Last week, we published an opinion piece on how a 2020 version of the Pixel 2 is the perfect device to take on the iPhone SE 2020. However, there are other Android devices that can be relaunched and will have a good shot at challenging the new iPhone.

For this week’s poll, we want to know which of these phones we have narrowed down should be relaunched with a newer, and of course, more powerful processor (or largely modern specs while keeping the same design) and an affordable price tag.

It took a while but we were able to narrow the list of devices to just five. So do vote and let us know which of them you would love to see get a relaunch. Also, drop a comment telling us the reason(s) that influenced your choice.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 8 vs Red Magic 5G: which one should you buy?

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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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Google’s mobile virtual network – Project Fi is offering Nexus 5X owners on its network a new replacement option. Initially, users had complained about the Nexus 5X. Rather than offer a replacement unit, Google provided a $100 Google Play Store credit or a $53 cheque.

Android Police reports that Google is now offering owners of faulty Nexus 5Xs an Android One Moto X4 instead. However, those willing to change will still have to pay a $69 replacement fee. One user already reported that he got the Moto X4 as a replacement.

New users on the other hand will have to pay $299 for the Moto X4 instead of $399 or $324 as at two weeks ago.

The Moto X4 packs a 5.2” FHD display with Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor, has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

READ MORE: Motorola’s Newest Moto Mod Is The Moto Folio Case/Credit Card Holder

Motorola has included dual rear cameras (12MP + 8MP) on the Moto X4 and a 16MP front facing camera for selfies. Battery capacity is 3000mAh with support for Motorola’s 15W TurboPower fast charging. The Moto X4 also has an IP68-rating making it fully waterproof.

(Via)

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Android 8.0 Oreo is now official and its system images have been made available by Google for devices such as Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player and Google Pixel C. The flashing instructions are available here. Users are required to perform the backup of their devices before installing Android 8.0 Oreo through system images. The search engine giant has also released Android 8.0 Oreo OTA updates for the devices that have enrolled in Android Beta Program.

Installing Android 8.0 Oreo manually through system images may not be convenient for all even though Google is offering a hassle-free installation process now. The easiest way to get the Android 8.0 Oreo before it is officially released by the carrier or the smartphone vendor is by joining the Android Beta program.

Users of Google Pixel XL have claimed that updating to Android O from Developer Preview 4 has been unsuccessful. However, Google seems to have resolved the issue. The OTA update is available without any problem for Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X smartphones enrolled in Android Beta Program.

Fixed now. We had a signing issue for beta users.

— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) August 22, 2017

Read More: Google Pixel 2 Receives FCC Approval; Reveals Features Like Active Edge, Snapdragon 835, Android 8.0

Users can now get Android O by visiting this page and signing in with a Google account. Users can then click on “Enroll Device” button present next to the image of the device. It will then check for an available update. At any time, users can unenroll by visiting the same page to unenroll the device if they wish to go to back a stable build.

As far as Android 8.0 Oreo OTA updates without Android Beta Program is concerned, Google has confirmed that carriers have started testing the software update for Google Pixel, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P phones. Once the carriers are done with testing process, the update will be soon made available to these devices. The OTA update process will begin in phases and it will be gradually coming to supported devices from various brands. The Android O update for Google Pixel C and Nexus Player will be also made available soon.

Google will be also releasing AOSP build for Android 8.0 Oreo that will allow developers to prepare custom ROM. The search engine giant has also confirmed that devices from various OEMs like Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony will be getting the Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of 2017.

(source)

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Lately Google has been having to deal with buggy updates. The latest in the string of Google fails is the Android 7.1.2 update rolling out to Pixel and eligible Nexus phones.

Reports coming from those who have gotten the update say their fingerprint scanners have stopped working. Even deleting already registered ones and trying to register a new one doesn’t fix the problem neither does a factory reset of the phone. Surprisingly, gesture controls still work.

As at this moment, there is no fix yet and Google has not responded to the issue too. If you are yet to update your device, it is best you leave it for now until a fix is available. The affected devices are the Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P.

READ MORE: Google Pixel 2 XL May Have Been Confirmed by New Google Code Update

Last month Pixel owners had to battle with Bluetooth connectivity issues after installing February’s security patch. The fix didn’t come with with the March security path but as a “server-side-change”.

(Sources: 1, 2)

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In a surprising move, OnePlus cut down the price of its most popular 64GB variant of the OnePlus 2 to $349. This is a staggering $40 reduction from the official price tag of $389, clearly making it one of the best smartphone deals, even though its more than 6 months old now.

