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January 2019 security update is out for all Google Pixel devices
The first security update of the year, January 2019 patch is now available for all Google Pixel devices. Nexus devices are nowhere to be found.
New year, new updates. Google just released the first security update of 2019. As always, it fixes a bunch of vulnerabilities on the kernel and system level. Unfortunately, the January security update hasn't been released for any of the Nexus devices. We will keep an eye out for those devices. Along with the Pixel 3, Pixel 2, and Google Pixel, the Pixel C also got the update, but it's still Android 8.1 Oreo since the device will not be updated to Android Pie.
Google Pixel 3 to get LTE Band 48 support via software update
An FCC addendum made public today (even though it was filed back in November) shows that the Pixel 3 will support LTE Band 48 via a software update.
When Google announced the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL we finally learned all of the carrier bands they would support. Nowhere in the launch documents of FCC specs did it mention support for LTE Band 48, but an FCC addendum made public today (even though it was filed back in November) shows that the Pixel 3 will support LTE Band 48 via a software update.
Pixel Sounds is a collection of ringtones, notifications, and alarms for the Google Pixel
The previously discovered Pixel Sounds app has been updated with a brand new UI and it's actually working on Pixel devices.
Earlier this month, Google released an app to the Play Store simply called "Sounds." The app didn't do anything at the time, but it appeared to be the Pixel sound settings getting spun out into its own app. Think of it sorta like the Google Wallpapers app. Now the Sounds app has been updated with a brand new UI and it's working on Pixel devices.
Google is expanding Pixel 3 eSIM support to more carriers around the world
Google is expanding the Pixel 3's eSIM support to more carriers around the world, including in India, the UK, and Germany.
eSIM is the latest and greatest iteration of the SIM card, in that it doesn't even have a physical form. Rather than putting a SIM card in your phone or watch, you can effectively store the SIM data on the device itself. Gone are the days of fumbling about with a tiny piece of plastic and trying to put it in your phone, when instead you can simply scan a SIM card onto your device. Google first tried it out on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, allowing Google Fi users to try it out, and brought it to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL this year. Now it's not just on Google Fi, as you can get it all around the world—but only on the Pixel 3 series.
Google Pixel 3 Display Analysis: A Real, Tangible Improvement — Yet Still Behind the Curve
The display of the Pixel 2 XL was a pain point last year. This year, LG Display is responsible for the smaller Google Pixel 3. How did they do this time?
In the current state of smartphone technology, which defines the old 2014 “phablet” as the new baseline size for most Android handsets, the Pixel 3 remains one of the last few choices for a modernly-compact flagship smartphone in 2018 — and one of the last without a notch. The same held true for last year’s Pixel 2. However, that handset was regularly ill-received for its outdated appearance, garnished with thicker bezels than most smartphones in 2017, especially when compared to the likes of the iPhone X, the Galaxy S8/Galaxy Note 8, or even its big-brother the Pixel 2 XL. This year, the Pixel 3 adopts a more handsome form factor as Google pushes their Pixel line to command respect as a premium-looking-and-feeling top flagship competitor, and a lot of that starts with the portal to how we interact with it — the display.
Google Camera's Night Sight is rolling out for the Pixel, Pixel 2, and Pixel 3
Night Sight has been the most noteworthy additions of the camera on the Pixel 3, but it wasn't available at launch. Today it's officially available.
The camera is the biggest selling point of the Google Pixel series. They might not have the best hardware or the best prices, but it's hard to beat the camera quality. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL continue to carry the torch and added some new features as well. Night Sight has been the most noteworthy addition, but it wasn't available at launch. Today, Google has officially announced that Night Sight will be available in the Google Camera app for the Pixel 3, Pixel 2, and Pixel.
Miss the notification LED on the Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T? Try Pixel Pulse!
The notification LED was a mainstay in Android devices for years and it's slowly dying out. An app called Pixel Pulse tries to bring it back.
Android enthusiasts tend to be the last group of people who cling to features that OEMs deem "unnecessary." We've seen this over and over again. The 3.5mm headphone jack is a hot issue right now, but one that seems to be flying under the radar is the notification LED. This feature that was a mainstay for years is slowly dying out and an app called Pixel Pulse tries to bring it back.
[Discussion] Do you think 4GBs of RAM is enough for a smartphone today?
What do you think about Google's decision of putting only 4GB of RAM inside Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL? Is that enough in 2018?
