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The OnePlus One, Google Nexus 5, and four 8 year-old Sony Xperia phones get Android 11 custom ROMs
Developers have brought Android 11 to the years-old OnePlus One, Google Nexus 5, and four Sony Xperia phones via LineageOS 18.1 builds.
If your old phone still works, then why should you upgrade? That's the question a lot of people ask themselves every month. Sometimes, you'll be forced to upgrade when your carrier makes changes to their network, but if you have an older phone that can still make calls, texts, and use mobile data, then you can keep using it for as long as the hardware lasts. The biggest problem with using outdated hardware is getting up-to-date software to make your apps keep working and keep your device safe from security exploits. Fortunately, if you still use the OnePlus One, the Google Nexus 5, or the Sony Xperia SP, T, TX, or V, you can upgrade your software to the latest Android 11 release, albeit unofficially, thanks to custom Android 11 ROMs on our forums.
LineageOS 17.1 adds support for the OnePlus One, Sony Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact, while F(x)tec Pro1 gets LineageOS 16
LineageOS 17.1 support has been for the OnePlus One, Sony Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Compact, and F(x)tec Pro1 through official and unofficial builds.
LineageOS is, by default, the first preference as a custom ROM for many Android enthusiasts. This is because LineageOS evolves from CyanogenMod, one of the oldest custom ROMs conceived shortly after the launch of Android. For several years, it had been the means to revitalize old phones, and LineageOS continues to serve longtime Android users in the same way. LineageOS 17.1 is the latest version of the Android 10-based custom OS that was announced earlier this year with improvements over LineageOS 17. LineageOS 17.1 has now been ported to some old devices including the veteran flagship killer — OnePlus One — along with the Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact from 2018, while last year's F(x)tec Pro1 gets LineageOS 16.
The push for 5G may have unintentionally killed the "Flagship Killer" this year
The industry-wide push for 5G, coupled with the Snapdragon 865's lack of integrated 4G, may just have killed Flagship Killers in 2020. Read on for more!
In the early days of Android, smartphone wars amongst OEMs were solely about the spec sheet. Big numbers, fast numbers, many numbers -- it was all a race to the top. The idea of a flagship was to throw as many things as you could together and present it to the consumer at a price that gave you a decent margin to operate. An attempt was made to undercut the next competitor, but not necessarily always, as flagships were not supposed to be price-conscious. These were the finest and the most important smartphones amongst the whole lineup, and OEMs were mighty proud of them.
OnePlus One, OnePlus 5, and OnePlus 5T get Android Pie ports
The OnePlus One, the OnePlus 5, and the OnePlus 5T all now have official, fully-working Android Pie ports available for download!
Android 9 Pie has only been out for 2 weeks now, yet we've seen an amazing amount of development on our forums already. We've seen stable, working ports for several devices, including phones from Xiaomi, Motorola, and OnePlus—all of them working fairly decently with few remaining bugs. As the days go by, this list only keeps growing. Today, three new devices are joining the list and getting unofficial Android Pie ports: the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 5, and the OnePlus 5T.
Exploit Targets Qualcomm's EDL Mode, Affects Some Xiaomi, OnePlus, Nokia and other Devices
Qualcomm devices have an EDL mode, which as it turns out seems to be exploitable if you have the right tools released by the OEMs.
Devices with Qualcomm chipsets have a Primary Bootloader (PBL) which typically boots the Android system, but also houses an alternative boot mode known as EDL mode. EDL mode is Qualcomm's Emergency Download Mode and allows an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to force flash software on a device. This cannot be modified (read-only mode) and has full control over the device's storage. Many OEMs including OnePlus and Xiaomi have released tools (known as programmers) which utilize EDL mode and a protocol known as Firehose to unbrick a device, while other tools from companies such as Nokia have leaked. Firehose can utilize a number of commands to flash devices, along with the ability to examine the data within a device's memory. Security researchers Roee Hay (@roeehay) and Noam Hadad from Aleph Research have discovered critical device vulnerabilities using this mode, which effectively grants an attacker full device access.
Paranoid Android returns with Android 7.1.2 Builds: Pie Controls, Color Engine, and More!
Paranoid Android has returned with new builds on Android 7.1.2, bringing along Pie, Color Engine, Substratum support and much more! Read on to know more!
Paranoid Android's recently teased a return to form with a revamped Pie control and Android Nougat on board, and while a few users are skeptical of their return, the team is ready to unveil that what they've been working on in the shadows. The wait is finally over - Paranoid Android has returned with Android 7.1.2 Nougat builds for a bunch of devices.
Halium is an Open Source Project Working Towards a Common Base for Non-Android Mobile Operating Systems
Project Halium is an open source project that aims to build a common working base for all non-Android, GNU/Linux based operating systems.
