Items tagged with android q
OnePlus has made a name for itself for its steadfast mission to deliver flagship smartphones to customers with value pricing. The most recent example of this is the OnePlus 7 Pro, which offers Snapdragon 855 muscle and a notch-less display for hundreds less than the competition from Apple and Samsung. One other “plus” of going with OnePlus has been the company's close relationship with Google in getting users quick access to Android updates -- that even extends to beta versions of Android Q (now officially called Android 10). OnePlus just announced today that its OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro smartphones are getting the Android 10 Developer Preview 5, which was released a few weeks...
Read more...
You can forget about the next version of Android being called queijadinha, qurabiya, queen of puddings, or any other dessert that begins the letter "Q." As part of a more inclusive rebranding effort, Google is moving away from the traditional dessert-themed naming scheme, and calling the next major build of its mobile operating system simply Android 10. Well, it was fun while it lasted. Perhaps the most memorably build up to this point, in terms of the name, was KitKat. Google partnered with Nestle for the tie-in to Android, and in doing so, it made the guessing game all the more fun for ever subsequent build of Android—would the name be an actual dessert, or a candy brand? "As we continue...
Read more...
The finish line is in sight for Google when it comes to the Android Q operating system. The company released its first developer build of Android Q way back in March, and now the final development build (Beta 6) has been released to the public. With the release of Android Q Beta 6 comes the final API 29 SDK for app developers. Google explains that this final beta build includes all the "features, system behaviors, and developer APIs that you’ll find in the final platform, so it gives you everything you need to get your apps ready." Google warns, however, that changes made to improve Android performance, battery life and security -- as with previous major Android releases -- may...
Read more...
Google continues to test and tweak the next major version of its mobile operating system, currently called Android Q, for which the Beta 5 release began rolling out to developers and testers nearly a month ago. The final release looms around the corner. In the meantime, the Android team hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit and revealed some interesting details, including a clarification on Android Q's new Desktop Mode. Initially discovered as a hidden mode in the first public beta of Android Q, the Desktop Mode has been a point of intrigue and speculation. And up until now, it was not entirely clear what the purpose was or what the implications were for Android as a whole. Now we...
Read more...
Android fans looking forward to trying out the next beta edition of Android Q can download Beta 5 today. To get the beta operating system, the users do have to be in the Android Q Beta Program. Beta 5 is the first release candidate for devs to use for testing apps before the final version of Android Q launches this summer. There are a couple of notable changes in Beta 5; the corner-in gesture to activate the Assistant is now official. Google has also rolled in a new "peek" behavior for the back gesture that will work better with apps that feature slide-out navigation drawers. That latter change is an important one because it fixes a problem with the edge swipe to go back that conflicted with...
Read more...
The risk with installing beta software is that it is unfinished code, and as such it may contain bugs, sometimes showstopping ones. That was the case with the initial roll out of the Android Q Beta 4 release. Some users had issues installing the update, and so Google took it offline for a bit. Well, it's now available again, presumably with a few less bugs this time around. "We’ve resolved the issue that was affecting some users when updating to Beta 4, and we’re resuming updates to all Pixel devices today. Thanks for your patience!," Google stated on Reddit. Google says it is pushing out the new Android Q Beta 4 update (QPP4.190502.019) to all enrolled devices, including those that...
Read more...
It's been nearly a month since we last came across a credible Google Pixel 4 rumor, and now another report is throwing everything we thought we knew about the phones into disarray. OnLeaks, which usually has a pretty good track record with regards to smartphone leaks, has posted new renders of the Pixel 4, and they are unlike anything that we've seen in the past. The gadget leaker partnered with Pricebaba for the renders, which are allegedly based on "early prototyping schematics". Unlike the last renders we saw of the alleged Pixel 4, this latest iteration actually still has physical buttons for power and volume controls. We can't see much up front other than an...
Read more...
