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LG G7 may have dedicated AI button, sport ThinQ branding, might launch this month
An ETNews report states that the LG G7 will have a dedicated Ai button and a M-LCD+ panel. The rear camera has a f/1.5 aperture, and the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC. Evan Blass also states that it will be branded as the LG G7 ThinQ.
The rumor mill has been all over the place when it comes to the LG G7. In January, a report stated that LG Electronics' chief had ordered the development of the G7 to be started from scratch. More recently, rumors have stated the phone could launch in May or June. Leaked photos revealed a device with a 6-inch display and notch. Other rumors have also made references to the G7 Plus.
Would you buy a phone with a notch if you could hide the notch?
Huawei has added a 'hide notch' option in the newly launched Huawei P20 series, which adds a black background to the display notch. OnePlus has also stated that the OnePlus 6's notch will not interfere with video playback. Therefore, would you buy a phone with a notch if you could hide it?
The controversial display notch is set to become mainstream this year. The Essential Phone was the first to pack in a small display notch (cutout), but Apple popularized it with a much bigger notch in the iPhone X. 2017 heralded the advent of taller 18:9 displays, and this year, device makers are interested in increasing the screen-to-body ratios of their phones even more.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 MIUI 9.5 Global ROM now rolling out in India
Xiaomi has started rolling out the MIUI 9.5 Global Stable update to the Redmi Note 5 in India. (The Indian Redmi Note 5 is a re-brand of the Redmi 5 Plus in China, and should not be confused with the Redmi Note 5 Pro.). The update brings MIUI notifications in line with stock Android, and also comes with optimizations.
Xiaomi announced the global version of MIUI 9 back in November. The company began rolling-out the MIUI 9 Global Stable update to its devices in the same month, starting with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Snapdragon variant. In January, the company released the MIUI 9.2 update for supported devices with new Mi Video and Mi Drop apps. Then, a few weeks ago, Xiaomi India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain stated that the MIUI 9 update was now available for all supported Xiaomi India smartphones, going all the way to nearly four-year-old devices such as the Xiaomi Redmi 1s and the Mi 3.
Rootless Pixel Launcher 3.4 released with large tablet support, Android for Work features, adds Android Go optimized version, and more
Amir Zaidi has released Rootless Pixel Launcher 3.4 with a big list of bug fixes. The changelog includes big tablet screen support, Android for Work features, an optimized Android Go version that can be built using Android Studio or a custom ROM build script, and more.
Pixel Launcher was launched in 2016 alongside the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL. Officially, the launcher is only supported on Google Nexus and Pixel devices, but its APK can be installed on many other devices. However, the problem is that the Google feed panel on the leftmost screen does not work if the launcher has been installed on an unsupported device. To solve this problem, a developer named Amir Zaidi ported Pixel Launcher features to the AOSP launcher (Launcher3).
Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 Android 8.1 Oreo stable update rolling out in select markets
The Nokia 5 and the Nokia 6 are starting to receive the stable Android 8.1 Oreo update in some markets. The update brings March 2018 security patches, a revamped power menu, and more.
The Nokia brand made a comeback in smartphones last year as HMD Global acquired the rights. The company released the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and the Nokia 3 as its first ever Android smartphones. The phones were followed by the flagship Nokia 8 and the low-end Nokia 2. At Mobile World Congress this year, HMD Global released its new device portfolio which includes the Nokia 6 (2018), the Nokia 7 Plus, the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco, and its first Android Go phone in the form of the entry-level Nokia 1.
Huawei launches the Huawei P20, P20 Pro and the P20 Lite with notched displays
Huawei has launched the Huawei P20, P20 Pro, and the P20 Lite. The P20 and P20 Pro are powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC, while the P20 Lite is powered by the Kirin 659 SoC. All three phones have the display notch. The Huawei P20 has dual rear cameras, while the P20 Pro has triple 40MP + 20MP + 8MP rear cameras.
The Huawei P20, P20 Pro, and the P20 Lite have been in the rumor mill for quite a while. We have exclusively reported many specifications of the phones, including the fact that they have a display notch. We have seen everything from leaked specifications to stock wallpapers to the leaked firmware. In fact, the Huawei P20 Lite has already gone on sale in some countries. At an event on Tuesday, Huawei officially unveiled all three devices. The Huawei P20 and the P20 Pro are flagship phones in the P series, while the P20 Lite is a lower-end device.
