. A few other phone manufacturers, including OnePlus, Nokia (HMD Global), Oppo, Vivo, and Sony have also announced to roll out the Android Pie update to their devices. Xiaomi‘s Android One phones — Mi A1 and Mi A2-series will also receive the update.

The Android 9.0 Pie, which was available in beta phase since March this year, comes with a number of improvements, including new personalization features, battery-saving optimizations, and tools that help tracking time users spend on the phone.

Read More: Vivo NEX with elevating front-facing camera Launched in India for Rs. 44,990 ($652)

It also addresses the latest trends in smartphone designs with revamped navigational controls. It introduces a new gesture-based navigation system. There are also a number of other gesture-based shortcuts. It is also said to be the most personalized version of Android yet.

(Via)

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Google‘s latest Android version yesterday made a surprise entry yesterday when updates were pushed to Google Pixel, Pixel 2 and the Essential Phone. Android 9.0 Pie, as it is called, harnesses the power of machine learning to make your phone smarter, simpler and more user-friendly. The new OS does this in several ways, bringing features like Adaptive Battery which learns how you use your phone so that apps and services that are not being used regularly don’t drain your battery so much.

XDA Developers reports that they detected google has changed their wording on the rollback protection feature which was introduced first in Android Oreo. The feature is propelled by Android Verified Boot 2.0 (also known simply as Verified Boot) but it wasn’t mandatory for OEMs to implement AVB 2.0 in the Oreo release. Some OEMs have already implemented that like the Pixel 2, Razer Phone, and OnePlus 6. Some OEMs like Xiaomi are rolling it out with their latest updates while there are others who are yet to implement or may never do. However, Google has now made it compulsory that all devices launching with Android Pie support Verified Boot, and by extension, rollback protection.

Read Also: OnePlus 7 Could be One of the First Phones to Support 5G Connectivity

The rolback protection feature prevents the smartphone from booting if it is detected that the device was downgraded to an earlier version that is deemed insecure because of a security vulnerability. A slightly more technical explanation is that the VBMeta data structure, which holds the hash for the boot partition and hashtree metadatas for system and vendor partitions, uses a rollback index to reject images that have an older rollback index. The feature brings system stability and offers some form of security.

(source)

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