ZTE‘s sub-brand Nubia have gone ahead and began releasing their Z17 Android P update. For now, the update has only been pushed to a small number of users for testing. If things go well, the company plans to promptly push the update to all Nubia Z17 users. Below is a changelog of the new features and fixes.

Nubia Z17 Android 9.0 update changes:-

• Android version upgraded to Android 9.0 P
• Notification center has been sped up
• Replying to messages is faster
• Optimized visual effects for applications
• Optimized animations for smoother operation
• Over 100 minor optimizations

The Nubia Z17 version of Android P also claims to have fixed some of the problems from Android itself. If so, then that’s a nice addition as opposed to just sending out the update. I’ve listed some of the named changes and fixes below if you’d like to take a closer look.

Android 9.0 P changes and fixes:-

• Optimized sound quality and effects in certain situations
• Fixed SMS error messages
• Optimized overall camera experience
• Fixed camera error messages
• Optimized card display effect of multitasking tab
• Optimized fingerprint functionality
• Optimized splitscreen experience
• Optimized system performance
• Fixed Clock app errors

If you’re a Nubia Z17 user and are awaiting the new update, you should check your device. The update will be pushed OTA, which means you should check the “System Update” section of your settings. Simply go there, search for the update and you should find out whether it here or not. Good luck, and tell us how it goes once you’re updated!

UP NEXT: Impressive Nubia Red Magic 3 officially launched!

(Source)

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Android 9 Pie was officially announced on Monday, 6th of August, two weeks earlier than the August 20 date it was expected to launch. The new version of Android started rolling out to Pixel devices immediately after the announcement, and in what can be termed a pleasant surprise, to the Essential Phone too.

I own the Essential Phone and have already updated my device to Android 9.0 Pie. So I’m going to share the new features the update brings to the phone.

First, if you own an Essential Phone and haven’t received the update, you should head to the settings menu and manually check for the update. I didn’t get a notification for the update myself but the update was available immediately I checked.

The update is about 1GB and you may want to switch to a Wi-Fi network if you are on cellular data. Once the update is done, you should restart your phone for the changes to take effect. Just before we dive into the new features, do note that the update comes bundled with August’s security patch even though it still shows as July. Essential has provided an explanation for that. It turns out they failed to update the patch string.

Our Android Pie release DOES include August security patches. In our enthusiasm to get it to you as soon as humanly possible, we forgot to update the security patch string. It will be corrected in our next release. In the meantime, enjoy a slice of pie served up by Elyse. pic.twitter.com/7Rpprzeeb4

— Essential (@essential) August 6, 2018

New Navigation and Recent Apps Menu

The biggest change you will notice after restarting your device is the new navigation mode. Gone are the back, home, and recent apps buttons and in their place is a new pill-shaped button and a small “back” arrow. Thankfully, Google has provided the option for users to switch to the previous navigation system. However, the icons are now like the ones on the Pixels.

If you want to go check your recent apps or switch between apps, all you have to do is swipe the pill icon upwards. Doing that brings you to the second visual change.

In Android Pie, Google has switched from vertical arrangement to a horizontal layout. You can scroll between open apps by dragging the pill button but I find scrolling through the apps itself faster and better. Apps can be closed by swiping them upwards.

Getting into split-screen mode has changed too since there is no more recent apps button. Entering into split-screen mode now is still pretty simple as well.

Can you see the icons above each app when you open the recent apps menu? Tap on it and a menu will show up. The menu includes app info, split screen, and pin. Apps that don’t support split screen won’t have the option listed. Select the split screen option and the selected app goes to the top half of the screen. You can select the second app from the rest of the open apps.

To quickly switch between apps, just drag the pill button to the far right and it’ll take you to the previous app.

Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness

These are two of the main features that come with Android Pie. Adaptive battery uses AI to improve your battery life. What it does is study your usage pattern and limits the resources allocated to infrequently used apps. This is supposed to improve battery life.

Adaptive Brightness also uses AI to automatically adjust brightness. The phone studies your environment and usage pattern to adjust display brightness. The system also studies the manual adjustments you make to the brightness slider.