Xiaomi launches the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S in China with dual cameras and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S in China. The phone features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip. It has a 6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, dual 12MP + 12MP rear cameras, and is powered by a 3400mAh battery. It runs MIUI 9 on top of Android Oreo.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix foreshadowed the rise of taller displays when it was released in 2016 with a massive 6.4-inch display. In September, Xiaomi released the Mi Mix 2 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip and a smaller 6-inch Full HD+ (2160x1080) display. The phone was Xiaomi's flagship phone for the second half of 2017, competing with the likes of the OnePlus 5T and the Honor View 10. At an event in China on Tuesday, the company announced its next flagship: the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.
Vivo launches the Vivo V9 with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC
Vivo has launched the Vivo V9, a mid-range smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 system-on-chip. The phone features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ (2280x1080) 19:9 display with a notch. It has a 16MP primary camera, 5MP depth sensor, and a 24MP front camera.
This week, Vivo launched the Vivo X21 in China with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip. On the same day, Oppo made the Oppo R15 official. On Thursday, Vivo launched a lower-end version of the X21, the Vivo V9, in Thailand. On Friday, the device was officially launched in India - one of Vivo's major international markets. Notably, the V9 is the first Vivo phone launching in international markets to feature a 19:9 display with a notch.
Huawei and Linaro launch the HiKey 970 development board with the Kirin 970 SoC
Huawei and Linaro have launched the HiKey 970 development board at the Linaro Developer Conference. The board features the Kirin 970 system-on-chip, which is used in the Huawei Mate 10 series. It has 6GB of RAM, and will be released to developers in mid-April.
The Raspberry Pi was a groundbreaking device as it showed users what could be possible with a $35 development board. In the years since, we have seen plenty Raspberry Pi alternatives arrive in the market. Huawei and Linaro launched the HiKey 960 development board last year at a price tag of $239. The board featured the HiSilicon Kirin 960 system-on-chip, and was positioned as a high-end alternative to the Raspberry Pi.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, Xiaomi Mi Max, and more receiving MIUI 9.5 Global Stable ROM
Xiaomi has started rolling-out the MIUI 9.5 Global Stable ROM to the Redmi Note 4 Qualcomm variant (Redmi Note 4X), Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm variant, Mi Max, and more. The update brings MIUI notifications on par with stock Android.
In November, Xiaomi launched the global version of MIUI 9. The update began rolling out to the first batch of phones in the same month, starting with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. Then, in January, the company started rolling-out the MIUI 9.2 Global Stable update to supported devices, including the Redmi Note 3.
Google Play Store now allows developers to set an internal test channel for 100 trusted users
Google Play Store now has a "test channel" for apsp in addition to the alpha and beta channels. Developers can use this channel for internal testing by inviting up to 100 users.
Up until now, developers could either release apps directly to users on the Google Play Store, or test them via an alpha or beta channel. The alpha and beta channels allow users to test new versions of an app and report bugs before its official release.
HTC Desire 12 and Desire 12+ are mid-range devices with 18:9 displays and dual cameras
The mid-range HTC Desire 12 and the Desire 12+ are now official. The Desire 12 is powered by a MediaTek MT6739 SoC, while the Desire 12+ features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The Desire 12+ has a bigger display, and it also features dual cameras.
HTC is not expected to release many smartphones this year. The HTC U12+ (code-named "Imagine") will be the company's flagship phone, but the company hasn't stopped releasing mid-range phones. The HTC Desire 12 and the Desire 12+ have been in the rumors for the past couple of months and HTC officially launched the two "mid-range" devices on Tuesday.
Huawei is working on a low-end Android 8.1 Oreo device with a MediaTek MT6739 SoC
According to firmware files obtained by @FunkyHuawei, Huawei is working on a new low-end phone running Android 8.1 Oreo. It will have 2GB of RAM and a HD+ (1440x720) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by the MediaTek MT6739 system-on-chip.
Huawei is the world's third largest smartphone manufacturer. The company has a broad lineup of phones, ranging from the mid-range Mate 10 Lite to flagships such as the Mate 10 and the Mate 10 Pro. Honor, a subsidiary of Huawei, also sells smartphones ranging from the Honor 7X and the Honor 9 Lite to affordable flagships such as the Honor View 10.