For developers and enthusiasts looking to get an early taste of the next version of Google’s Android operating system, the release of new betas is always a highly-anticipated event. And while there's always the promise of cool new features and performance enhancements, there's always the possibility that things could go wrong with this early software -- after all, it is still in beta. Such is the case with Android Q Beta 4, which first landed earlier this week. Almost immediately, Pixel owners began complaining about problems with the over-the-air (OTA) update. Many users said that the Beta 4 update failed to install and, in some cases, put them into reboot hell. Others were cast...
Read more...
Google is getting oh-so-close to release the major version of Android, still just called Android Q, to the public. How close are we talking about? Google has begun pushing out the Beta 4 release of Android Q, which contains finalized APIs and the official SDK, for a last round of testing, before launching the real deal "later in the summer." There is not a set release date yet, but we anticipate it will come out in August, rather than at the tail end of summer in September. Following the last round of beta testing, Google will move on to issuing release candidates. "With the developer APIs finalized and release candidate builds coming soon, it’s critical for all Android developers to test...
Read more...
Google has made a splash over the last month with the launch of the new mid-range Pixel 3a and 3a XL smartphones. The devices have up to $600 in incentives to get users to trade in iPhone and other devices to get the new smartphone. We've talked about Android Q before with its focus on privacy and a slew of other new features coming. Google is reportedly working on another new feature for Android Q that might not come to everyone. This feature is automatic car crash detection. References were found to the new feature in the Android Q Beta 3 Safety Hub app. A string in the app reads that the car crash detection function will "automatically launch an alert activity when the device detects you are...
Read more...
As expected, the bigwigs in Mountain View rolled out the third beta of Android Q at Google I/O 2019, giving us a broader view of what the next major version of Android will bring to the table. We still do not know what exactly it will be called—Queen of Puddings, perhaps?—but here are some of the more notable additions introduced in the latest beta. To begin with, Google said it's been focusing on three themes, those being innovation, security and privacy, and digital well being. "We want to help you take advantage of the latest new technology—5G, foldables, edge-to-edge screens, on-device AI, and more—while making sure users' security, privacy, and well being are always...
Read more...
Google I/O isn't scheduled to kick off until tomorrow, but Google has announced an update for it Android Auto infotainment system ahead of schedule. Perhaps tomorrow's event is just too jam-packed full of awesomeness to include Android Auto, but for whatever the reason, there's plenty of new stuff to talk about. For starters, Android Auto is getting a new look with a new "dark theme," which likely foreshadows a similar design aesthetic that will come to Android Q on the smartphone side of things. Google says that this darker color palette is "easy on the eyes" and should allow the UI to better blend in with your vehicle's interior (many of which feature black or dark grey upper...
Read more...
The annual Google I/O event is right around the corner, as in tomorrow, and Google is expected to announce a bunch of new stuff. One of those will be a beta of a new major build of Android, as is now customary at these events. But Google also has some new hardware on the horizon that we expect will be unveiled tomorrow. Here's what to expect. Android Q To start with, Android Q Beta 3 is bound for a launch at Google I/O 2019. Google rolled out the first beta for its Pixel phones in March, followed by a second beta in April. Those introduced things like better privacy controls, pop-up setting menus (similar to 3D Touch on iOS), and so forth. It's not clear what exactly the third beta of Android...
Read more...
We've been hearing about Android Q for a few months now. In February, we learned that Android Q might kill the back button in favor of gesture control. Last month the Android Q developer preview landed with support for folding displays. There is a lot to look forward to with Android Q, but there are a few things that developers aren't happy about. One of those things was a new requirement having to do with scoped storage. Scoped storage changes how apps can access the external storage of the smartphone. The problem for Android users was that any app could read and write files to external storage. Files in external storage are the sort you can see when you plug your phone into a PC. The problem...
Read more...
Although there were suspicions that the first Android Q beta would drop on Monday, that day came in went. Luckily, we didn't have to wait much longer as Android Q Developer Beta 1 is now available to download. Google isn't providing a lengthy list of tangible, user-facing features that are the hallmark of all new Android releases, but it is detailing new developments that are happening under the hood. For starters, Android Q is placing a heavy emphasis on privacy, which is something that Apple has made it a point to criticize every chance it gets. Android Q puts further limits on access to device location data, and when an app requests location data a new prompt will be presented...