Notification Shade and Quick Settings Menu

The Quick Settings menu wears a new look now. On Android 9.0 Pie, the quick settings icons now sit in a circle. When a setting is activated, the icon takes on a green color or teal if the device theme is set to dark.

One complaint about the redesigned quick settings menu is that you have to completely drag it down to access the gear icon that takes you straight to the phone’s settings.

There is also an edit button along with the notification when you take a screenshot. So you can jump right into editing the screenshot.

Settings

The main phone settings looks better as Android 9.0 Pie brings much-needed colors to the icons. Also, the icons are now in a circle like those of the quick settings menu.

Volume Controls and Bluetooth Audio Controls

Volume control has also been redesigned. The control slider is no longer at the top of the screen but now on the right where the volume buttons are. We don’t know if the position will be standard irrespective of where your volume buttons are since there are some phones with their volume buttons on the left.

There is a gear icon below the slider that takes you to sound settings where you can adjust volume for calls, alarms, media etc.

There is also an icon above the slider that you can tap to mute all sounds or put the phone in a vibration-only mode.

A neat feature Android 9.0 Pie brings is the ability to remember the volume level of each individual Bluetooth audio device. So you can set your speaker to the maximum level and your earbuds to 50% and the phone will remember the volume level for each individual device.

Dedicated Screenshot button

Android Pie brings a dedicated screenshot button to pure Android. Rather than the usual volume down + power button combo to take a screenshot, you can hold down the power button for a few seconds and select the screenshot button that has been added to the power menu.

Easter Egg

The Android Pie Easter egg is fun and colorful and changes everytime you check it. To access it, go to Settings > System > About Phone > Android Version. Tap the Android Version (9) multiple times and it will open the easter egg. Be careful, this easter egg has the ability to hypnotize you.

What is missing?

Some features are missing in the update. Some are available on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and others are scheduled for release later.

• Overview Selection – this allows you to copy text from one app to another while in the recent apps menu without you having to enter into any of the apps. It also allows you to share images too.
• App Actions – App actions use machine learning and AI to predict the apps you need and at certain times of the day using the Pixel launcher. For example, you can have recommendations for playing a song when you connect your earphones
• Slices – this brings features in an app to the surface (read search). So if you search for Uber or Lyft in search, part of the search results you get is the distance and duration to your home or if a driver is close by. This is already available on the Pixel and will be available for other phones by fall.
• Digital Wellbeing – this is supposed to help you use your phone less than you currently do by allowing you set timers for app usage or switching to grayscale when it is near a preset bedtime. There is also a chart that shows you the duration spent per app and the number of times you unlocked your phone. Digital Wellbeing is available as a beta for Pixel devices running Android Pie. A stable version will launch this fall to Pixel, Android One, and other phones.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Android 9 Pie beta update now rolling out; More Xiaomi phones to receive soon

Conclusion

Android Pie is a great update that brings a lot of new and interesting features. It is sad that some cool features are being reserved for Pixel phones but Android being what it is, there will definitely be a port in the near future to other devices.

So far, I have not encountered any issue since I updated. Essential still has its own issues that have not been fixed such as the occasional ghost touches but it doesn’t happen frequently to make usage unbearable.

Releasing the Android Pie update the same day as it was announced is commendable and if you are someone who cherishes having a phone running the latest version of Android or having the latest security patch, the Essential Phone is the device for you.

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On Monday, Google had introduced Android 9 Pie as the latest version of Android OS. On the very same day, Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi MIX 2S will be its first smartphone to receive the latest MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie. In fact, soon after Android 9 was made official, some of the users of Mi MIX 2S received MIUI 10 8.8.7 flavored closed beta version of Android 9 Pie in China through an OTA update. By this, Xiaomi has become first company to release a custom UI flavored Android 9. This shows how quickly Xiaomi has worked to rollout MIUI 9 Android Pie for Mi MIX 2S.

During the Google I/O 2018 event that was held in May this year, the search engine giant had made the developer preview edition of Android P available to multiple non-Google devices such as Nokia 7 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, Essential PH‑1, and OnePlus 6. Google has already rolled out Android 9 Pie to its Pixel devices. Apart from the Pixel devices, the aforementioned non-Google devices will be the first ones to be treated with stable version of Android 9.