If you are an Android enthusiast who has also explored beyond the world of purely Android-based custom ROMs, you have probably heard of projects such as Ubuntu Touch, Sailfish OS, and the like.
Plasma Mobile is a Fully Open-Source Smartphone OS from KDE e.V.
Plasma Mobile is fully open-source smartphone OS from KDE e.V. aimed to turn your smartphone into a "fully open hacking machine."
If you've dabbled with Linux distros in the past, then you've likely heard of KDE before. KDE stands for K Desktop Environment and it's one of the main desktop environment options (next to GNOME) that can be used on Linux distros. KDE e.V. is a registered non-profit organization that represents the KDE community when in legal and financial matters. The team behind this organization has just announced a new, open source smartphone OS called Plasma Mobile.
OnePlus Releases Price List for Spare Parts in India
OnePlus has released a price list for its genuine spare parts available in service centers across India. Read on to know more!
When we talk about things like Customer Service and Warranty, OnePlus isn't a company that gets spoken about very positively. They had a very rough start in those departments, ending up in the bad books of many customers, and not without good reason, too.
In 2014, Chinese company OnePlus was on a quest to prove that you didn't need to pay top dollar to have specs and features found in phones that cost over $700. The OnePlus One, released in the spring of 2014 with the much-disliked "invite" system, came with the Snapdragon 801 CPU, had 3GB of RAM, plus a 13MP camera with optical-image-stabilization, for a price that started under $299 for the 16GB model and went to $349 for 64GB. The display is 5.5" and 1080p resolution.
OnePlus One Hydrogen OS: First Impressions
OnePlus recently released Hydrogen OS for the OnePlus One. How does it stack up as a ROM, and against Oxygen OS? Read on to find out!
May 28th 2015 was a special day for OnePlus. Afterall, it was on this day that they had promised to release Hydrogen OS, their own homebrewed China-specific ROM for the OnePlus One. And they did deliver, as Hydrogen OS was unveiled to the public in a beta format. Tag along as we take a look at what this ROM has to offer in our Initial Impressions.
Everything OxygenOS: What We Know, What to Expect
OnePlus is causing buzz with their latest OxygenOS reveal and details. We've compiled everything we know so far to give you a good idea of what to expect!
OnePlus has been a heated company filed under many controversies, but with many strengths and virtues that turned them - and their product - into one of the biggest buzz-filled and talked-about entities of the mobile world in 2014. Their debut with the OnePlus One "flagship killer" was met with a lot of conversation surrounding not just the phone, but the company's decisions around their promotion decisions. In the end, their first device was a success that sold nearly 1 million devices last year despite virtually no (traditional) advertisement and some severe hardware supply shortages. The start-up had a rough and interesting history full of ups and downs that passed onto their product, something we covered in this in-depth recapitulation of the 2014 events OnePlus went through. But if there's something worth noting out of that turbulent history is their software relationships with CyanogenMod, and the controversy it spawned.
Dynamically Change Your OnePlus One's Lock Screen Theme
This simple modification lets you dynamically change the lock screen on your OnePlus One (or other device running CyanogenMod 11 or 11s) to match your theme
Although they were originally designed to secure our mobile devices and prevent inadvertent and accidental device usage, lock screens have evolved into so much more. They not only serve a functional purpose in protecting our devices, but they also show us information with lock screen widgets and even serve as a bit of eye candy. However, that last bit is hampered a little by having one static lock screen theme.
How to Root the OnePlus One and Unlock Bootloader and Install Custom Recovery - XDA Developer TV
If you ever wanted to root, install a custom recovery or unlock the bootloader on your OnePlus One, check out this video.
In this episode, XDA Developer TV Producer TK shows you how to root, unlock the bootloader, and install a custom recovery on your OnePlus One. TK recently reviewed the OnePlus One and while not readily available yet, it’s created quite a stir on Social media. So as is usual at XDA, we must root all the things, and the OnePlus One is no exception!
Device Review: OnePlus One
Having created much buzz on social media before its release the OnePlus One is here! and XDA Developer TV reviews it to see if it lives up to its hype.
Seemingly every day, there are a bunch of new devices being released. Some are budget devices and some are flagship devices. Naturally, there are budget conscious enthusiasts who would like to have both. Recently, a device has made a big splash in the tech industry, and is called by some as the Nexus killer. Then again, what’s not being (perhaps inaccurately) called a Nexus killer these days? This device is the first offering from OnePlus. Let dive in and see if we have a Nexus killer or not.
Many in the XDA community are undoubtedly awaiting the upcoming full-scale release of the OnePlus One (OPO). This device intends to set itself apart from the sea of other smartphone options by not only offering flagship-level specifications at a bargain basement price, but also by aiming to provide a unique software experience through collaboration with Cyanogen Inc.