How to check if your Android device supports Seamless Updates
Users can easily check if their Android device supports seamless updates by running a command. They can also choose to download the Treble Check app from the Play Store to see if their device has an A-only partition system or the A/B partition system.
Android Nougat introduced support for seamless updates with the A/B partition system. Devices that support the new partition system have two sets of partitions, a_slot and b_slot. The term "seamless updates" is used because all updates are now downloaded to the inactive slot. When a user reboots to finish installing, the device seamlessly switches over to the inactive slot, thereby eliminating downtime. User data is shared between the partitions.
Android P-ify Xposed Module lets you use Android P features on your Android Oreo device
XDA Senior Member has released a new Xposed module named Android P-ify. The Xposed module lets users use Android P features on their Android Oreo devices, such as colored icons in the Settings app, clock on the left side of the status bar, new transitions, and more.
Android P Developer Preview 1 was released on March 7 for the Google Pixel/XL and the Google Pixel 2/XL. The new Android version brings plenty of new features, including support for display cutouts (notch), improvements to messaging, privacy improvements, a multi-camera API, and more. We have thoroughly explored all the new UI changes in the Developer Preview, which include changes to the notifications drawer, quick settings, colored icons in the Settings app, and much more.
Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Ultra, and Xperia XA1 Plus are now receiving Android Oreo
Sony has started rolling out the Android Oreo update to the Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Ultra, and the Xperia XA1 Plus. The update includes the February 5, 2018 security patch.
The Sony Xperia XZ1 and the Xperia XZ1 Compact were the first Sony phones to launch with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Sony was one of the first device makers to start rolling out Android Oreo updates, as the Xperia XZ Premium received its Android Oreo update in October. The Xperia XZ and the Xperia XZs have also received Android Oreo updates. However, Sony's mid-range smartphone series has been kept waiting up until now. The Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra were launched at MWC 2017, while the XA1 Plus was launched in August. Now, Sony has started rolling out the Android Oreo update to all three smartphones.
Xiaomi Mi 6 is the latest to support Project Treble unofficially
The Xiaomi Mi 6 has received unofficial Project Treble support. The Mi 6 is an A-only device, so users should flash ARM64 and A-only Generic System Images. The list of things not working includes VoLTE. SELinux is also set to permissive.
Very few Android device makers have opted to release updates with Project Treble support for older devices. Huawei is one company that has opted to update older devices with Treble support. Essential included Treble support in the Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Essential Phone as well. However, the situation is different when it comes to Xiaomi Mi 6. They have opted to not include Treble support in their official Android Oreo updates (that are still ongoing).
(Screen) size does matter: consumers are spending more time on larger devices
AppOptix has monitored 4000 Android users and has released two infographics on consumer behavior and smartphones. The data shows that screen size does matter, as smartphones with 5.5"+ displays are spending more cellular data, minutes of use, and app sessions.
Screen sizes on Android phones have increased by a significant amount over the last few years. The first Android phone, the HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1, had a 3.2-inch display. We've seen the average screen size constantly increase in the following few years. In 2011, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note with a 5.3-inch 16:10 display that seemed gigantic at the time. Now, even budget smartphones have 5.5-inch displays.
Huawei P10 and P10 Plus Android Oreo update with EMUI 8.0 now officially rolling out
Huawei has started rolling out the stable Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 update to the international variants of the Huawei P10 and the P10 Plus. The update is currently rolling out to P10 and P10 Plus users in Philippines.
The Huawei P10 and the P10 Plus were launched at MWC 2017. The phones didn't launch with Android Oreo, but they have high-end specs including the Kirin 960 system-on-chip, dual 12MP + 20MP RGB + monochrome rear cameras, and an 8MP front camera. The differences between the two are that the Huawei P10 has a 5.1-inch Full HD IPS display, while the P10 Plus has a 5.5-inch 16:9 QHD (2560x1440) IPS display. The P10 comes with 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of storage, while the P10 Plus comes with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage. Finally, the P10 has a 3200mAh battery, while the P10 Plus has a 3750mAh battery.
MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM now available for all supported Xiaomi India devices
The MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM is now available for all supported Xiaomi devices. The list of devices includes almost four-year-old devices like the Redmi 1s and the Mi 3.
Xiaomi announced the MIUI 9 China ROM back in July. Then, in November, the company officially announced the global version of MIUI 9. MIUI 9 Global is different from the Chinese version of MIUI 9 as it's intended for international markets and includes Google Play services.