OnePlus CEO Carl Pei explained that the cost of production has reduced for the OnePlus 2, which is why the company has decided to pass on the savings to its customers. Moreover, Carl promised that if you bought the device (internationally) in the past 15 days, you will get a refund of $40.

So, now that the phone retails for a much cheaper price tag than at launch, we take a look at the popular smartphones that competes directly with the OnePlus 2.

In the table below, we will compare OnePlus 2 with close competitors like the Nexus 5X, and ZTE Axon Pro to see if this is indeed a good deal.

OnePlus 2 vs Axon Pro vs Nexus 5X

You will see that Axon Pro does have a few advantages over OnePlus 2, like a faster-clocked processor, Hi-Fi Audio, 2K display and dual cameras. However, after the price cut, the OnePlus 2 is almost $50 less than the Axon Pro and with a larger battery, storage and fingerprint ID, the former turns out to be a good deal.

When we bring Nexus 5X to the table, which costs $349 i.e. the same price as OnePlus 2, we see how underpowered the phone is as compared to the OnePlus flagship.

After the price cut, you probably won’t find such a powerful device in this segment. You can check out the comparison table below for more details.

You may also want to check out our extensive review of the OnePlus 2. You can check it out from below.

OnePlus 2 REVIEW

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Google announced the LG Nexus 5X handset a couple of days back. After seeing the specifications of the device, we immediately realized that the phone had specs quite similar to Xiaomi’s Mi 4c. Hence, we decided to compare both the devices to see which one comes out as the winner.

One might think the Nexus 5X to be very similar to the Xiaomi Mi 4c, which is true to a certain extent but they have their differences.

BODY & DISPLAY:

If we start from the exterior designs and the displays, the Nexus 5X will have a 5.2 inch Full HD display while that of the Xiaomi 4c is also a Full HD screen but with only a 5 inch size. Dimension wise, the Xiaomi 4c is 7.8mm thick while the Nexus 5X is expected come with a body of around 7.9mm thickness.

Both the devices have very different looks, with Xiaomi aiming for a simple yet elegant design, while LG looking for a soft polycarbonate design much like its predecessor. But both the handsets look quite good. So, we leave it up to you to decide which ones better.

HARDWARE:

In terms of processing hardware, both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm hexa-core processor Snapdragon 808 with 2GB RAM. The operating systems on both will be Android, Marshmallow version going to the Nexus 5X while the Lollipop version is on the Xiaomi Mi 4c. Like all Nexus devices, you can have a pure Android experience on the 5X. On the other hand, the MIUI 7 on the Mi 4c is also quite feature rich and user friendly.

Both phones come in two models, one having 16GB storage and another version coming with 32GB storage. They are also powered by non-removable Li-Ion batteries but the Nexus 5X will house just 2700 mAh capacity while the Xiaomi Mi 4c will have 3080 mAh battery capacity and boasts quick charging technology QC 2.0.

CAMERA:

A lot of today’s smartphones are being fitted with a 13MP rear camera and 5MP one in the front. The Nexus 5X is going to be fitted with a slightly smaller camera with a resolution of 12.3 MP. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story as the sensor features larger 1.55 microns pixels which should technically be able to capture more light. So, this should translate into better picture quality. The Mi 4c on the other hand will have a regular 13MP camera. Both phones will have a 5MP front facing shooter and are fitted with a dual tone LED flash at the back.

CONNECTIVITY:

On the communication front all the standard LTE, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity solutions are supported on both phones. However, the Nexus 5X in turn boasts about having a fingerprint sensor and a barometer as exceptional features. The Xiaomi Mi 4c has an FM radio tuner for additional entertainment and an infrared port for supplemental connection but the Nexus 5X supposedly does not support these features.

PRICING:

The Nexus 5X which comes in three cover colors is expected to be sold with a relatively higher price tag of around $380. The Xiaomi Mi 4c which is manufactured with an option of five colors can be bought online for just about $249. That’s a difference of more than $120!

As you can see, except for the fingerprint sensor on board and the camera (expecting it to be better than the 13MP Mi 4c’s sensor), the Xiaomi Mi 4c can be called as the winner here. With a larger battery, infrared port, MIUI 7 and the pricing advantage, the Mi 4c does seem to be the better choice here.

Let me know which phone do you think is better?

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