Items tagged with android 11
Android 11 is being released today and it is turning the feature set “up to 11.” This new Android version has a focus of three themes: people, controls, and privacy. This update is dropping for Pixel devices from the Pixel 2 onward. As mentioned, the three themes are the most important talking points of the update. The first point, people, is all about improving conversations and discussion flow while multitasking. Notifications for conversations pop up in a dedicated space in the notifications shade. Bubbles are a new feature which allow conversation “shortcuts” to be placed on screen for easy access back to the conversation. Finally, they have consolidated keyboard...
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Earlier this year, OnePlus introduced its newest lineup of flagship smartphones: the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8T. Both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC with 5G connectivity, with prices starting at $699 for the less feature-packed OnePlus 8 (you can read the HotHardware review of both smartphones here). As is usually the case with OnePlus, however, the company releases a flagship “refresh” in the latter half of each year, and this year we’re looking at the incoming OnePlus 8T. The OnePlus 8T will reportedly share its dimensions with the OnePlus 8 (pictured above), including its 6.55-inch AMOLED display. However, the display will be receiving...
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In the Smart TV space, Roku has established itself as the global leader with a wide range of supported apps, affordable dongles that can be attached to any TV, and deep penetration with top-selling TV brands like TCL. However, Google’s Android TV platform has been around for a few years and is looking to take some of the sting out of Roku and to a certain extent, Amazon’s Fire TV platform. Google announced today that the number of monthly active users for Android TV have skyrocketed by 80 percent during the last year. The company says that it’s currently working with 7 out of the top 10 Smart TV OEMs to ensure that consumers are able to experience Android...
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It is said you learn something new every day, and for me, I just learned there is a World Emoji Day. I also learned that World Emoji Day is today, July 17 (so now I do not have to fret if I learning nothing at all new tomorrow). To celebrate the occasion, Google announced it will be adding all 117 new emojis from the Emoji 13.0 update to Android 11, while Apple is likely to do the same with iOS 14 (the company previewed 13 of them). That's a lot of emojis. They are also varied, with everything from a pinching finger to ninjas and brides, and everything in between. There will also be a wide assortment of cute animals, of course, along with foods, drinks, activities, toys, and the list goes on...
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A lot of Android fans have been wondering when the next iteration of the mobile operating system, Android 11, will exit beta and officially launch. Google recently published a video for the "Hey Google" Smart Home Summit, and in that video was a precise date for the launch of Android 11: September 8th. The date was tipped in an official "Checklist for September 8 Android 11 launch." That checklist instructed developers to tell users about the Android 11 launch and update marketing assets to include Android controls along with sending an email to users and a notification from the app. The slide also instructs the developers to ensure that it's easy to link their devices to Google and to improve...
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Microsoft is seemingly in a race to get the Surface Duo out the door before Samsung announces its equally intriguing Galaxy Fold 2. Now we're seeing even more evidence that the launch is imminent. Surface Duo assets have already shown up in Microsoft's Your Phone app according to Zac Bowden. The fact that Microsoft would put this unreleased phone in its production app shows that the wait won't be much longer. Looks like Your Phone already has the assets to differentiate between normal Android phones and Surface Duo pic.twitter.com/BBnKenOF1E— Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) June 20, 2020 Windows Latest is separately reporting that the Surface Duo, which will launch with Android 10 installed,...
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Android fans who want to try the next big release for the operating system can currently enroll in the Android 11 Beta program if you're using a Pixel smartphone. Google says the Android Beta for Pixel program offers a simple way to try pre-release versions of Android to check out new features. The program also allows users to provide feedback to Google about the operating system before its launch. Once users register their device, they will automatically receive updates from the latest beta version of the OS. Supported devices for the Android Beta for Pixel program include: Pixel 2 Pixel 2 XL Pixel 3 Pixel 3 XL Pixel 3a Pixel 3a XL Pixel 4 Pixel 4 XL Google points out that users on eligible...
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Had the Coronavirus pandemic never occurred, Google would be getting ready to release its Android 11 Beta 1 release tomorrow, as originally planned. That's not going to happen—the launch event has been postponed without a followup date, so for the time being, the Android 11 Preview 4 build is the latest one. Well, for most people. Pixel 4 owners are apparently the exception. As spotted by XDA-Developers, the Android 11 Beta 1 build (RPB1.200504.018) has found its way to some Pixel 4 phones as a 736MB download, and with it comes a glimpse of some upcoming features, changes, and improvements that Google is currently working on for the final release. One of the improvements involves the Quick...
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Are you ready for a new version of Android? Ready or not, it's right around the corner, at least in public beta form. Google plans to launch the Android 11 public beta on June 3, 2020, with a livestream announcing the details. Normally this is something that would be rolled out during Google I/O, but that event was cancelled this year because of COVID-19. "Join us as we unveil new features packed inside the next release, Android 11, as well as updates for developers to help them get the most out of modern Android development," Google states on its Android 11 developers landing page. That's also the place to go (hit the link in the Via field below) to jot your name and email address if you would...
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Google has announced that Android 11 Developer Preview 2 is now available to download and install. Google doesn't want consumers installing the new version of the operating system, so it's making it available for developers only by manual download/flash. Developer Preview 2 will work on Google's first-party Pixel 2, 3, 3a, or 4 smartphones. Google is offering the operating system via the Android Flash Tool to make installing a bit easier. Those who are running Developer Preview 1 or 1.1 can update to Developer Preview 2 via an over-the-air update. As for what's changed in the new developer preview, it adds a new 5G state API to quickly check whether the user is currently on a 5G New Radio or...
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We'd bet that many Android users who have been using wireless charging have, at some point, sat their device on the charging pad only to realize later it didn't charge. Often the issue with not charging comes down to having the smartphone misaligned on the pad. Most devices must be aligned just right for wireless charging, and the current version of Android doesn't tell you if the alignment is off. However, Android 11 is adding a message to warn of a wireless charging misalignment. A new Android 11 feature will put an error message on the screen that says, "realign phone to charge wirelessly." It's unclear if this warning will come to all Android devices running the software update. Reports indicate...
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Google recently launched the first Android 11 Developer Preview, and code sleuths are quickly scouring through the OS to see what new features await users. While Google announced a number of new features coming to Android 11 earlier this week (including better support for 5G phones and folding displays), some new ones have been uncovered including double tap gestures for Pixel smartphones. The gesture system was developed under the codename "Columbus" and is initiated by double-tapping on the back of the smartphone. Right now, these are the double tap gestures that are currently available with Columbus according to XDA-Developers: Dismiss timer Launch camera Launch Google Assistant...
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Google is jumping the gun a bit early today with the first official release of its Android 11 Developer Preview. We usually see the first Android developer previews land in March, so this is a pleasant surprise for those that want to get an early taste of what Google has to offer this year. “With Android 11 we’re keeping our focus on helping users take advantage of the latest innovations, while continuing to keep privacy and security a top priority,” writes Dave Burk, Google VP of Engineering. “We’ve added multiple new features to help users manage access to sensitive data and files, and we’ve hardened critical areas of the platform to keep the OS resilient...
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For Android users that regularly record video -- especially at 4K resolution -- it's quite likely that you have hit up against the 4GB file size limit. Google put the limit in place way back in 2014 within the MediaMuxer and MPEG4Writer classes during a time when not many devices could should 4K video and had limited onboard storage. However, a new commit discovered in the AOSP gerrit indicates that Google is removing the 32-bit file size limitation within Android, and hence the 4GB restriction for videos. This is made possible by a new 64-bit offset in MPEG4Writer, and according to the commit, Google has successfully recorded video files up to 32GB in size with these changes in place. ...
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