In order to upgrade to the global closed beta edition of Android P, Mi MIX 2S users can enroll for it through the MIUI official forum page or app. The update tags along MIUI 10 developer ROM. The Mi MIX 2S is one of the first smartphones to support Google ARCore. Also, Xiaomi has managed to build good relationship with Google since the past two years.

Last year, Xiaomi had launched the Mi A1 as its first ever Android One smartphone in partnership with Google. The Mi A2 Android One that was launched recently is now being made available in wider markets. Since Mi A1 and Mi A2 are Android One phones, these devices will be soon upgraded to Android Pie.

Android 9 Pie comes with plenty of AI features such as AI powered Adaptive battery and Brightness which allows the phone to learn the usage pattern of the user and accordingly adjust the brightness level and battery consumption. App Actions is also another AI driven feature that can predict the actions of the user based on the context. Also, Android Pie includes dedicated settings to handle or hide the display notch. It also equipped with different gestures for navigation. In addition to the features of Android 9 Pie, the new MIUI 10 brings improves the phone’s capabilities to capture portrait shots. Also, MIUI 10 also features its own version of gestures-based navigation.

Read More: Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE F1 specs and price leak online

Xiaomi has officially confirmed that MIUI 9 based Android 9 Pie will be also coming to other Xiaomi phones. However, the company is yet to confirm on a release schedule for rolling out the latest Android version to its devices.

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The name for Google‘s next-gen Android OS version is still shrouded in mystery. While we know it adopts the letter P, we still can’t say what the P stands for. Google may soon reveal that officially, though. That is if the latest rumour surrounding Android P launch is anything to cling on to. According to popular Twitter tipster Evan Blass, Google with officially launch the new Android version on August 20.

pic.twitter.com/ovby4pC3ph

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 2, 2018

The post didn’t contain any other detail about the next iteration of Android but the date doesn’t look unrealistic. Android P has for a while now been part of developer previews. The first developer preview rolled out for Google’s Pixel models some 5 months back and since then five developer preview builds have been released. The Pixel handsets will be the first models to get Android P when it debuts. Google did reveal that the Nexus models, including the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Pixel C won’t get the upcoming upgrade.

Read Also: Android P’s Name Revealed in Huawei-Customer Chat

We can’t verify if the launch date is correct because Google is yet to reveal anything officially pertaining to the launch date. However, it is interesting to note that Android 8.0 Oreo launch took place on August 21 last year. So, it is possible Android P would debut this August.

(source)

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It has become an annual tradition for people to guess what Google would name its next version of Android. This year has been no different for Android P. Google won’t announce the official name until next month but if you are eager to find out what the name is, you should read on.

In what is most likely a mistake by a Huawei employee, the name of the next Android version is now public knowledge. The name was revealed in a live chat conversation between a customer and a Huawei Mobile representative.

The customer wanted to know when the Huawei P9 Lite Mini (Y6 Pro) and Huawei P9 Lite (2017) would get updated to EMUI 8.0 (Android 8.0 Oreo). In one of the responses, the Huawei employee then mentions Android Pistachio just as one would casually say Android Oreo.

READ MORE: Huawei Announces EMUI 8 based on Android 8 Upgrade for 7 Models

This isn’t the first time that Android P has been referred to as Android Pistachio. Back in February, Bloomberg revealed Android P would be called Android Pistachio Ice Cream which makes more sense since Pistachio is a nut but Pistachio Ice Cream is a dessert and satisfies the Android naming convention.

So what do you think? Does Android Pistachio Ice Cream rock or you’d prefer something else?

(Source, Via)

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Android P is already available in beta for multiple devices other than Google’s own Pixel phones. Although there is still no info on when the stable version will be officially announced, a shared Nokia mail gives us a hint as to when to expect it.

The mail which comes from Nokia Mobile Care reveals that the Android P update will start arriving on Nokia devices “sometime in August”. So that means a stable version of Android P should be announced this month or latest early August.

Nokia already confirmed that all its devices will get updated to Android P. However when the update will arrive will vary for all devices. Some may not even receive it until next year. The Nokia 2, for example, doesn’t have a stable Android Oreo update yet and it should still get Android P.

