It has been more than three months since Android 10 was officially released. Since then, manufacturers have been working on rolling out the update to users. However, there are several devices still stuck on an older version of Android. Some may not even get the update at all even with the new mechanisms put in place for upgrades to be available much faster such as Project Treble.

It has also been more than seven months since Google updated the Android Distribution Board, thus we do not know the percentage of devices running the latest version of Android.

So for this week’s poll, we want to know what version of Android your phone is on. Are you running Android 10 already or you are still stuffing yourself full with Android 9 Pie or Android 8 Oreo? Do take the poll and let us know. We also want to know if you will be switching brands in the future due to the manufacturer’s attitude to updates, so please drop a comment too.

UP NEXT: Ultimate Guide to Backup Android Phones

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The Moto G4 Plus was announced back in 2016 and it ran Android Marshmallow out of the box. It later received an update to Android Nougat as promised. The phone is now receiving its Android 8.1 Oreo update more than a year after Oreo was announced.

Why is the update coming so late? It is actually Motorola‘s fault, to be honest. When the phone was announced, Motorola promised an update to Android N and Android O as Nougat and Oreo were known as back then. However, when the list of Moto devices getting Android Oreo was released in 2017, the Moto G4 Plus and the Moto G4 were missing.

This caused a lot of backlash and they eventually agreed to uphold their promise to update it, though on the condition that it would take time since it was “unplanned for”. Really, Motorola/Lenovo?

Now the update which will definitely be its last is finally rolling out to devices in the US. The changelog says the update brings all the features of Android 8.1 Oreo and also comes with December 2018’ security patch.

READ MORE: Moto G7 Plus China Red version will be the only Motorola phone launching in China this year

Motorola is also rolling out Android Pie to the Moto Z3 Play. The update is already arriving on the 2018 phone in the US. It brings all the goodness of Pie which includes a redesigned navigation system, a redesigned recent apps menu, a new volume control, a virtual screenshot key, new emoji, adaptive battery, and adaptive brightness etc. The update should arrive in other regions in the coming weeks.

(Sources: 1, 2 | Via: 1, 2)

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The Nokia 2 should be an Android Go phone based on its specs. It has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and a Snapdragon 212 processor. However, the phone launched with Android Nougat and isn’t even on the list of devices that will get the Android Pie update. That shouldn’t be surprising since it has not even been updated to Android Oreo. HMD Global has confirmed it will update it to Oreo but it will come at a cost.

Like we said above, the Nokia 2’s entry-level specs is better suited for Android Go but it already launched with regular Android and it isn’t possible to “downgrade it” according to Nokia’s chief product officer, Juho Sarvikas. Those specs will run regular Android Oreo but not well enough as the requirements are more than Nougat.

…we’ve done extensive work together with Google & Qualcomm to enable Android Oreo for Nokia 2. Given that Oreo requires more from the system than Nougat, there is a trade off on snappiness of the experience. …

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) January 25, 2019

… This is why we give consumers 2 options: 1) Stay on Nougat with slightly better UI performance or then 2) upgrade to Oreo with latest features. We will enable option 2 shortly via a web page.

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) January 25, 2019

Mr. Sarvikas says nevertheless, they have worked with Google and Qualcomm on making Android Oreo available for the phone. However, the extra system power required by Oreo will affect the phone’s performance since its specs are entry-level.

So users will have to choose between remaining on Nougat where performance is great or updating to Oreo when it is available which will bring new features but be less snappy. The Oreo update will be available shortly according to Mr. Sarvikas.

READ MORE: Nokia 3.1 Plus running Android Pie appears on Geekbench, update may arrive soon

This new development comes more than a year since HMD Global promised it would release Android 8.1 Oreo with Android Go memory management features for the Nokia 2. There is also no clarification if the update is Android 8.0 Oreo or 8.1 Oreo.

(Source, Via)

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Chinese smartphone manufacturer Ulefone has today officially released its latest smartphone — Ulefone Armor 6, which comes with a rugged yet slim body. The phone is designed in such a way that it offers a comfortable grip. The rugged design of the phone ensures extreme protection when it comes to drops, slams, and crashes.

The phone comes with an IP68 rating that ensures dust-proofing and waterproofing. The company claims that the handset can survive temperatures from -20℃ to 60℃, so you can take it up on that mountain hike or down to the beach without any worries. It comes with MIL-STD-810G grade protection and also has a customized UV detector.

The Ulefone Armor 6 comes with a 6.2-inch Full-HD+ display with 2246 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek Helio P60 12nm octa-core processor, which is the company’s first processor powered by artificial intelligence.

It packs 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. As for the photography, there’s a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 21-megapixel RGB primary sensor and a 13-megapixel monochrome secondary sensor. On the front side, there’s a 13-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling. The phone’s camera comes with Arcsoft algorithm and AI-based features.

Read More: Ulefone Armor 3 series with 10300 mAh battery passes the violent test with flying colors (video)

Connectivity options on the Ulefone Armor 6 include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. Running on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system, the device is powered by 5,000mAh battery, which the company says could last for about two days. The device also supports 18W fast charging as well as Qi wireless charging.

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Asus, which had scheduled to release Android Oreo-based update for the Zenfone 4 Max in December last year when it pushed ZUI 4.0, has now finally started rolling out the new update.

The company has now released the new ZUI 5.0 user interface for the Asus Zenfone 4 Max users. The update is based on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. The update, which carries version 15.2016.1809.412 is arriving over-the-air (OTA), and will be disseminated on a staggered basis.

The Asus ZenFone Max 4 was launched in September last year, and was talked about because of its huge 5,000mAh battery. When launched, the phone shipped with Android 7.0 Nougat operating system pre-installed.

The update brings several new features to the device, including the addition of picture-in-picture mode that enables users to view videos while continuing to interact with an app running in the background. It also comes with notification channels, and also allows users to snooze notifications. Further, the settings menu has also been redesigned.

Coming to the specifications, the Asus Zenfone 4 Max features a 5.5-inch Full HD display and is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 430 processor. There’s another variant of the phone featuring a 5.2-inch display and is powered by Snapdragon 425 SoC.

It original model comes with 3GB of RAM and offers 32GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot for further expanding the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

For camera, there’s a dual-camera setup on the back, featuring a combination of a 13MP f/2.0 main sensor with fast autofocus and a 13MP 120-degree wide-angle lens that fits in more details. The front camera is an 8MP shooter along with an LED flash.

Read More: Asus plans launch two new smartphones in India on October 17, will be Flipkart-exclusive

The phone is powered a massive 5,000mAh battery that also supports fast charging technology and reverse charging. As for the pricing, it starts at about 300 Euros, roughly $347.

(Via)

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LG released an official teaser for the V40 today ahead of its release next week. The teaser confirms the phone will come with five cameras – triple rear cameras and dual front-facing camera. The teaser leaves nothing hidden about the design of the phone but didn’t say anything about the specs. Now the LG V40 has been seen on Geekbench and we are not so pleased.

