Over 15% of all Android phones now run Nougat

Nougat is now on more and more devices, but it’s still too early for Oreo.

The monthly Android Distribution list is an important tool for developers to decide what software versions to target for their apps. They’re also cool for us tech nerds that just like to argue what fragmentation actually means. The distribution numbers for September are out, and there are not many surprises.

Right off the bat, Android 8.0 has not been available on enough devices to even register in this month’s statistics. Whether discussing update speed or how many Pixel devices have been sold, make of that what you will. Android 6.0 Marshmallow continues to hold the largest percentage, at 32.2%, slightly down from 32.3% last month. Next largest is Android 5.0 and 5.1 Lollipop with 28.8%, followed by Android 7.0 and 7.1 Nougat with 15.8%.

Gingerbread still clings to life with 0.6% of the market share, despite losing Google Play Services support earlier this year. Ice Cream Sandwich also refuses to die with the same 0.6% of the market.

This month follow the same trend as previous years: the just-announced version doesn’t register at all, while the previous version gains more and more steam, and the two-year-old version sits at the top. The newer versions don’t typically gain much market share until spring of the following year, when the Galaxy S devices begin getting updated and lower end phones begin shipping with the latest version. While it’d be great for updates to roll out to all Android users faster, that’s the nature of the beast. It will be interesting to look back in a year or two and see what (if any) effects Project Treble has on the roll out speeds of new Android versions.

Which version of Android are you using? Let us know down below!

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion

Comparing the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

There’s always a lot to consider after an iPhone event, and today we’re looking at three new phones. The iPhone X is the new flagship, offering up an edge-to-edge screen and TrueDepth front camera for unlocking your device with Face ID. But those who were looking forward to something less dramatic along the lines of a 7S will be right at home with the 8 and 8 Plus. If you’re curious about what each respective device is offering under the hood, check out our handy table pitting the latest iPhones in a head-to-head spec battle.

iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
Pricing
$999, $1149 (off contract)
$699, $849 (off contract)
$799, $949 (off contract)
Dimensions
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)
138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches)
158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches)
Weight
174g (6.14 ounces)
148g (5.22 ounces)
202g (7.13 ounces)
Screen size
5.8 inches (147.32mm)
4.7 inches (119.38mm)
5.5 inches (139.7mm)
Screen resolution
2,436 x 1,125 (458ppi)
1,334 x 750 (326ppi)
1,920 x 1,080 (401 ppi)
Screen type
Super Retina OLED
Retina HD IPS LCD
Retina HD IPS LCD
Battery
Size not available (up to 21 hours talk time, 12 hours internet)
Size not available (up to 14 hours talk time, 12 hours internet)
Size not available (Up to 21 hours talk time, 13 hours internet)
Internal storage
64 / 256 GB
64 / 256 GB
64 GB / 256 GB
External storage
None
None
None
Rear camera
Dual cameras:
Wide-angle, 12MP, f/1.8
Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.4
12MP, f/1.8
Dual cameras:
Wide-angle, 12MP, f/1.8
Telephoto, 12MP, f/2.8
Front-facing cam
7MP TrueDepth, f/2.2
7MP, f/2.2
7MP f/2.2
Video capture
4K at 60fps
4K at 60fps
4K at 60fps
NFC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
v5.0
v5.0
v5.0
SoC
Apple A11 Bionic
Apple A11 Bionic
Apple A11 Bionic
CPU
Not available
Not available
Not available
GPU
Not available
Not available
Not available
RAM
Not available
Not available
Not available
WiFi
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Operating system
iOS 11
iOS 11
iOS 11
Notable features
Face ID, new gyroscope and accelerometer, IP67 certified, wireless charging
New gyroscope and accelerometer, IP67 certified, wireless charging
New gyroscope and accelerometer, wireless charging

Follow all the latest news from Apple’s iPhone event here!

Rolls-Royce unveils plans for an autonomous patrol ship

Patrol ships are necessary to protect coastlines and fleets, but they’re far from ideal right now. You need big, bulky vessels, and the human crews are either faced with the tedium of an uneventful trip (if they’re lucky) or threats that a lone ship is ill-equipped to face. Rolls-Royce might have a better way: it just unveiled plans for an autonomous patrol ship that would eliminate many of these headaches, and would even be relatively eco-friendly.

The ship will use a combination of artificial intelligence and sensors to get around instead of a crew, with modular systems letting it change roles between missions (for example, a drone launching pad). This should not only let it operate for long stretches (up to 100 days) without subjecting humans to risk or sheer boredom, but allows for a smaller design that’s cheaper to run. You don’t need crew quarters or food supplies, after all. It wouldn’t have the ability to fight back if attacked, but it would use a “full electric” 1.5MW propulsion system that could help it stay undetected if it’s tracking a submarine.

That electric power will have a few perks beyond stealth. The propulsion and the two generators (which put out a total of 4MW) are better for the environment, as you might expect. Rolls-Royce even plans to equip the boat with solar panels and 3,000kWh of energy storage to keep it loitering for as long as possible. Moreover, electric motors are more reliable — rather important for a ship with no mechanics aboard. It’s not the fastest ship with promised speeds somewhere “above 25 knots,” but it’s only really meant for sounding the initial alarm and quiet surveillance, not chasing after fast-moving cruisers.