READ MORE: Update Will Bring Face Unlock To Nokia 8 & Three Others

The Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7, and Nokia 6.1 already have a beta version of Android P available. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if they are the first to get updated.

(Source)

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If you own a OnePlus 6, then there is a chance you have Android P beta installed. Version 2 of the beta has been released and it brings a number of features and fixes.

The update fixes an issue that affected face unlock, so you should be able to unlock the phone with your face now. It also fixed a camera stability issue. Google Lens has also been added to the camera app.

There are a number of interesting Oxygen OS features. First, users can now select/create their own system UI colors. Before owners could only choose one out of preset colors. With the new update, you should be able to choose any color in the color spectrum as shown in the image below.

READ MORE: OnePlus Bullets Wireless Earphones Launched In India, Will Go On Sale From June 19

The update lets you hide the notch and brings full-screen gestures. It also fixes some app compatibility issues and brings Ambient Display.

If you want to install it, you can check the source link for instructions on how to go about it.

(Source)

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The Nokia 7 Plus is one of the few devices that Google released a beta version of Android P for. However, a recent update rolling out to those on the beta version is forcing them back to Android 8.1 Oreo.

The 1.3GB update is said to bring June 2018’s security patch but also has a full version of Android Oreo bundled with it. It also causes devices to crash or freeze, and apps to force close. Affected users say the rollback option on the Android P page doesn’t work since it is older than the current build. Some users can’t even boot past the Nokia screen.

The fix, therefore, is to do a complete factory reset via the recovery menu which then pushes them back to Android Oreo and causes them to lose their files. Nokia seems to be aware of the issue already but a fix has not been provided yet.

READ MORE: Nokia X6 Latest Software Update Brings Along An Option To Hide The Notch

There seems to be something terribly wrong at Nokia with respect to updates. Just last week, Nokia 6.1 users had to deal with Wi-Fi issues after receiving May’s security patch.

(Source, Via)

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Today, HMD Global launched three new smartphones — Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1, and Nokia 2.1. Prior to the launch, Neil Broadley, the company’s global marketing manager, confirmed that the latest major version of Android — Android P, will come to the entire Nokia portfolio.

He confirmed that the upcoming Android P version will be rolled out to every Nokia smartphone, including the newly launched three phones. He added that this is the part of company’s commitment to the “pure, secure, and up-to-date” mantra.

All of the Nokia devices running Android One, which includes the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 5.1, and Nokia 3.1 — are all within the two-year guarantee period that Google demands for flagship updates. The company had previously promised that the first generation of Nokia phones — the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 — will all be updated to the Android P version.

This covers all the smartphone from the company except three — the Nokia 2 and the Android Go edition phones — Nokia 1 and the recently launched Nokia 2.1. However, HMD Global has confirmed that all three will get the latest OS upgrade, and the Android Go edition will get the streamlined version of the OS.

HMD Global is one of the leading manufacturers when it comes to providing the latest Android update to its users. Nokia is usually among the first manufacturers to roll out Android version update for its portfolio devices as well as security patches.

Read More: Nokia X6 Again Sold Out Within Seconds In Its Second Flash Sale In China

With Android fragmentation still a broader concern, it’s great that Finland-based HMD Global is fully committed to providing timely updates for its entire portfolio. The company’s Nokia 7 Plus is also one of a small number of phones that is compatible with the Android P Beta.

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Google has just launched the latest version of its operating system, Android P, at Google I/O 2018 held in the Shoreline Amphiteatre. And unlike what happened with the previous Android Oreo, the Beta firmware of the new major OS version is available for a wide range of smartphones besides Pixel devices released by Google. This is possible thanks to the Project Treble support, which divides the OS into two frameworks: the core OS and the companies’ customizations. This makes it easy for OEMs to release new updates in a quick and organized way.

Phones on which you can install Android P Beta

Besides the whole Google’s Pixel line-up composed of Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, you can also install Android P Beta on the following devices: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, Vivo X21 UD, Essential Phone PH-1, Sony Xperia XZ2 and the unreleased OnePlus 6. Currently, there are no other smartphones which support Android P Beta, we will inform you once we will know more about other supported devices. If you own one of the eligible devices, make sure to backup all your important data before proceeding, just in case something goes wrong. Further, ensure to have enough battery charge in order to avoid your phone turning off during the update process.