The LG V40 will come with the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform (sdm845) under its hood as shown in the benchmark result below. It will also have 6GB of RAM. However, the phone will come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box which is disappointing.

By the time the LG V40 launches next week, it will be two months since the launch of Android 9.0 Pie. When it eventually goes on sale it will be almost three months since Android Pie was released.

LG’s track record when it comes to speedy delivery of updates isn’t great even for its flagships. The LG V30 didn’t get updated to Oreo until December, four months after Android Oreo was released and after the phone, itself was announced. The LG G6 didn’t get updated to Oreo until April 2018, eight months after Oreo was announced.

READ MORE: LG Display now Apple’s secondary supplier for OLED displays

The sad thing is LG isn’t the only manufacturer guilty of this. People pay a lot for flagship phones and they do not deserve to get devices running old software which remain so for months before getting updated. If a phone will be priced at over $800, the least is for it to come with the latest version of Android out of the box.

(Source, Via)

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After rolling out the new MIUI 10 update for the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the China-based Xiaomi has now started rolling out the same update for the Redmi Note 5 as well.

The new update is MIUI 10.0.1.0.OEIMIFH and is around 455MB in size. It brings the latest September security patch for Android as well as several major features such as full-screen gestures, redesigned notification panel, improved multitasking management, among others.

The change-log related to the update reveals that the company has simplified system sounds and has also applied smart filters. It also brings AI-based Portrait mode to single camera devices which can blur the background.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 was launched earlier this year running MIUI 9.2, based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. A few months ago, the phone received an update of MIUI 9.5, which was also based on Android Nougat. Last month, the company released another update, which brought Android Oreo to the smartphone.

Redmi Note 5 comes with a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display having a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 2.5D curved glass. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 625 14nm processor.

It comes with AI Dual Camera that features a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a secondary sensor of 5-megapixel that captures depth. It comes equipped with features like dual autofocus, EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization), HDR, Burst Mode and Panorama. It can capture amazing AI driven portrait shots by naturally blurring the background.

On the front side, there’s a 5-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture along with a selfie flash to enhance low light snaps. It also features Beautify 3.0, selfie timer, and face recognition.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Geekbench listing confirms Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor and 4GB of RAM

The phone, which supports Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, micro USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and IR blaster, is powered by a 4,000nAh battery which the company claims can last for two days in a single charge.

(Source)

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Although Google has already released the latest Android 9.0 Pie update, it’s a long road ahead to see the device manufacturers start rolling out the update to their phones as few manufacturers are still struggling to release Android Oreo update.

While Pixel smartphones received Android Pie update last month, Motorola‘s fifth-generation Moto G-series phones — Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus has now started receiving the older Android Oreo update.

Both the devices were launched last year, running Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. However, do noted that the Android Oreo update rollout for the Moto G5 is currently taking place in Mexico only while the Moto G5 Plus is receiving the new version update in only two countries — India and Brazil.

Even in these countries, the update is currently being rolled out in phases, so it’ll take a few more days to be available for every users. While Motorola has said that the Android Oreo update will rollout in other regions as well, the company has not revealed any more details.

Compared to the Android Nougat, the Android Oreo comes with several new features and improvements, including improved battery life, thanks to Google’s Vitals initiative that limits what apps can do in the background. The Android Oreo comes with new emojis, picture-in-picture mode, multi-windows and a few user interface tweaks.

Read More: Motorola P30 Note goes official in China with notched display, ZUI 4.0 and 1,999 Yuan (~$292) pricing

It’s really disappointing that it’s taking so long for the Lenovo-owned company to provide such major updates even for its most popular lineup of phones. Moto G-series, the mid-range smartphone lineup for Motorola, is the most popular series of the company, and is currently in its sixth-generation.

(Source)

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At a time when Google has released the new version of the Android mobile operating system — Android 9.0 Pie, Samsung is struggling to roll out the previous version — Android Oreo to its budget devices.

According to the leaked roadmap for the Oreo update of South Korean giant’s budget smartphones, which reveals when to expect the Android Oreo update for its twelve mid-range devices. The Samsung Galaxy J7 Neo is the only device listed to get Oreo update in December 2018.

In January 2019, the company is planning to roll out the update for a number of devices, which includes Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017), Galaxy A9 Pro (2016), Galaxy C7 Pro, Galaxy C9 Pro, Galaxy J2 (2018), Galaxy On5 (2016), Galaxy On7 (2016), Galaxy J7 (2018), and Galaxy J7 (2017).

The Galaxy J7 Max and the Galaxy J7 (2016) will be receiving the update in February 2019 and March 2019, respectively. The company has also stated that there’s also a possibility that this new roadmap could also get changed.

The updates schedule may differ based on the region and the company says that the schedule can change based on the development and approval processes. Users can check the update roadmap for their region/country using the Samsung Members app.

Samsung’s flagship smartphones are already running Android Oreo operating system. However, the company has not yet made any official statement regarding the new Android Pie update. Some of its devices can run the beta version of Android 9.0 Pie but Samsung’s handsets aren’t supported in Google’s Android Pie public beta program and the company has not even clarified the reason.

Read More: Samsung sends out invitations for a press conference on August 30th at IFA, Berlin

The new Android Pie will definitely come to the company’s recently launched flagship smartphones, however, it’s too early to speculate precisely when Samsung will release Android Pie for compatible devices.

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Last month, Huawei Support UK had stated that the Huawei P9 smartphone, which was launched in the year 2016, would not be receiving the Android 8.0 Oreo update and the company cited hardware limitations as the reason for the same.

However, it seems that the information provided by the company was incorrect as Huawei has now confirmed that the Android Oreo update for the Huawei P9 is rolling out in its home market. The phone was launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and has received Android Nougat update.

But the company had earlier decided not to release Android Oreo for the Huawei P9 stating that the hardware limitations may lead to issues such as “system built-in function failure, device freezing, and power consumption increase.”

The company has now started rolling out the update in China in phases and will be available for all P9 users in China by 15th July. However, the update is not yet available outside China but we expect the update to be available soon in other markets as well.

The new update brings EMUI 8.0 custom user interface along with a bunch of new features such as Picture-in-Picture mode, improved notifications handling, among others.

The update is done using the membership app, which is similar to the OTA upgrade version in terms of functionality, stability, and compatibility. With this, the total number of Huawei models that have been successfully upgraded to Android 8.0 based EMUI 8 to 20.

Read More: Huawei’s new trademark confirms Mate 20 as the company’s upcoming flagship

Prior to releasing EMUI 8.0 update for 7 devices from Huawei, the company had pushed updates for 13 old models which include the Huawei P10, P10 Plus, Honor 9, Honor V9, Honor 8 Youth edition, Honor 7X, Huawei Nova, Nova 2, Nova 2 Plus, Maimang 6, among others.