Read more...
The next version of Google's massively popular mobile operating system is expected to be called Android Q, and we've already seen plenty of leaks regarding the features we can expect to see when the OS lands. One of the big rumors is that Android Q will eliminate the back button in favor of using gesture control. One thing we didn't know is when the operating system will land for users to try out. It appears the first chance for Android fans to try out Android Q could be today according to the bug tracker for the beta. The bug tracker for the Android Q beta has just opened up, and in that tracker, a date filter was discovered with today's date: March 11. There is no indication given as to what...
Read more...
I recently upgraded to an iPhone XS Max (and spent way too much doing so), and much to my surprise, I don't miss the home button like I thought I would. It hasn't taken long to get used to system-wide gesture controls. Interestingly enough, Android may be making a major change as well—a pre-release build of Android Q suggests the back button may go the way of the dodo bird, in favor of gestures. Android is not without gesture controls already, of course. In Android 9 Pie, Google replaced the three-button navigation system with a two-button scheme, with the recent apps button getting the axe. It also introduced new navigation controls as a whole, such as the long press of the pill to launch...
Read more...
If Google sticks to its past release cadence, we can expect the company to announce a developer preview of Android Q, the next major version of its mobile operating system, in March, followed by a public beta a couple of months later at its Google I/O convention. As those time periods draw closer, more details are starting to leak out about Android Q. One of the things we are looking forward to the most is a system wide dark mode. This is something users have been asking for, and it was ultimately passed over in Android Pie. As it has been implemented in a leaked (and very early) build of Android Q, users will have the option of enabling it all of the time, or having dark mode come on automatically...
Read more...
Is it too early to start looking ahead to the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL? Considering that Google only launched its Pixel 3 series a few months ago, it does seem a bit premature to look ahead to the next generation already, but so it goes in the smartphone world. As such, a new benchmark entry at Geekbench is raising some eyebrows, and could potentially be an early look at Google's next-gen Pixel phone. Geekbench lists the phone as "Google Coral," which is obviously a codename (or a spoof—it's not that difficult to fake a listing on Geekbench). Assuming the specs are accurate, the mystery device wields a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor clocked at 1.78GHz and 6GB of RAM. On the software side,...
Read more...
One of the standout features of Android Q, the next major release of Google's popular mobile operating system, is a system wide dark mode that got skipped over in Android P. A legion of users is sure to appreciate that. Wireless carriers are getting a treat too, however, and it probably will not be as widely lauded by users as a dark mode. The most recent pre-release code indicates that phone makers and wireless carriers will have expanded capabilities for locking down smartphones to specific networks. This will be done through the SIM card, with Android Q introducing controls to essentially create whitelists and blacklists of what can and cannot work. These new controls are found under a section...
Read more...
Google launched its Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones last Fall, and they were highly praised for their overall performance and stellar camera. However, the Pixel 3 XL in particular caught a lot of flak for its rather large and deep display notch which houses the speaker and dual selfie cameras. In new patent filings that were uncovered this week, it looks as though onlookers won't have a notch mock on the forthcoming Pixel 4. Drawings found within the filing by 91mobiles hows a smartphone design that unmistakably fits in with the Pixel design aesthetic. On the front, we can see dual speakers -- one at top, and one at the bottom -- with no notch in sight. There is also no...
Read more...
We're expecting to hear a lot about the next version of the world's most popular operating system -- Android Q -- at the Google I/O conference in the spring. However, we've been given a tiny taste of what we can expect when Android Q makes its first public debut in a couple of months. The folks over at XDA-Developers have managed to get their hands on an early build of Android Q, which was said to include the latest platform security patches for February 2019 along with the current internal master of the Google ASOP. However, the most intriguing feature of this early Android Q build is the inclusion of a system-wide dark theme. The new dark theme can be accessed by navigating...
Read more...
