PATREONItems tagged with android p
Well, this one sort of took us by surprise. Out of nowhere, Google just announced that the latest version of Android, Android P, is officially called Android 9 Pie. And best of all, the final, production version of the operating system is available right now for those using Pixel devices. As for Google's OEM partners that participated in the Android P beta, they will have to wait a bit longer to deliver the final release of the operating system to supported devices. Google writes: And devices that participated in the Beta program from Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential, as well as all qualifying Android One devices, will receive this update by the end of this...
Read more...
Android fans who have been wondering when they can get hands on the next flavor of Android have a date to look forward to. According to leaker Evan Blass, Android P will be launching on August 20. Blass tweeted an image of a calendar noting that fans might want to save the date. He didn’t give an indication of where this rumor was sourced. Blass does have quite the track record of accurate rumor mongering. The one thing that we still don't know about Android P is what its official name will be. Some reports suggest that the "P" will stand for Pistachio Ice Cream, which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. That could be an internal code name for this version of Android. Other...
Read more...
Fragmentation -- it's a word that many people throw around when talking about the myriad of Android devices that are on the market and their ability to run the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Although Google has taken steps to help combat the effects of fragmentation, it's still alive and well. Take for example the latest distribution numbers for Android. As of July 23rd, Android Oreo is sitting with a 12.1 percent share of the entire Android ecosystem. Breaking those numbers down further, 10.1 percent of users are running Android 8.0, while just 2 percent are running the most recent release: Android 8.1. Those numbers are relatively low for an operating...
Read more...
If you are a fan of Google's Pixel devices, we have good news—the company is getting ready to refresh its hardware line, meaning there will be a Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL released this fall. On top of that, Google is said to be prepping a new Pixelbook with a sleeker design than the current model, and of course there are rumors of a new smartwatch. Naturally none of this is real until Google says so, with an official announcement. In the meantime, one of the web's most prominent product leakers, Evan Blass (known as @evleaks on Twitter), added credibility to the rumors by tweeting out Google's future hardware plans. Add to this fall hardware lineup a second-generation Pixelbook, with smaller...
Read more...
If you're looking for a great [and aging] flagship Android smartphone, B&H Photo is currently running a pretty good deal on the original Google Pixel. The Pixel launched in late 2016 and brought with it a sleek new design direction for Google's first-party smartphones and introduced us to Google's spectacular camera system. Right now, you can grab the 32GB variant for $329.99, while the 128GB variant rings in just $399. Both of those prices include free expedited shipping and you'll only pay tax if you live in the state New York. While these smartphones no longer feature bleeding edge hardware, their specs are nothing to scoff at. Both smartphones feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon...
Read more...
Many in the Android enthusiast community are looking forward to the release of Google's upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL flagship Android O smartphones. We've seen leaked images of a Pixel 3 XL prototype in the past, but these new renders -- which appear to be based on the various previous leaks -- give us our best look yet at the two-member Pixel 3 family. These renders are by no means "Google Official", but they are probably the next best thing to the real deal. The Pixel 3 has the least dramatic design changes compared to its Pixel 2 predecessor and continues to feature rather beefy bezels both at the top and bottom of the smartphone. It does, however, have a tall 18:9 aspect...
Read more...
The final release of Android P is just around the bend at this point. We know this because Google has released the second beta of Android P, noting that it includes the final APIs for the next major release of its mobile operating system, along with the latest system images and updated developer tools. On top of that, Google said very plainly that the consumer release of Android is "coming later in the summer." Android P beta 2 arrives four weeks after Google pushed out the first beta at its Google I/O event in Mountain View, California. It can be installed on both generations of Pixel devices (Pixel and Pixel XL, and Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2), provided you enroll with Google. Pixel owners who...
Read more...
2018 has already seen the release of quite a few admirable flagship smartphones from a variety of OEMs. However, the second half of 2018 could prove to be just as fruitful with new flagships on the way from Google in the form of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Today we're getting just a little bit more info on the displays that will be used on the two smartphones. According to well-respected leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks), the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will feature 5.3-inch and 6.2-inch displays respectively. The former will have a traditional display, while the latter will feature a display notch (as we previously reported). For comparison, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL has...
Read more...
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have been on the market for over seven months now, and given the interest in Google's home brewed handsets, it's a pretty safe bet a Pixel 3 is in the pipeline. It's also a given that the Pixel 3 will arrive with the next major version of Android, currently called Android P. If a couple of leaked illustrations of Android P are any indication, the Pixel 3 will arrive with a notch-free display and refined gesture controls. Spotted by SlashLeaks, the illustrations are found in the current Android P beta, which are accessible by heading to Settings > Sounds > Shortcut to Prevent Ringing. It's not clear if the images are supposed to depict the Pixel 3, but if so, it...
Read more...