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With the LG G6 out of the way with respect to receiving the Android Oreo update, LG has turned its attention to the lower mid-range LG Q6 series.

Reports from Korea say the LG Q6 has started receiving an update to Android Oreo and along with the jump to the new version of Android comes some new features.

Other than the new features Android Oreo brings by default, the Q6 also gets DTS:X 3D stereo sound support with the update. It also brings some new features to the camera LED. For example, the LED flashes when a call is coming in. You can also set it to blink in sync with a song you are playing on the phone. Another feature is the addition of a QR code reader to the camera.

The update which is about 1170MB in size seems to still be exclusive to Korea for now. There is no info as to when it will arrive in other markets such as India and Europe. There is also no info on if the update is arriving on the LG Q6α and LG Q6+.

The LG Q6 trio launched in July 2017 with Android Nougat out of the box. All three phones have 5.5-inch 18:9 FHD+ displays, a Snapdragon 435 processor, and a 3000mAh battery. They also have a single 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

The difference between the models boils down to RAM and storage. The Q6α has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, the Q6 has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and the Q6 Plus has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

READ MORE: LG’s new patent suggests a foldable smartphone with extendable hinge

Two months ago, LG announced successors to the Q6. The new Q7 trio comes with Android Oreo out of the box, better cameras depending on the model, and a MediaTek or Snapdragon processor depending on the market.

(Via)

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The Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus were both released in September of 2016. Both flagships launched with Android Marshmallow and later got updated to Android Nougat. However, an update to Android Oreo hasn’t yet been released and owners are pissed.

Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus owners have swarmed the Weibo page of Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, to complain about the delay of the update and their dissatisfaction with how Xiaomi is handling both flagships.

Xiaomi later released an official statement to its fans explaining the reasons for the delay. From the response, Xiaomi states it is having technical issues with the dual camera-wielding Mi 5s Plus. However, the R&D team in collaboration with Qualcomm are working on a fix.

Xiaomi also mentioned an issue with the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner of the Mi 5s. At the moment, both Qualcomm and Xiaomi haven’t found a fix yet but they hope a solution is found in a few weeks.

The official response also mentions the update will be available in early October but doesn’t say if it is the final stable release or the beta release.

READ MORE: Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE device gets FCC Certification

For those wondering why Xiaomi needs Qualcomm’s help with both devices, it’s because the fingerprint scanner on the Mi 5s is made by Qualcomm and the dual cameras on the Mi 5s Plus uses Qualcomm’s spectra ISP.

(Via)

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Xiaomi phones running on Android 8 Oreo Developer version now have support for LDAC. The new feature comes with the new upgrade of the public beta of the Development version.  The new feature will also be available on the Stable version when the Android O update hits.

LDAC is an audio coding technology developed by Sony that enables the transmission of High-Resolution (Hi-Res) Audio content wirelessly, even over a Bluetooth connection. Unlike other Bluetooth compatible coding technologies such as SBC, it operates without any down-conversion of the Hi-Res Audio content and allows approximately three times more data than those other technologies to be transmitted over a Bluetooth wireless network with unprecedented sound quality, by means of efficient coding and optimized packetization. The technology was unveiled at CES 2015 and is 3X more efficient than standard Bluetooth coding. 

Read Also: Xiaomi will focus on the real needs of the user in designing MIUI 11

With this new LDAC technology onboard, the eligible Xiaomi models now have a significant improvement in their performance when connecting to a Bluetooth headset, wireless gaming pad and other peripherals. That’s if the device that is connected to the phone supports LDAC. A connection to an LDAC compatible device makes the LDAC icon to be displayed on the screen after the connected device’s name. A new Window will also pop-up notifying that LDAC is currently supported and enabled by default.

(source)

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Recently, Huawei announced the beta testing program of its EMUI 8.1 update with GPU Turbo for the users of Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. Now, the company has announced that it will soon roll out EMUI 8.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system to its seven smartphones.

The list of older smartphones from the company that will receive the new software update includes Huawei Mate 8, P9, P9 Plus, Honor 8, Honor V8, Honor Note 8, and Honor Play 6X. The company says that the update rollout will begin from 30th June.

This is interesting given that most smartphone manufacturers drop support for devices older than two years. But Huawei is showing that it supports older devices and is rolling out new software update with an aim to further improve the performance of the older devices.

Among the list of older Huawei smartphones that will get the EMUI 8.0 update, the oldest smartphone is the Huawei Mate 8 which was launched in the year 2015. At the time of the launch, the smartphone was running EMUI 4.0 out of the box.

EMUI 8.0, which is based on Android Oreo operating system, comes with artificial intelligence that makes the software experience smarter and quicker. It packs features like Real-Time Scene and Object Recognition, Smart Tips, and AI-accelerated language translation, among others.

The company had previously stated that users can witness a faster and smarter phone experience, powered by advanced AI technological features. Huawei claims that the update significantly cuts down on the number of steps needed to achieve the desired function through its smart applications like navigation dock and smart screen, and enables the user to reach 90% of the core functions in just a single click.

Read More: Huawei Rumored To Launch Its First 5G Phone In June 2019

It also brings some artificial intelligence-based capabilities such as resource allocation, context awareness as well as user behavior prediction. Thanks to Android Oreo, users will also have access to features like split-screen interface, navigation dock, one-hand operation and smart view.

(Source)

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At the Mobile World Congress in February this year, Alcatel unveiled its new smartphone series lineup. Now, expanding the portfolio of devices under its budget Alcatel 1 lineup, the company has today launched a new entry-level smartphone — Alcatel 1. This is the same smartphone that was spotted online last week.

The smartphone comes with a 5-inch qHD+ display with screen resolution of 960 x 480 pixels. Interestingly, the phone features a FullView display with screen aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, the device is powered by the MediaTek MT6739 quad-core processor clocked at 1.28GHz.

It packs 1GB RAM and comes with 8GB of internal storage that can be further expanded by the user up to 32GB using a microSD card. In the camera department, the device features a 5-megapixel rear camera that can be interpolated to 8-megapixel. It supports LED flash, and other features like Social Square, Instant Collage, One-Handed Mode, and Photo Booth. On the front side, there’s a 2-megapixel snapper with interpolation up to 5-megapixel.

Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.2, a Micro-USB port, and GPS/ A-GPS. In terms of dimensions, the Alcatel 1 measures 137.6×65.7×9.8mm and it weighs 134 grams.

Just like its bigger sibling Alcatel 1X, this one too is a part of Google’s Android Go program and thus, it runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) operating system out of the box. It comes pre-loaded with Google Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go and Youtube Go. The smartphone is fuelled by a 2000mAh battery that the company claims can provide 8 hours of battery life under 4G usage, and a charging time of roughly 3 hours and 24 minutes.

Read More: Alcatel 3V With 3GB RAM And 32GB Storage Launched In India For Rs. 9,999 ($148)

The Alcatel 1 will be available in three color options — Metallic Blue, Metallic Gold, and Metallic Black. It has been priced at $89 and will be available for purchase in select markets starting from July.