How to download and install Android P Beta on supported devices

After you have made sure that you have a compatible device, open the browser on your PC and head to this link which will bring you to the official Android P Beta page. Then, click on the blue Sign In button and log in with the same Google account that you have registered in your device. Now, click the “Opt in” button which will show up near your eligible device, confirm and wait for some time.

Then, go to the Settings app on your phone and tap on System. Choose the Advanced tab and tap on System update. You will see the download button for Android P Beta which weighs about 1.2 GB. Download it and wait for it to install automatically. As soon as Google will release factory images, it will be possible to install the firmware even by flashing it manually. But for now, the above method remains the only one to get Android P Beta on supported devices.

Will you adhere to the beta testing phase and install it now or will you wait for the final update?

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Android has a fragmentation problem and Google is aware of it. To solve the problem, it announced Project Treble last year along with Android Oreo as a way to speed up OS adoption. Now Qualcomm has partnered with Google to make things easier.

In an official blog post released yesterday, Qualcomm explained how it is working with Google to solve the fragmentation problem.

Qualcomm said it is working on the latest version of Project Treble along with Google by creating “a common development infrastructure to make Android P more accessible on Snapdragon platforms”.

The infrastructure supports the Snapdragon 845, 660, and 636 mobile platforms and will see devices powered by these chipsets get Android P up to 3 months earlier than what was obtainable before. Qualcomm says other mobile platforms are expected to be supported in future.

The project is supposed to continue beyond Android P and will make it much easier and faster for OEMs to update devices to the latest version of Android available.

READ MORE: Qualcomm’s New Patent Deals May Help It Fix Relations With Customers Like Apple

While this is definitely good news, we hope other chip makers are working on something similar with Google. We also hope manufacturers and carriers will play their part in solving the problem.

(Source)

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OnePlus has a large fanbase and a large percentage are developers. OnePlus has also built a reputation as being one of the manufacturers to quickly release major updates for its devices which is why its unreleased OnePlus 6 device is one of the few devices getting Android P Beta.

At the Google I/O 2018 keynote, Google announced that Android P Beta will be open today and not only to Pixel devices but also to phones from other brands including the OnePlus 6.

OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau had this to say about how the company has worked towards not only creating great phones but also a great user experience – “By empowering and trusting in our community we learned users want a fast, smooth, and clean user experience – something we call ‘burden-less’,”.

He adds “Beyond building the best possible Android phone, we work to provide more value to users by ensuring the smartphone experience is not dominated by bloatware and intrusive notifications. The creation of Team FSE (fast, smooth, efficient) helps create a recurring theme across all user reviews of OnePlus phone experiences as fast and smooth.”

OnePlus has always been a developer friendly company right from its very first day. Its first phone, the OnePlus One came with CyanogenOS out of the box. OnePlus later launched its own OS called OxygenOS which is a more customizable version of stock Android.

Last year, OnePlus was one of the first manufacturers to release Android Oreo for its devices and this includes 2016’s OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T.

The OnePlus 6 launches on May 16 so most people won’t get to test Android P until after the launch. However, those who get selected to review the OnePlus 6 via The Lab program (over 135,000 registrations) will be able to do so earlier.

READ MORE: OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5 Get Double-Tap To Lock in Latest Beta Update

If you get selected via The Lab program and you want to test Android P on the OnePlus 6, do check out the official OnePlus 6 Android P Beta page.

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If you own a Motorola Moto Z, even though it was released almost two years ago, you can already taste the upcoming Android P. Thanks to XDA Developers, a new ported ROM is available for the former Lenovo flagship to download. A developer identified by the nickname erfanoabdi on XDA community has extracted the Android P firmware from a Google Pixel XL, then he has adapted the firmware for the old Moto Z and ported it.

