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LineageOS 18.1 brings Android 11 to three Xiaomi, ASUS, and Sony devices
Official LineageOS 18.1 builds are now available for the Mi A2, Redmi Note 7, ZenFone Max Pro M1, Sony Xperia XZ2 series, Mi Mix 2, and more.
LineageOS remains the most popular custom ROM out there. It's backed by a strong and active community that’s always striving to make the newest version of Andriod accessible to more users. Earlier in March, the team at LineageOS released LineageOS 18.1, the latest release based on Android 11. At the launch time, LineageOS 18.1 was made available to nearly sixty Android devices. But this list has continued to grow in size over the past weeks. Last month we saw the official builds of LineageOS 18.1 going live for the Galaxy Note 3, Mi A2, LG 3, Galaxy S5, OnePlus 6/6T, and more. The OnePlus 7T and Google’s Pixel 3 series joined the list shortly after. Now ten more phones have just been added to the official LineageOS 18.1 build roster.
ASUS rolls out an AOSP-based Android 10 beta for the ZenFone Max M2
ASUS is rolling out an AOSP-based Android 10 beta update for the ZenFone Max M2, which ibrings all the new Android 10 features to the budget device.
Following the rollout of an AOSP-based Android 10 beta for the ASUS ZenFone 5, ZenFone Max M1, ZenFone Lite, and ZenFone Live L1/L2, the company is now rolling out a similar beta build for the ZenFone Max M2. The budget-friendly device from late 2018 initially rolled out with a near-stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo and back in April last year, the device was upgraded to Android 9 Pie. And the new AOSP-based beta release, which goes by the software version 17.2018.2002.29, finally upgrades the device to Android 10.
TWRP is now available for the ASUS ZenFone Max M2, Lenovo Tab4 10 Plus, UMIDIGI F1 Play, and Vestel Venus V4
TWRP custom recovery is now available for the ASUS ZenFone Max M2, Lenovo Tab4 10 Plus, UMIDIGI F1 Play, and the Vestel Venus V4.
Installing a custom recovery on your Android smartphone is among the initial steps while you're trying to install any kind of custom software like a custom ROM, kernels, and more. TWRP is the most widely used custom recoveries around which offers features like ADB sideloading as well as partition-wise backup and restore functionality besides the general ability to install packages or wiping storages. Its intuitive GUI (unlike the forgotten CMW) makes it easy to get tasks accomplished even if you have limited know-how. While TWRP is open source, leading to unofficial versions, the developers of TWRP are hard at work adding official support for more and more devices by the day. Today, a few more smartphones are getting added to this list and these include the ASUS ZenFone Max M2, Lenovo Tab4 Plus, UMIDIGI F1 Play, and Vestel Venus V4.
[Update: Also for Max Pro M2] Asus rolls out Android Pie for the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and Max M2 in India
As promised, Asus has begun rolling out the Android Pie update for the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and Max M2 in India. Read on to know more about the update!
Android Pie was publicly released by Google in August 2018, and several OEMs have since then gone on to update several flagship and mid-range devices in their portfolio to the latest update by Google (with the unfortunate exception of LG). Asus revealed its Android Pie upgrade plan for its ZenFone lineup, including several popular devices within the roadmap but with no dates. The update seemed to be on the horizon after Asus opened up an Android Pie Beta program for the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1, but it took longer than expected. Asus ended up issuing an apology to its fans and customers and promised that Android Pie would be made available to the ZenFone Max Pro M1, ZenFone Max Pro M2, and ZenFone Max M2 by April 15th. True to its word, the update for the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and Max M2 have begun rolling out to devices.
Asus Zenfone Max M2 and Zenfone Max Pro M2 forums are now open
We have just opened up two forums dedicated to the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 and the ASUS ZenFone Max M2 respectively. Come on in and join the conversation!
Early last week, ASUS held a launch event in India for two new mid-range smartphones that our users have been very excited about. First up we have the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 with its 6.26-inch FHD+ LCD, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 mobile platform, RAM options of 3GB, 4GB, or 6GB, with storage options of 32GB, 64GB or 64GB, and an expandable microSD card slot. The device has a 5,000mAh capacity battery and will be launching with near-stock Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box but the company promises it will have an Android Pie update sometime in January.
ASUS is releasing encrypted kernel sources for the ZenFone Max Pro M1, Max Pro M2 and Max M2
ASUS has released the kernel sources for the ZenFone Max M2, Max Pro M2 and Max Pro M1, but in an encrypted form, rendering them useless for developers.
The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 has been one of the more surprising releases in 2018, mainly because of its value-for-money factor coupled with a stock Android ROM. The phone ticked a lot of boxes for people who preferred a cleaner Android approach, and who consequently wanted to stay away from the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 builds up on its predecessor, and goes on to compete against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro. We've been happily recommending these devices to people, but our recommendation is likely to change because of a recent decision from ASUS.