The post Alcatel 1 Android Go Smartphone With 5-Inch Display Launched, Priced At $89 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Back in 2016, Google and Xiaomi jointly announced the Mi Box – an Android TV version of Xiaomi’s Mi Box 3. It was also the first Xiaomi product to be officially sold in the US.

Out of the box, the Mi Box ran Android TV 6.0 based on Marshmallow. Even though it received some updates, it never got updated to Android TV 7.0 (Nougat), though there was a beta version available.

We thought Xiaomi had given up on the device until a beta version of Android Oreo began to roll out to beta testers about a month ago. Now, a stable version of the update has begun rolling out to the Mi Box globally.

The new update brings a revamped user interface, Google Assistant, and picture-in-picture mode. With Google Assistant, you can now control your smart home devices from the TV.

READ MORE: Google-branded Android TV Dongle With Xiaomi-Like Bluetooth TV Remote Seen At FCC

Have you received the update? Do let us know what you think about it.

(Source)

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The Redmi Note 5 Pro runs Android Nougat out of the box but starting this Friday, you should receive a notification for the Android Oreo update.

The announcement was made by the official MIUI India Twitter account on Sunday, 25th of June. According to the tweet, the update will come as MIUI 9.5 and will roll out in phases. So if you do not receive it on Friday, it should arrive later.

Mi Fans! You asked for it and we're getting it for you.

Redmi Note 5 Pro users will start getting the update to Android O-based MIUI 9.5 in phases, starting Friday, 29th June!

If you are not part of 1st phase, don't worry! You will get it sometime soon pic.twitter.com/V7KIz99Irj

— MIUI India (@MIUI_India) June 25, 2018

Unfortunately, you will not be able to manually download the ROM from the MIUI site as the MIUI ROM download page has been shut down. Xiaomi says it is temporary but it has been off for almost three weeks now.

Apart from Android Oreo features such as autofill, picture-in-picture mode, new emojis and notification dots etc., the update will also bring some new features for MIUI. Some of them are an improved app lock, improved Mi Brower, a redesigned notification shade, and full-screen gesture navigation.

READ MORE: Redmi 6 Pro Gets An Early Official Release: Notch Display, Triple Card Slot & Dual Cameras For ¥999 (~$155)

The Redmi Note 5 Pro was released in February this year. It has a 5.99-inch FHD+ display, a Snapdragon 636 processor, up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It also has dual rear cameras (12MP + 5MP), a 20MP selfie camera, a fingerprint scanner, and a 4,000mAh battery.

(Source, Via)

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Last year, HMD Global launched Nokia 2, the company’s cheapest smartphone, running on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out of the box. The company had previously revealed that it will be skipping the Android 8.0 update and will directly roll out Android 8.1 Oreo update for the device.

Now, the Finnish company has started rolling out Android 8.1 Oreo operating system update for the users of Nokia 2, although in a beta stage. HMD Global is opening up registrations for Nokia‘s Beta Labs. The company will soon roll out the stable build of the Android Oreo update.

For those users who are interested in trying out this beta version of Android Oreo, they’ll have to register with the Nokia 2 IMEI number. After that, a notification will pop up letting enrolled users download and install the Beta version of the Android 8.1 Oreo.

The smartphone features a 5-inch IPS LCD display and is powered by Qualcomm’s 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 processor. It packs 1GB RAM and 8GB of onboard storage which can be further expanded using a microSD card.

The smartphone has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It runs on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and comes with Google Assistant. The Dual SIM phone supports 4G VoLTE connectivity and is fuelled by a massive 4,100mAh battery that is rated to provide two days of battery life on a single charge.

Read More: Nokia X6 Global Edition Likely to Debut Soon, TA-1083, TA-1116 Models Gets Bluetooth SIG Approval

Recently, HMD Global launched the successor of the Nokia 2, dubbed as Nokia 2.1 or Nokia 2 (2018). The company decided to move the smartphone from being a regular device to joining the Nokia 1 as an Android Go phone. It comes with a redesigned premium look and upgraded specifications.

(Source)

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If you are using a smartphone that is older than a couple of years, there’s a possibility that the company has given up on rolling out Android version update for the device and is instead of its recently launched flagship smartphones.

In a situation like that, for those who want the features of the newer version of the Android operating system, custom ROMs come to the rescue. LineageOS, a popular custom ROM, has now released a newer version of its ROM for a range of devices, including OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy S5 Plus, and Oppo Find 7 / Find 7A.

The custom ROM, LineageOS 15.1, is based on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and comes with a lot of customization to the stock Android Oreo experience while still maintaining stability for a wide range of devices. LineageOS is one of the popular custom ROM for the users of OnePlus as well as Samsung and Oppo. According to the official stats from LineageOS, its custom ROM is running on 62,099 OnePlus One smartphones.

Along with the newly added features of LineageOS and some custom modifications, this new version of the custom ROM brings in all of Android Oreo’s features, including picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, Autofill apps, notification channels/snoozing, and native support for theming.

Read More: Xiaomi Starts Rolling Out MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM To Compatible Smartphones

Some of the most popular features of LineageOS are also present, including Privacy Guard, Live Display, Button/Gesture customization, and a bunch of stock applications such as the Eleven Music Player and Snap Camera, among others.

(Sources – 1, 2, 3)

The post LineageOS 15.1 Based On Android 8.1 Now Available For OnePlus One, Galaxy S5 Plus, And OPPO Find 7 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Lenovo-owned Motorola has now officially released the kernel source code for the Moto G6 and Moto G6 smartphones. The kernel source code for the third model of the Moto G6-series, Moto G6 Play was released in April earlier this year.

With this, developers will now be able to use the source code and create some custom kernels as well as custom ROMs that the customer can flash onto their Moto G6 or Moto G6 Plus smartphones. The Android 8.0 Oreo kernel source code for both the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus can be found on GitHub.

The Moto G6 comes with a 5.7-inch display with Full HD+ display along with Gorilla Glass 3 on both sides. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 450 processor, 3GB/4GB of RAM, and 32GB/64GB of expandable storage.

There is a fingerprint scanner below the display that can be used to control the device using gestures. There’s a 12MP f/1.8 primary camera sensor and a 5MP secondary camera for capturing the depth of field information. On the front side, there’s an 8MP snapper with its own LED flash.

It runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with support for TurboPower fast charging.

On the other hand, the Moto G6 Plus features a 5.9-inch MAX Vision Full HD+ display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, it is powered by Snapdragon 630 processor and comes in 4GB/6GB RAM variants with 64GB/128GB of storage.

There’s also a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage up to 128GB. This one too comes with dual camera setup at back, boasting a 12MP f/1.7 rear camera and a 5MP secondary camera.