According to the post which describes the ROM on XDA, the Android P porting works very well on Motorola Moto Z and it doesn’t have any bug making it suitable for daily use. Unfortunately, the secondary SIM slot still does not work, the stock torch app, encryption and some MotoMods (such as the Moto battery pack) are not working, but the developer is expected to keep supporting the ROM and update it in order to fix these problems. The most important elements such as Wi-Fi, camera, radio and other connectivity modules are working well with no issues.

RELATED: Motorola Releases Video Teaser Suggesting The Moto G6 Will Hit China Soon

Given that we are talking about an unofficial porting, it does not come as an OTA update, obviously. To install it, you need to unlock the bootloader on your Motorola Moto Z, then you will need to install a custom ROM such as TWRP. After this, you will need to extract the ROM in your internal storage, reboot your device in recovery mode and flash the ROM files. You will void the device’s warranty if you follow these procedures and install the ported ROM, and we suggest you do it only if you know what you are doing as you risk bricking your phone. You can find all the necessary downloads and the complete procedure by heading to the source link below.

(Source)

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We already know that Google‘s next Android operating system version is called Android P. As with previous versions before they go official, the meaning of the alphabet is usually a subject of rumours and teaser. Google is also well-known for generating hype around the naming scheme of its Android operating system, and each new release over the past few years was accompanied by a wide variety of theories aiming to uncover what the final OS name might be. In this case, there have been several suggestions of what P stands for. However, Google may have given us a hint via the Google I/O 2018 application. 

An Easter egg on the application seems to have uncovered the official name of the upcoming Android P update. TIt suggests that the next OS nomenclature is dubbed Android Pineapple. The hint is presented as a stylized password “p1n3appl3” for the Google I/O Wi-Fi network. Apart from this, Google provided no more details on the matter. But it is pretty safe to say this could be the likely name and this isn’t the first time it is suggested.

Read Also: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Android P OTA Makes An Early Appearance

This isn’t even the first time Google was mentioning this moniker. Back in January, the tech giant began teasing its next I/O conference via an alternate reality game (ARG) that had participants roam around the company’s virtual offices in Mountain View in order to find clues and reveal the dates on which the conference will take place. One of the rooms contained a Pineapple cake, which fueled the idea that Android P might borrow the fruit’s name for a public release. This looks too simple a revelation though, so it could be a deception.

(source)

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Google announced the first Android P Developer Preview in March and along with it came a number of changes which are now available for testing on the Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2XL. In what would be the first official public release of Android P for a non-Google device, Xiaomi’s latest flagship – Mi Mix 2s would soon get Android P for preview.

Xiaomi had announced over the weekend that the Mi Mix 2s will be receiving the Android P Developer Preview in the coming days and the ROM will be complete with all the features of Android P included. This was announced via a pot on MIUI Forum but the post has been pulled down. However, a few details were scooped from the deleted post and one of them is that the ROM has a tentative release date of May 8th.  A tentative date of May 8th has been put forward as a release date, assuming all internal testing goes well. That may not be feasible now that the thread has been deleted.

Read Also: Android P’s First Developer Preview Released; Does Not Support Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Pixel C

However, it is interesting to note that the Android P firmware for the Mi Mix 2s was recently spotted by the guys at FunkyHuawei.club who have made it available for download. You can find the download link here but there is no guide on how you can install this ROM on your device if you want to do that. What definitely excites us the most is that Xiaomi may likely make an early entrance to Google latest Android version when it finally goes official. We hope that other Xiaomi models apart from its flagship will receive the Android P Developers Preview as well. Android P promises to bring several new features and improvements. Devices running on Android P will prevent background apps from accessing camera or microphone without the consent of the user. Android 9.0 will also prevent secret call recordings and it will also come with an efficient call-blocking feature to prevent spam calls. It will carry native support for iris scanning and HID Bluetooth. It will provide the power to mobile operators to modify the signal strength indicator. A new addition to Android P is the support for iPhone X-like notch.

(source)

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About a year after Huawei started testing Android Oreo on the Mate 9, new evidence suggests that the Chinese company is testing Android P on Huawei Mate 10 and 10 Pro. According to XDA Developers, the hi-tech giant has started testing the new version of Google’s operating system on the Chinese variant of the Mate 10 identified by the model number ALP-AL00. With the aid of a service called FunkyHuawei specialized in updating, rebranding, and unbricking Huawei phones, guys from XDA Developers have been able to rebrand a Mate 10 Pro to the Chinese variant of the Mate 10 and they managed to install the Android P test firmware.