As time goes, smartphones keep getting better and better. Manufacturers come up with new ways to cram beefy specs inside little packages. They learned how to reduce the size of bezels, put the fingerprint scanner underneath the display, and, unfortunately, remove the 3.5mm headphone jack. One thing that has been a topic of controversy is the amount of RAM that should be used for smartphones. Ever since the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were released with only 4GB of RAM, people have been debating about if it's enough or not.
OnePlus 6 gets a port of the Google Pixel 3 XL's ROM
This ROM for the OnePlus 6 is actually a port of the stock PD1A firmware that shipped on the Google Pixel 3 XL. Check it out!
It can be difficult for someone to find the "perfect phone" and this is due to the fact that there are so many pieces that make up a smartphone. From the design to the hardware, performance, software, and battery life. The list goes on and on, but when it comes to the software the community developers here at XDA can help out a lot. The OnePlus 6 is quite popular among enthusiasts and its OxygenOS software is a reason why so many people like it. However, it's also a reason why so many people dislike it as well.
FYI: Google Pixel 3's eSIM isn't limited to Project Fi
With the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google has opened up eSIM to work on any carrier that supports it. All you need is the QR code from the carrier.
Google was one of the first companies to provide eSIM in their phones with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Since then other companies such as Apple have added eSIM to their phones making it easy to have multiple SIM cards. This technology basically replaces the need for a physical SIM card by having it built into the device then provisioning it to your carrier with a QR code.
Customize Active Edge on the Google Pixel 3 with Edge Sense Plus
Google continues to lock down Active Egde on the Pixel 3, only allowing you to activate Google Assistant. Edge Sense Plus opens it up to more options.
Earlier this year we highlighted an application called Edge Sense Plus from XDA Recognized Developer j to the 4n. The app allowed you to customize the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL active edge feature. Active Edge was influenced by HTC's Edge Sense feature, but HTC lets you do all sorts of customization options with their feature. Google continues to lock this down on the Pixel 3, only allowing you to activate Google Assistant or to silence alarms, notifications, and incoming phone calls.
Google Pixel 3 & Pixel 3 XL Issue List: Know before you buy
Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are premium Android smartphones, but some early adopters are having issues that you should be aware of.
We've been singing praises of the Google Pixel 3 and its larger sibling, the Google Pixel 3 XL, since they were announced. In my initial review of the Pixel 3 XL, I explained how the latest Google Pixel device embodies the 3 principles that make Google's Chrome OS so beloved: Speed, Simplicity, and Security. But even devices as polished as the Google Pixel are bound to have some issues after reaching the hands of consumers, and this year's Pixel 3 is no different.
Download: Google Camera with Night Sight for Google Pixel 3, Pixel 2, and Pixel
Night Sight is Google Camera's new feature that improves low-light/night pictures. Get it now for the Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel 2, and Google Pixel.
Earlier this month, Google unveiled the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Thanks to a ton of leaks, there wasn't much left for Google to surprise us with. However, there was one new Google Camera feature that didn't get leaked before launch: Night Sight. Night Sight uses a long exposure time and some Google software magic to greatly enhance low light photography. The feature didn't ship with the Google Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL but is said to come sometime next month in an update. An earlier port of the Google Camera 6.1 APK that shipped with the Pixel 3 claimed to have enabled Night Sight, but it appears that the feature was only partially working. Now, we have what seems to be a more functional version of Night Sight in a barely-modded Google Camera app that works on the Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel 3 XL, Google Pixel 2, Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Pixel, and Google Pixel XL.
How to Unlock the Bootloader and Root the Google Pixel 3 with Magisk
Looking to root your Google Pixel 3 and install Magisk? Here's how to unlock the Google Pixel 3 bootloader and root the Pixel 3 with Magisk Manager.
Like the Google Nexus series, the Google Pixel smartphones are among the easiest devices to unlock the bootloader, root, and install custom ROMs and kernels. The 2018 Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL will be no different. In fact, it's already possible to root the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL thanks to the most recent update of the popular systemless-root tool called Magisk. He has released version 17.3 of Magisk and you can read about the release notes here. Unlocking the bootloader of the Pixel 3 series takes seconds, and getting your device up and running with Magisk takes minutes. If you've ever unlocked the bootloader of and rooted a Google Nexus, Google Pixel, or OnePlus device, you shouldn't have any issues unlocking your Pixel 3 and installing Magisk. For those of you who need a refresher, here's a tutorial to guide you through the process.