Read More: Motorola Patents a Foldable Design That Fixes OLED Deformities Arising From Constant Opening

It comes with an 8MP front-facing snapper with an LED flash for taking selfies and video calling. Running on Android Oreo operating system out of the box, the smartphone is powered by a 3,200mAh battery.

(Sources – 1, 2)

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You would think because Motorola phones run a near stock version of Android they would get updated faster. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Last year’s Moto G5 is still on Android 7.1 Nougat but it may not be for long.

A Moto G5 running Android 8.1 Oreo was seen on Geekbench yesterday which makes us think an update is coming soon. Fortunately, it is Android 8.1 and not Android 8.0, so that should make up for the delay.

The Moto G5 has a 5.0-inch FHD screen, a Snapdragon 430 processor and an Adreno 505 GPU. It comes in 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM variants with 16GB and 32GB of internal storage respectively.

READ MORE: Motorola Moto G6 Play Kernel Source Code Now Available For Download

A single 13MP camera sits on the rear of the phone and a 5MP sensor is available for selfies. It has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, an audio jack, and a 2800mAh battery.

(Source, Via)

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The 360 N6 Pro was released in the last quarter of 2017. The Snapdragon 660-powered device runs Android Nougat out of the box but should get an upgrade soon.

360 Mobiles has announced that the N6 Pro will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. In the announcement, it was also revealed that it has begun recruiting testers for the open beta version of Android Oreo for the device.

The 360 N6 Pro has a 5.99” FHD+ display, up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It has dual rear cameras – a 16MP primary sensor paired with a 2MP secondary sensor. It also has an 8MP front-facing camera.

It also has a large 4050mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. There is a fingerprint scanner on the rear but it will be a nice addition if the Android Oreo update comes with Face Unlock.

READ MORE: 360 N7 Launches With Snapdragon 660 & A Massive 5030mAh Battery

The device launched with a starting price of ¥1699 (~$268) but has now been slashed to ¥1399 (~$221). If you are interested in signing up for the closed beta, you should head to the official forum page here.

(Via)

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Months ago, Honor declared that Honor 8 would not get Android Oreo due to “hardware limitations”. But after realizing how much fans and users were left disappointed by this declaration, the company seems to have changed the idea. A new Honor 8 firmware has just leaked on XDA Developers and it is based on Android Oreo. This means that the company may be testing the latest version of the operating system in order to roll out the final update soon. The Android Oreo firmware is customized with the EMUI 8.0 just like every Huawei and Honor handset running Oreo.

A piece of code contains a reference to Project Treble and this reveals that the phone may indeed support Google’s Project Treble once it will be updated to Android Oreo. In case you don’t know, thanks to Project Treble the operating system gets divided into two frameworks: one contains the core operating system and another includes all the company’s customization. Thanks to this division, it will be easier for Huawei to release fast and constant updates. But there is also to say that Honor devices do not get a great long-term support, so we do not know how much Project Treble will be useful after Honor 8 will be updated to Android Oreo.

Huawei builds out for hi3650 with treble Support in cn versions @MishaalRahman @Huawei_Blog @CaschysBlog pic.twitter.com/5Mdhw0wNpg

— dkionline_HwFanion (@dkionline) May 3, 2018

Note that the leaked firmware is a testing version of the Chinese firmware of Android Oreo, and all the above-described features do not regard the global version, at least for now. At the moment, we do not have any info about an eventual roll out date of the global Android Oreo update. But at this point, the chances to see the latest Android version on the Honor 8 in the global market are pretty high. Honor 8 was released in mid-2016 with Android Marshmallow out of the box and it was updated to Nougat in early 2017.

(via)

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A while ago, Razer announced that it has started rolling out Android 8.1 Oreo update to those users who have purchased its first gaming smartphone, Razer Phone.

The smartphone comes with Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. However, the company had said that the device will directly get the latest Android 8.1 Oreo update.

Keeping its promise, Razer started rolling out Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Razer Phone about two weeks ago. Since the update seems to be rolling out in phases, it has not yet reached every region.

However, things are not going as planned for the company in the UK. Three, one of the carriers in the UK, has announced that they have stopped the rollout of Android Oreo for Razer Phone due to some issues. Three says that the company is working closely with Razer “to get a reliable 8.1 software update soon and hopefully a release can be pushed out in the near future.”

At this point, it is not known if the rollout of this new Android version update has been stopped in other regions also. However, the users in the United States have already received the Android Oreo update on their Razer Phone.

According to the reports, owners of the Razer Phone, who have already updated to Android 8.1 Oreo are complaining of issues with the SIM card. It seems that the issue is widespread as users all over the world claim they have cellular data problems regardless of the carrier. However, the company has not given any official statement regarding this issue. We expect the company to fix this issue soon with a new software update.

The Razer Phone comes with a 5.7-inch QHD IGZO display with 120Hz refresh rate. Razer calls it an Ultramotion Display and likens it to NVIDIA’s G-SYNC. Surprisingly, the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor along with 8GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

Read More: Nubia Red Magic Gaming Smartphone Launched, Comes With 5.99-Inch 18:9 Display, SD 835 SoC And 8GB RAM For $399

The smartphone comes with dual rear cameras — 12-megapixel f/1.75 wide angle primary lens and 12-megapixel f/2.6 telephoto secondary lens with 2X zoom. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel f/2.2 snapper. The device is powered by a 4,000mAh battery and comes with support for Quick Charge 4.0+, making it the first phone to ship with the new fast-charging technology.

(Source)

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The LG G7 ThinQ will launch tomorrow. The flagship is a successor to last year’s LG G6. While the new flagship will come with Android Oreo out of the box, most owners of the G6 are still stuck on Android Nougat but that won’t be for long.

For a device that was the company’s flagship for 2017, you’d think LG would have been quicker with the update. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. The manufacturer promised the update will start rolling out by the end of April and thankfully it has begun.

Some users in LG’s home country, South Korea, have begun receiving the update and we expect it to begin rolling out to other regions too. The update will bring not only the latest version of Android but some new features to the phone.

READ MORE: LG G7 ThinQ Confirmed To Come With 6.1-Inch Super Bright QHD+19.5:9 Display

LG has promised to speed up updates in future for its devices and we hope it keeps its promise. The manufacturer has also revealed that the Oreo update will hit the LG G5 and LG V20.

(Source)

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Samsung is currently working hard to roll out Android Oreo software version to all of its compatible units by the middle of May. In line with that, the South Korean giant is expected to roll out the new Android Oreo operating system update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

In the Samsung Members portal, the company posted an update recently, where the company said that it was “doing its best” to have the update rolled out by the middle of next month. While the schedule on the forum is designed for the South Korean users, though the updates are likely to be pushed all across the globe soon after its debut in the South Korean region.

The US carrier versions of the Galaxy S7-series, as well as the unlocked variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, have recently received Android Oreo certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance.  Samsung Canada previously suggested that the S7 Oreo update would land in the summer.

Alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung is all set to bring the Android Oreo update to the Galaxy A5 (2017), Galaxy A7 (2017), and Galaxy Tab S3 LTE and Wi-Fi models in the first half of the year. Update rollouts for these devices are also subject to the development process and prior approval.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) have already started getting updated to Android Oreo in some regions. The Android Oreo update from Samsung is also expected to include Samsung Experience 9.0 along with several interface-level tweaks.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018) And A6 Plus (2018) Prices Outed in a New Leak

Earlier this year, the South Korean giant rolled out Android Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The update included features such as new launcher shortcuts, colored media notifications, dual messenger, and a revamped About Menu in Settings, among several other changes. It also came with several Android Oreo core features, including Notification dots, Smart Autofill, Picture-in-Picture mode, and faster boot time.

(Source)

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HMD Global has rolled out new updates to two of its devices. The Nokia 3 has now received an Android 8.0 Oreo stable update while the Nokia 7 Plus has been updated to Android 8.1.

The Nokia 3 which is over a year old already launched with Android Nougat out of the box. HMD Global revealed that all its phones will get updated to Android O and Android P. With the Nokia 3 getting its update today, that leaves just the Nokia 2.

You asked, we listened. Android 8.0 Oreo drops for #Nokia3 today. pic.twitter.com/8aci6KC1JV

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) April 11, 2018

If you own the Nokia 3 do check for the update and provide us with the change-log.

The Nokia 7 Plus also received an update that pushes it to Android 8.1 Oreo. The update is 590MB in size and brings along April’s security patch. New features include battery saving navigation buttons, a revamped power menu, new setting menu, and Bluetooth battery percentage.

The Nokia 7 Plus was released this year at MWC 2018. It has a 6” FHD+ display, a Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. There are dual 12MP Zeiss sensors on the rear and a 16MP front-facing camera.

READ MORE: Nokia 2010 May Relaunch with Nokia A10 Moniker, 4G LTE Support

It also has a 3800mAh battery, support for Quick Charge 3.0, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and a USB-C port.

(Source|Via: 1, 2)

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Asus has been busy rolling out updates for its smartphones. After rolling out Android Oreo update for the Zenfone 4, Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 Pro, the company is now rolling out Android Oreo update for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe.

The company has made an official announcement on its Asus ZenTalk forums that it has started rolling out the new over-the-air (OTA) update for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe.

The update brings the firmware version to V80.20.96.89 and includes all the usual Android Oreo features, which includes picture-in-picture mode, Notification Dots, Autofill password manager, support for adaptive icons, Instant Apps, and much more.

Along with the usual Oreo features, the new update also comes with improvements in power consumption and brings in support for Long Screenshot feature. The update also comes with a “more friendly” settings user interface among few other improvements.

While the update has already started rolling out to Zenfone 3 Deluxe users, the company says that it might take time for the update to reach all users as this new update is being rolled out in phases. Users can also check for the update manually by navigating to Settings > About > System Update.

The Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe was announced in mid-2016, becoming the first smartphone to be powered by the Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 821 processor. The phone features a 5.7-inch Full-HD display and comes with 6GB RAM, multiple built-in storage variants which start at 64GB and goes up to 256GB.

In the camera department, it comes with a powerful Sony IMX318 23-megapixel rear sensor with f/2.0 aperture lens and 4-axis OIS. It also has an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper. The phone also comes with a rear placed fingerprint sensor, powerful five-magnet speakers USB Type-C, and His-Res Audio support. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0.

Read More: The ASUS Zenfone 5Z Is The New Flagship Killer But The Zenfone 5 Is Awesome Too

Earlier, Asus had said that all the models under the Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 series will be updated to the Android Oreo by the second half of this year. While the company is working to achieve that goal, it seems difficult for the company to keep its promise as there are many models left to receive the Android Oreo update.

(Source)

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Lava, the Indian smartphone manufacturer has launched its new smartphone in the Indian market — Lava Z50. The phone, which is a part of Google‘s Android Go program, was unveiled at Mobile World Congress last month.

The smartphone features a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with 854 x 480 pixels screen resolution and 2.5D curved glass on top with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass for protection from minor scratches.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a MediaTek MT6737M 1.1GHz quad-core processor, along with Adreno 304 GPU. It packs 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage with support for memory expansion up to 128GB through microSD card.

Coming to the camera department, the smartphone comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that too has an LED flash. The Dual SIM smartphone supports 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS as connectivity options.

One of the major highlights of the is that it runs on Android Oreo (Go Edition) which is a lightweight fork of the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system that is designed to run more efficiently on underpowered hardware.

It also comes with a specialized, trimmed-down set of Google apps like Google Go, Maps Go, which don’t require a ton of resources to function. The Lava Z50 is powered by a 2,000mAh battery which should be enough to last whole day on a single charge.

Read More: Alcatel 1x, World’s First Android Go Smartphone Officially Launched At 99 Euros Pricing

The Lava Z50 is priced at Rs. 4,400 (approximately $68) in India and will be available through offline as well as online stores. The company has also partnered with Airtel as a part of “Mera Pehla Smartphone” program which offers a cashback of Rs. 2,000, bringing the effective price of the phone down to Rs 2,400, which roughly converts to $37.

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After rolling out Android Oreo for its premium segment devices, Sony has now finally started seeding Android Oreo update to its mid-range phones. The company has started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo update for its XA-series of smartphones which consists of Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Plus, and Xperia XA1 Ultra.

While the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra were launched in Mobile World Congress last year, the Xperia XA1 Plus was launched in August last year during IFA in Berlin. All three devices run Andriod Nougat operating system out-of-the-box.

This new Android Oreo update for the Xperia XA1-series brings build number 48.1.A.0.116 and is about 884MB in size. The update also comes with the February security patch, which is disappointing given that March security patch is already available.

While the changelog for this new update is not available, we expect the update to have standard Android Oreo features, including notification channels, picture-in-picture mode, smart text selection, notification dots along with faster boot times and more. However, Sony had previously stated that the Android Oreo update will remove the Night Light feature for the Xperia XA1 series.

The Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch HD display whereas the Xperia XA1 Ultra has a 6-inch full HD edge-to-edge screen. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The XA1 has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage whereas the Ultra variant has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. On the other hand, the Xperia XA1 Plus comes with a 5.5-inch Full-HD display and this one too is powered by Helio P20 processor having 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage.

All three models feature a 23MP Exmor RS rear camera. The Xperia XA1 and Plus variant packs an 8MP front-facing camera while the Ultra variant packs a 16MP front camera with OIS. The Xperia XA1 comes with 2,300mAh battery whereas XA1 Ultra includes 2,700mAh battery. The Xperia XA1 Plus ships with a 3,430mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 and MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0.

Read More: Sony Is Reportedly Working On A Bezel-Less Smartphone With 4K Display

Sony recently rolled out Android Oreo update for its Xperia R1 and R1 Plus smartphones in India. Recently, at this year’s MWC, the Japan-based company launched the successor of the XA1-series which includes Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

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Asus has been working on updates its devices to the Android Oreo version and the latest smartphone from the company to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update is the Asus Zenfone 4 Pro.