Three photos showing the build installed on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro have then been published. The first shows the Android P Easter egg, while the second shows the About screen, confirming that the testing firmware contains the EMUI 8.2 based on Android 9.0.0. However, it is likely that the final Android P release will be customized with EMUI 9.0. The third photo shows the Developer Options menu. The new user interface does not contain the changes noticed on the first Android P Developer Preview called Material Design 2, and neither the recently-leaked iPhone X-like navigation bar which replaces the multi-tasking key with a gesture.

RELATED: Huawei Could Have Released A Notch Phone Way Before the iPhone X, But It Played Safe

But it is likely that the company should already be working on a similar navigation bar to include in the final build. Other things included in this firmware are Android P’s restrictions on apps that use non-SDK Java APIs, global actions for Accessibility Services, restrictions on third-party OMS overlays and text selection zoom. Currently, the first Developer Preview of Android P is only available on the latest Google phones: Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. There are still no custom ROMs based on Android P for Huawei Mate 10 and all other handsets as there is still no source code available.

(via)

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Depending on the phone you use, the Android recent apps menu is usually different. For MIUI, the apps are arranged horizontally and can be shrunk to just icons or expanded. For OxygenOS and stock Android, the recent apps are arranged in a vertical card system. When Android P launches, the recent apps menu will be redesigned.

According to 9to5Google, Android P will switch to a horizontal arrangement for the recent apps menu. The apps will still be arranged behind each other and not side-by-side like in MIUI.

It will work in a similar fashion as the current vertical arrangement. Swipe to the left to select the app you want to switch to and a swipe upwards should close an app. However, that isn’t the only change coming.

The recent apps button may also be removed, leaving just the home button which is now pill-shaped and the back button. To access the recent apps menu, one will need to swipe the home button up. When at the home screen, the only visible button will be the pill-shaped home/recent apps button. The back button is said to disappear later.

READ MORE: Rumor: Google May Acquire Nokia Health (Withings)

The removal of the recent apps button may be a gradual move to a total gesture-based navigation for Android. This makes sense since most manufacturers are releasing devices with thinner bezels and on-screen buttons.

Nevertheless, there is a chance this may still not make it to the final release.

(Source, Via)

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The first developer preview of the Android P was released yesterday and the internet has been flooded with tens of posts about the new features it brings.

A new discovery is the addition of the screen rotate button to the navigation button. Android already has a rotate button in the quick settings menu which lets you set the screen’s orientation to portrait, landscape, or auto-rotate.

The new button is useful for those times when you need to view what’s currently on your screen in a mode other than the default you have set your phone too.

For example, let’s say you want to view a webpage in landscape mode while the phone is set to portrait. When you turn the phone to the landscape position, the button appears on the far left corner of the navigation bar. Tap it and your screen changes orientation. The same applies to when switching back to portrait mode.

If you switch apps, the orientation of the current app remains the default the phone is set to and not that of the app you just exited.

READ MORE: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 (2018) Are Now Included in the List of Android Enterprise Recommended Devices

If you are familiar with Android, you already know some of the features in developer previews may not make it to the stable version. Nevertheless, we’d like to hear your opinion on this new feature.

(Source)

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Yesterday, Google rolled out the first developer preview of Android P (Android 9.0). The new version of Android OS does not support Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Pixel C that were launched in 2015. The Android P has also dropped support for the obsolete Nexus Player.

The Nexus Player was introduced as a competitor for Apple TV in 2014. It was launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop and was treated with Android 8.0 Oreo update in September last year. However, it was confirmed in the very next month that device will not be receiving the Android 8.1 Oreo upgrade. Also, it won’t be getting the upcoming Android 9.0 OS.

The Nexus 5X and 6P that had arrived in the market in 2015 with Android 6.0 Marshmallow have received the latest Android 8.1 Oreo update. However, these phones won’t be upgraded to Android P. The well-received Pixel C tablet was provided with Android 8.1 Oreo in December 2017 as the last major OS update.