Could it be that all Android devices that end up getting upgraded to Android 9.0 (otherwise known as Android P) will support Android Auto, and not just a spattering of devices? It appears that is the direction things are headed. Kenwood, a maker car audio products including infotainment head units supporting Android Auto, stated in a press release that support for all devices will be implemented in Android 9.0. Here is the relevant blurb from Kenwood's press release: "The only devices that currently support wireless Android Auto are four versions of the Google Pixel—the first-generation Pixel and Pixel XL and the second-generation Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL—and the legacy Nexus 5X and...
Read more...
Google released the first developer preview for Android Pback in early March, but at the time, we didn't know what Google would call the mobile operating system. Well, today at Google I/O, the tech giant spilled the beans on some of the new features that will be included in the operating system, but we still don't have an official name yet... bummer. Google isn't attempting to reinvent the wheel with Android P, but it is making a big push for artificial intelligence (AI) on the platform. By allowing more processing to take place on-device, you don't have to rely so much on the cloud, and your data stays secure on your smartphone. The company worked with its DeepMind division to use...
Read more...
There has been a privacy issue with Android for quite some time that gave apps the ability to access the network activity of your device without asking for permission. These apps are unable to eavesdrop on the content of your network activity, but they can peek at incoming and outgoing connections via TCP/UDP and figure out what server you are connecting to. In practice, this means that apps can do things like detect if you have connected to the server at your bank to conduct online transactions. One concern with the issue is that it could allow social media apps to track network activity without the user's knowledge. This specifically has been a big concern for some users after the privacy issues...
Read more...
There's still a lot we don't know about Google's upcoming Android P release, but thanks to an inadvertent leak on Google's own blog, speculation about certain minor details has now exploded. It looks like the Home button icon has turned into a pill, the back button into an outline, and the dialog boxes now have curved edges. In a blog post talking about network security improvements in Android P, a screenshot left in tact revealed all of the things mentioned above, as well as a couple of other aesthetic changes. Since publishing, Google cropped out some of the screenshot, which could either mean we were simply not meant to see those details yet, or, it could mean that it's not final design, and...
Read more...
At this point, Google should be well along in development of its third-generation Pixel smartphones: the assumed Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Up to this point, the Pixel family has served as Google's flagship smartphones (taking the place of Nexus branding), helping to usher in each yearly release of a new version of Android. However, word on the street is that the Pixel family will be expanding this year. According to four tech industry sources with direct knowledge of Google's plan, the company will launch a mid-range version of the Pixel 3 for emerging markets. Emerging markets are much more price sensitive when it comes to smartphones, so entry-level and mid-range smartphones rule the roost with...
Read more...
Google today released the first developer preview of Android P, which will replace Android 8.0 Oreo later this year. Google is adamant that this release is solely for developers at this point, so we don't suggest that you try downloading images right this instant to install on your personal Android device. So, let's dive right into what Android P offers this time around. If you've been following the news recently, you know that Android OEMs have jumped on the display notch bandwagon that Apple brought to the public limelight with the iPhone X. While the iPhone X's notch is probably its most controversial design choice, we've seen a slew of Android OEMs copy the design trend. Google wants to make...
Read more...
Mobile developers will be getting their first look at the next major version of Android, according to Evan Blass, better known as @evleaks on Twitter. The notorious leaker (more like an inside man, really) posted to social media that Google is aiming to deliver the first Developer Preview build of Android P around the middle of this month, which would peg availability in about a week or so. One thing developers are not likely to find in the preview build is a system-wide dark mode. Beyond being a preferred UI scheme for some mobile users, having a dark mode can help cut down on glare at night, which is why some GPS apps have it. Using a dark mode can also ease power requirements and potentially...
Read more...
Many users have been clamoring for a system-wide “dark mode” in Android. Besides being a preferred UI scheme for some users, a dark mode would help to cut down on glare at night (something that GPS apps already take advantage of) and help reduce power requirements on OLED displays. Android fans were given a glimmer of hope when a Google Issue Tracker thread — which was initially started back in November 2017 — requested a dark mode for Android 9.0. After months of inactivity, the issue was marked as “fixed”. Android users were further stoked by a Google team member that said the feature would be “available in a future Android release.” But before...
Read more...
When Apple's iPhone X was first revealed in the fall of 2017, smartphone users of the “Android persuasion” were quick to point and laugh at the awkward notch at the top of the display. The eyesore houses the front camera and sensors necessary for Face ID facial recognition. However, it appears that Apple may have the last laugh, as Google is reportedly preparing its upcoming Android P operating system to embrace smartphones with notched displays. This news comes to us country of Bloomberg, which says that Google is overhauling the Android user interface and is modifying APIs to allow apps to more easily conform to this new physical design. "The design will mean more new Android phones...
Read more...
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL were launched to great fanfare late last year. The flagship Android Nougat smartphones were praised for their build quality, crisp displays, and excellent rear cameras (despite the lack of image stabilization). However, all good things must come to an end in Android land when it comes to software support. Back in June, Google provided the following guidance for updates relating to its first-party Nexus hardware: Nexus devices get security updates for at least 3 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store, or at least 18 months from when the Google Store last sold the device, whichever is longer. After that, we can't guarantee additional...
Read more...