The company has now started rolling out the Android Oreo update for the Zenfone 4 Pro as a firmware-over-the-air update (FOTA).  The update is currently being rolled out in phases.

While the update has already started rolling out, it could take a couple of weeks to reach all the users of the Zenfone 4 Pro globally, said the company in its announcement. The update availability will be notified by a push notification. However, users can also manually check its arrival by going to Settings > About > System update.

This new Android Oreo update comes with software version V15.0410.1802.34 and apart from Android Oreo’s new features, it includes improvement in power consumption, new ‘long screenshot’ function, better user interface, and more.

The Android Oreo update brings Background limits, Autofill, Smart text selection, and Picture-in-Picture mode. The new update also comes with Android Instant App support and fully redesigned emoji set, adaptive icons, and easier installation for unknown apps, among others.

Asus Zenfone 4 Pro was launched in August last year with Android Nougat out-of-the-box. It features 5.5-inch Full-HD display with 1080 x 1920 pixels screen resolution. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, coupled with 6GB RAM.

The phone comes in two storage variants — 64GB and 128GB and supports microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity. It features a dual camera setup with 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors on the back and an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter. The device is fuelled by a 3600mAh battery.

Read More: The ASUS Zenfone 5Z Is The New Flagship Killer But The Zenfone 5 Is Awesome Too

Earlier, Asus had said that all the models under the Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 series will be updated to the Android Oreo by the second half of this year. However, there are many models left to receive the Android Oreo update and it seems difficult for the company to keep its promise.

(Source)

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After months of waiting for a stable update to Android 8.0 Oreo, Essential announced that it had cancelled the update. Its reason for doing so had to do with stability issues present in Android 8.0 that would be addressed in Android 8.1 Oreo. So instead of an update to 8.0 Oreo, the Essential PH-1 would get an update to 8.1 Oreo.

After a few weeks of extra waiting, Essential has today announced that the Android 8.1 Oreo stable update has begun rolling out to devices. The announcement was made on Twitter a short while ago.

We're excited to announce the full release of Android Oreo 8.1 on Essential Phone! Check your phone now for the update. pic.twitter.com/0PwPBMj6h1

— Essential (@essential) March 13, 2018

Screenshots provided by some users who have received the OTA shows the update is 1015.1 MB in size. Below is the complete changelog:

1. Smart Text selection, instant apps, picture-in-picture
2. Faster startup and app sign-in
3. Google Play Protect security scans
4. Google Security Patches 2018-03
5. Dynamic Calendar and Clock Icons
6. Slow Scrolling Jitter Fix

READ MORE: Patent Reveals The Next Essential Phone May Come With A Pop-up Camera

Its interesting to see that it also brings March security patch and a fix for the scrolling jitter users have complained about.

Do you own an Essential PH-1? Have you received the update? Let us know what you think.

(Source)

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Last year, Sony made a come-back in the mid-range smartphone market by launching Xperia R1 and Xperia R1 Plus in the Indian market. The phones, which are exclusive to the Indian market, have now started receiving the Android Oreo update.

The Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Xperia R1 and the Xperia R1 Plus brings features like reminders for unfinished tasks such as emails in drafts and messages. It also comes with a new feature called Xperia Actions which intelligently suggests actions based on user’s usage with all new games and community features. Further, the update brings contextual menus for app shortcuts which on long pressing will show more options.

The new update also brings several core Android Oreo features including Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, Notification dots, Smart Autofill, redesigned Quick Settings menu, faster boot time, and other bug fixes and system improvements, along with a relatively new Android security patch.

The Android 8.0 Oreo update has build number S001011_180224. On the Sony forum, several users are complaining about the Wi-fi SSID connection and some third-party app crashes after Oreo update. Some users are unable to upload/download media from WhatsApp. A few users are also facing issues with Google Play Store showing notice of it being uncertified.

The Sony Xperia R1 and R1 Plus smartphones were launched in October 2017 at Rs 12,990 and Rs 14,900 respectively. At the time of launch, the Japan-based company had said that these phones are exclusively for the Indian market and will be manufactured locally.

The Xperia R1 features a 5.2-inch TFT LCD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage with microSD card slot for storage expansion.

The phone comes with a 13-megapixel camera on the back with LED Flash and Sony‘s own Predictive Hybrid Autofocus which uses object tracking and motion prediction to focus on moving objects. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel camera that also has the same Predictive Hybrid focusing system.

Coming to the Xperia R1 Plus, it comes with the same set of specs except for the RAM and storage. It packs 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. All the other specs, including display, processor and camera sensors remains same.

Read More: Sony Is Reportedly Working On A Bezel-Less Smartphone With 4K Display

Both the devices run Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and connectivity options include Dual SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and 4G VoLTE. It comes with a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. Both phones are powered by a 2,620mAh battery.

(Source)

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Samsung has already released Android Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 but is yet to confirm the release date of the update for the Galaxy Note 8. Well, not until now. Samsung may have revealed the timetable for its next Oreo roll out for the Note 8 as well as the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy A3. The release details were spotted on the website – Güncelmiyiz which is owned and operated by Samsung Turkey.

The website is known for providing details about upcoming firmware updates for Samsung devices. So it is interesting to observe the latest update which reflects that Android 8.0 Oreo is the next major OS update for the Galaxy Note 8 and the firmware is in the test phase right now with a “planned update date” of March 30. In addition to the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date, the website also mentions that Android 8.0 Oreo is in the test phase for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge with a planned release date of April 13. Similar information is also given for the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017) all of which are listed to receive the Oreo update on May 25 this year. In addition, the 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 is scheduled to receive Oreo on May 4.

Read More: Samsung Unveils Its 2018 QLED TV Range, Comes With Bixby Voice Assistant

Although the details seem to be for the models in use in Turkey, we expect the rollout to extend to other markets when they become available in Turkey. But we may want to take this not too seriously as the updates may not arrive n the stipulated dates. However, expect the rollout to happen anything within the time frame revealed on the website.

(source)

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HMD Global has now started rolling out Android Oreo beta update for its Nokia 3 phone, which was launched in February 2017. The long-delayed update was announced last month and now, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas took to Twitter to announce this update rollout.

Users of Nokia 3 can sign up for the beta on the company’s site to get access to the Android Oreo update preview. After registering with device’s IMEI number and confirming mobile operator, users will get Android Oreo software update notification.

This new version of the Android operating system, Android 8.0 Oreo is around 1.6GB in size and brings a ton of new features to the Nokia 3, including Picture-in-Picture mode, notifications dots, adaptive icons, notification channels, system optimizations, and performance improvements.

The Beta Labs Program, under which users get access to the beta build of the upcoming software updates from the company, was started with Nokia 8 and later, it was extended to the Nokia 6 and the Nokia 5 as well.