The support page of Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P state that these devices have “no guaranteed Android version updates after” September 2017. The reason why these devices will not be getting the Android P upgrade is that Google has a policy of providing major OS update to Android devices for a period of two years. The Nexus 5X and 6P users will continue to receive monthly security updates until November this year. The Android P will be arriving first to Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Read More: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 (2018) Are Now Included in the List of Android Enterprise Recommended Devices

The forthcoming Android P will bring along various new features and improvements. Devices running on Android P will prevent background apps from accessing camera or microphone without the consent of the user. Android 9.0 will also prevent secret call recordings and it will be also coming with powerful call-blocking feature to prevent spam calls. It will carry native support for iris scanning and HID Bluetooth. It will provide the power to mobile operators to modify the signal strength indicator. A new addition on Android P is the support for iPhone X-like notch. Google will be showcasing all the new features of the Android P at the Google I/O 2018 event in May. It is speculated that the final version of Android 9.0 will be released sometime in mid-August.

(source)

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While the adaptation of the latest version of the Android operating system is still very low, Google has already started working on the next update for its mobile operating system, Android P.

As it has been happening for last few years, the company is expected to unveil this new Android P operating system at the upcoming Google I/O developer conference later this year. And we now have information about what major features to expect.

According to a report from Bloomberg, which cites unknown sources aware of the development at Google, the company is going to offer lots of changes in the upcoming Android P version. One of the major change will be support for unique display types. This addition will enable manufacturers to debut new form factors such as foldable displays just like the Axon M or adopt the “notch” just like the iPhone X and the Essential Phone.

Further, the Android P update is also expected to have tighter integration with the company’s smart digital voice assistant — Google Assistant. This could be the version in which Google finally grants permission to third-party developers to integrate the Assistant into their own apps.

The report further adds that the Android P will come with a “dramatic redesign”. Some believe that this could be the Google’s way to “persuade more iPhone users to switch” to devices with Android P. This redesign could be referring to “Material Design 2” which has been reported a few times. Along with all these, we are also expecting improvements for the battery life performance in this upcoming Android update.

Read More: Google Fuchsia OS Shown Running on Pixelbook

Finally, it states that the Android P’s internal code name is “Pistachio Ice Cream”. However, the final public name of the upcoming Android version is likely to be different. There are a lot of things we don’t know about regarding this new version but we expected to get to know a lot more at the Google I/O in May this year, where the company is expected to announce Android P.

(Source)

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Google has reportedly begun works on Android P since late August. Fresh information revealed by XDA Developers states that Android P may allow telecom operators to hide the strength of the network in Settings. An evidence that supports this claim has been found in the Android Open Source Project commits.

The AOSP commits reveals that mobile network operators in the U.S. might hold the power to disable signal strength in the “SIM Status” settings in Android P. It appears that the search engine giant is doing so on the request of some carriers without taking users into consideration.

The actual numerical signal strength that is measured in dBm or asu can be seen in the SIM Status. This can be done by navigating to Settings > About phone > Status > SIM status. Hence, the network bars that appear at the top of the screen are the not actual representation of the strength of the signal that the device is receiving.

Read More: HMD Global Announces That Its Nokia Smartphones Will Get Updated To Android P

If the dBm value is low, it means that the strength of the signal is poor. Low signal strength will impact call quality, internet connectivity speed and battery life of the device.

Through the signal strength value, users can decide whether they want to switch to another mobile network operator that offers better signal. The publication claims that the configuration on of the carrier in the vendor.xml determines whether to show or hide the signal strength to the users. Hence, the power to change the visibility of signal strength in Android P will prevent users from the seeing the actual signal in the SIM status.

Even if the carriers decide to hide their signal strength in Android P, users can still accurately how good the network strength is by using third party apps like Signal Strength available on the Google Play Store. However, if a carrier is putting more pressure to prevent users for seeing network strength in Settings, Google may block it on an API level.

Android P is expected to arrive with version number 9.0 in the coming year. Its first developer preview may get unveiled at Google I/O event in May 2018. Its stable edition may arrive by August next year.

(source)

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