How to disable Android Pie Gestures on the Google Pixel 3
Google made the gesture navigation in Android Pie mandatory on the Google Pixel 3. But it's possible to disable the gestures and bring back the old buttons.
If you've used an Android smartphone before the Google Pixel 3, you're probably familiar with the 3 button navigation bar layout of back, home, and recent apps overview. In Android Pie, Google introduced gesture navigation which lets you swipe up to see recent apps, swipe right to switch to the previous app, swipe right and hold to scroll between recent apps, press the back button, or press the home button. Google made this new style of navigation optional for all devices upgrading to Android Pie like the Google Pixel and Google Pixel 2, but made it mandatory on the Google Pixel 3. If you've been wondering how to disable the new Android Pie gestures on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, there's an unofficial way to do so.
Android Pie on the Google Pixel 3 has an automatic dark theme based on time of day and battery saver
The updated Android Pie build that ships on the Google Pixel 3 has a neat feature: Automatic dark theme based on the time of day and battery saver.
This year's new Google Pixel smartphone brings a ton of new camera features such as Top Shot, Super Res Zoom, Subject Tracking Autofocus, Photobooth, Google Lens Suggestions, and more. The Google Pixel 3 also has new features in its Android Pie build such as Driving Mode, Flip to Shhh, Adaptive color mode, Google Duplex, and Call Screening. Not every new software feature gets its own headline, though. There are plenty of smaller additions to the software experience that we have to find for ourselves. One such feature is an update to something many of our readers love: the automatic dark theme option. Yes, Android 8.1 Oreo already has a dark mode that triggers based on your current wallpaper, but the new feature on the updated Pie build for the Pixel 3 turns on the dark theme automatically based on the time of day or whether battery saver mode is enabled.
Get the Google Pixel 3's Flip to Shhh feature on any Android phone
'Flip to Shhh' is one of the features of Digital Wellbeing found on Pixel 3 devices. You can now replicate it on your own device with the help of Tasker.
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were officially announced last week. While some may argue they're not worthy of an upgrade from previous Pixel devices because of not-so-much changed hardware, we know that Google really did software right. As you may already know, Google filled them with a bunch of exclusive features. One of them is "Flip to Shhh," which lets you put the Pixel into Do Not Disturb mode when you place it face down on a table or any other surface. Lucky for us, almost nothing stays exclusive to a specific device for long. If the feature is good, the development community ports it to other Android devices.
Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL factory images and kernel sources are going live
Google has uploaded the factory images and kernel source code for the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL. Rev up those machines, developers!
Last week, Google finally put an end to the stream of leaks of the Pixel 3 by announcing the two devices. Despite the many leaks, there were a few details that were waiting to be discovered. Our initial review of the device was positive: Google continues to excel in computational photography, and the Pixel 3 is proof of their success. While the average consumer focuses on the Pixel 3's camera performance, many Android enthusiasts love the Pixel for its clean, near-stock build of Android. We've already seen the live wallpapers get ported and developers are already attempting to port Night Sight and Google Lens Suggestions to other devices. Now that the factory images and kernel source code have been released, developers will be able to start doing a lot more tinkering with the Pixel 3's software.
Google Pixel 3 (non-XL) uses an OLED panel from LG like the Pixel 2 XL
The Google Pixel 3 (non-XL model) has been found to have an LG OLED panel, like last year's Google Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 3 XL has a Samsung OLED panel.
One of the mysteries left unsolved after the announcement of the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL has finally been answered. Yesterday, it was revealed that the larger Pixel 3 XL features an OLED panel manufactured by Samsung. Today, we now have confirmation that the smaller Pixel 3's display is manufactured by LG Display. This news comes courtesy of iFixit, which tore down the Pixel 3 and identified the panel.
Google Pixel 3 XL uses an OLED display from Samsung
The Google Pixel 3 XL's OLED display was manufactured by . Last year's Pixel 2 XL's was made by LG while the Pixel 2's was made by Samsung.
Samsung has dominated the manufacturing of OLED panels for smartphones and televisions, but recently, LG has closened the gap between the two Korean companies. The Google Pixel 2 notably features an LG-manufactured P-OLED panel, which we highly praised in our review. Samsung, LG, and even Sony have intensified their efforts to ship the best mobile OLED display on the market: Samsung with the Galaxy Note 9, LG with the V40 ThinQ, and Sony with the Xperia XZ3. With the release of the Google Pixel 3 XL, you may be wondering which company Google is sourcing their OLED panels from. As it turns out, it’s a Samsung made panel.