To recall, the Nokia 3 comes with a 5-inch display having a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, it is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek 6737 processor and it comes with 2GB of RAM. The phone packs 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB through a microSD card.

As far as the cameras are concerned, the device features an 8-megapixel primary camera on the rear and an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter for selfies and video calling. The device runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 2,630mAh non-removable battery.

Read More: All Nokia Smartphones Above Nokia 2 Join The Android One Program

At the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HMD Global has launched five new phones, which includes the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 1 with Android Oreo (Go Edition), Nokia 6 (2018), and the reincarnated version of Nokia 8110.

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Xiaomi isn’t expected to release MIUI 10 anytime soon but the tech giant has continued to push updates which in some cases usher in Android Oreo to Xiaomi models. For now, only the Mi A1 has got Android Oreo update and that has been plagued by bugs for quite some time and this has hampered the full rollout. The Mi A1 runs Stock Android so it may be easier to do and the company is yet to push Oreo update to any of its MIUI-running phones but there are indications that Xiaomi is shifting the update to other models apart from the Mi 6 and Mi Mix 2 whose beta programs are underway. 

A recently leaked firmware file obtained by XDA Developers has reported shown that Xiaomi is testing Android Oreo updates for the Mi 5 and Mi Mix. The information is said to be based on firmware files obtained by @funkyHuawei. XDA Developers claims to have got exclusive access to the files but no pictorial evidence was tendered in this case, unlike in some of its leaks.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro AnTuTu Score vs Mi 5 vs Mi 6 vs Redmi Note 5: SD 636 on Par With SD 820!

We don’t know when the models listed would get the Oreo update. We still expect the Mi Mix 2s and Mi 7 to be the first Xiaomi models running MIUI custom ROM to run Android Oreo and that would be out of the box. Back to the Android Oreo update for Mi 5 and Mi Mix, the firmware files in question are said to indicate that Xiaomi is testing the Android Oreo update for both of these 2016 flagship smartphones and they go by the code-names Gemini and lithium. Don’t get your hopes high though, as XDA added that the update may never be released, as the company could merely be evaluating the upgrade and later decide not to release it. This makes sense because MIUI 10 or MIUI X, whichever name it finally gets called, will be based on Android Oreo after all. But never say never, just keep your fingers crossed if you are among the Mi 5 and Mi Mix owners anxiously waiting for Android Oreo update.

(source)

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Earlier, ZTE had revealed that the Axon 7 will be receiving the Android Oreo update. Now, the China-based company has announced that the users of ZTE Axon 7 in the United States can now register to be the part of the its Android Oreo beta program.

The company says that following “a request voiced by consumers”, the Android 8 Oreo update will bring a near-stock Android experience to the Axon 7. Further, the Android Oreo update will also offer improved battery life, faster boot speeds, picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, and more enhancements.

However, the company has not yet announced the exact date of release for the public update. The phone was originally announced with Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box. Later, the Axon 7 was upgraded to Android Nougat and now its slated to receive Android Oreo update.

The ZTE Axon 7 features a 5.5-inch display with 2K resolution, 2.5D curved glass and a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top. The phone is fuelled by a 3,250mAh battery, which also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It comes with a 20MP f/1.8 aperture camera with OIS and EIS on the rear side, while up front, there is an 8MP f/2.2 88-degree wide angle shooter.

Read More: Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, ZTE, Nokia 5G Smartphones with Snapdragon X50 5G NR Arriving in 2019

Recently, ZTE CEO Cheng Lixin announced that the company’s next flagship phone will be called ZTE Axon 9 and not Axon 8 as the rumor mill has been speculating. It will be the company’s weapon to rival with the flagship phones from Samsung and Apple in the United States.

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A few weeks ago, ZUK released the ZUI 3.5 update for the ZUK Z2 Pro. The update brought Android 8.0 Oreo to the device along with some other features and bug fixes. Now the update is rolling out to owners of the ZUK Z2 and ZUK Edge.

The ZUK Z2 originally launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow but has now gotten two major OS upgrades. The Snapdragon 820-powered device is one of the few phones ZUK released in its short duration as a smartphone manufacturer.

The ZUK Edge on the other hand ran Android Nougat out of the box. It is however unknown if this will be the final update for the Snapdragon 821 device or if it will get updated to Android P.

READ MORE: Honor 8 Pro and Honor 9 Receive Android Oreo in The UK & India

ZUI 3.5 brings a revamped notification system, a new U-Health app, and a redesigned phone dialer and SMS interface. It also comes with the new features found in Android Oreo.

(Source)

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The 2nd-gen Nokia 6 launched with Android 7.1 Nougat but once you powered it on for the first time, you got a notification for the Android Oreo update. That update is now hitting the first-gen model too.

After weeks in beta, users can now update their phones to a stable version of Android Oreo. The update which is about 1.5GB in size, not only updates the phone to Android 8.0 but brings a number of new features too. Below is a translation of the change log of the Chinese version:

• Upgrade to Android 8.0
• Updated Settings UI
• Add -1 screen and pedometer card
• Enhanced Power Saving and background activity manager
• Enhanced low light camera image quality
• Added screen wake for notifications, scrolling screenshot
• Screen Record function
• Add Nokia cloud account Service

READ MORE: Nokia 8 Is Now Receiving Android 8.1 Oreo Beta Update

The update will roll-out gradually, so if you have not received it yet, you will have to be patient.

(Via)

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Last month, HMD Global has said that the Nokia 3 won’t be receiving Android 7.1.2 Nougat update but will directly receive the Android Oreo update. Now, Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer at HMD Global, has revealed through Twitter that the Nokia 3’s Android Oreo beta update is “around the corner.”

While he has not revealed specific details related to the Android Oreo beta update for the Nokia 3, it is known that the update will arrive through HMD Global’s dedicated Beta Labs program. We’ll keep an eye out for more in the coming days.

In the same tweet, Juho Sarvikas also emphasized that the Nokia 2 — the cheapest smartphone from the company so far, will directly receive Android 8.1 Oreo update with memory optimization feature. This was earlier confirmed by the company.

While HMD Global will soon start rolling out Android Oreo beta version to Nokia 3, the company has already provided a beta version of the Android Oreo update for the Nokia 5 as well as Nokia 6. It is good to see that the Finland-based company has taken a proactive approach towards updates, both in terms of delivery times and communication.

Launched last year, the Nokia 3 features a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek MT6737 quad-core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz, along with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot allowing users to further expand the storage capacity up to 128GB.

Read More: Nokia 10 Concept Reveals Sleek Design with Penta-Lens Camera; Suggests it Could be the Ultimate Flagship

As of the photography, the phone comes with an 8MP auto-focus camera at the back with a 1.12um sensor, f/2.0 aperture and LED flash. On the front side, it features an 8MP sensor with an 84-degrees wide-angle lens. Running Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box, the device is powered by a non-removable 2,650mAh battery.

(Source)

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