The catch is that Rolls-Royce hasn’t named any customers. The unveiling is as much about attracting business as it is anything else. With that said, it’s easy to see navies and coast guards snapping this up. Instead of having to crew every single ship in their fleets, they can reduce the costs and dangers by having robotic ships on the vanguard. Crewed ships would only need to enter the fray if it turns out to be a serious enemy who’s undeterred by the mere presence of a scout.

Source: Rolls-Royce (1), (2)

Watch the iPhone 8 event in 13 minutes

As expected, today’s event at Apple’s new Steve Jobs Theater was jam-packed. Three brand-new iPhone models, a new Apple Watch and 4K Apple TV were the news of the day, and the whole event was nearly two hours long. Don’t have that much time to watch the entire keynote? We’ve got you covered with this supercut covering all the highlights of the day. Don’t worry, we skipped over that semi-painful chat about Apple’s retail stores — sorry, I mean Town Squares.

Follow all the latest news from Apple’s iPhone event here!

Belkin and Mophie offer wireless charging pads for the new iPhones

Now that Apple is suddenly a fan of wireless phone charging, iPhone-oriented charging pads are coming out of the woodwork: Belkin and Mophie have announced their own peripherals, the Boost Up and Wireless Charging Base. Both use Qi to top up your iPhone 8 or iPhone X minus wires, supplying up to 7.5W whether or not you have a case on your handset. The differences really come down to personal preference. The Belkin device (on the left) is larger and has an LED indicator to let you know when charging starts, while the Mophie model is more compact.

The Boost Up will arrive first, hitting stores (including Apple’s) on September 15th for $60. Wait until September 20th and you can get the Wireless Charging Base for a similar price.

As you might have surmised, you don’t need an iPhone to make use of these pads. Any Qi-compatible device that needs 7.5W or less of power should work, so you could plunk your Galaxy Note 8 on either of these if you want. Likewise, you don’t need these pads to recharge your iPhone — virtually any Qi pad should do. More than anything, these peripherals are about convenience for iPhone owners. You can walk out of the Apple Store with a wireless charger ready to go when you get home. Until Apple’s own AirPower technology hits store shelves, you probably won’t find a truly iPhone-optimized charging pad.

Via: Belkin, Mophie (PR Newswire)

Source: Apple (Belkin), (Mophie)

Some phones and laptops are vulnerable to ‘BlueBorne’ exploit

Armis security has identified a new vulnerability in computers and mobile devices that leaves them susceptible to attack via Bluetooth. The exploit, dubbed “BlueBorne,” doesn’t require user permission or to even pair with devices — it can simply connect over the air and access networks or install malware. Armis previously alerted most affected parties back in April, but as of today, it’s mostly Android devices that remain vulnerable to attack.

There are technically several distinct attack vectors spread across current mobile operating systems. As Armis noted in its BlueBorne info page, Apple’s iOS beyond version 9.3.5 are vulnerable, but that vector was ironed out in iOS 10. Microsoft released an update today to all Windows versions that closes the vulnerability, with details listed here. Google’s Android, however, is spread across so much hardware that the onus to update falls on third-party manufacturers, who might not patch out the vulnerability in time. For its part, Google released protective patches for Nougat (7.0) and Marshmallow (6.0) as part of its September security update.

“We have released security updates for these issues, and will continue working with other affected platforms across the industry to develop protections that help keep users safe,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget.

The other wildcard here: Linux-based devices. Armis informed Linux device operators of the vulnerability very late (last month, as opposed to back in April when it divulged to the other mobile OS providers). Accordingly, Armis wasn’t aware of patches for Linux operating systems, meaning anything running BlueZ are vulnerable to one of the vectors, while those with Linux version 3.3-rc1 can be attacked by another. This includes Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch, its smart TVs and family hub.

While using Bluetooth is a canny way to automatically infiltrate user devices without permission, it means BlueBorne is bound by the signal frequency’s short range, and only affects devices with Bluetooth turned on. But since the exploit is so different to the typical attack vector, users wouldn’t even be alerted if their device gets compromised, leading to a hypothetical nightmare scenario (detailed in the video below) wherein a user spreads the “infection” to vulnerable phones and tablets simply by walking in their vicinity.

Worried your device might be vulnerable? Check Armis’ page on the exploit along with the respective white paper (PDF) explaining BlueBorne in detail.

Via: The Verge

Source: Armis, US-CERT

The most important stuff from today’s iPhone event

This has been one busy day at Engadget. Today two of us found ourselves at Apple Park, the company’s new California headquarters, where it held its first keynote to unveil the iPhone X and a bunch of other stuff. After a two-hour, news-filled liveblog, V headed off to the demo area, where he got hands-on with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K. Meanwhile, I found a spot in front of one of Apple Park’s futuristic glass buildings to break down what the heck just happened. This is our first take, but it won’t be our last: Stay tuned to Engadget as we continue posting photos, videos and news analysis.

Follow all the latest news from Apple’s iPhone event here!

Apple Introduces Revamped $59 Siri Remote With More Prominent Menu Button

Alongside the new 4K Apple TV, Apple today quietly released a new, slightly redesigned Siri Remote to go along with it. Priced at $59, the updated remote features a new more prominent Menu button with a white circle around it.

Aside from the redesign to the Menu button, the new Apple TV Siri Remote appears to be identical to the previous-generation model. At $59, the remote is $20 cheaper than the previous-generation Siri Remote.

Ahead of the launch of the new Apple TV, there was code found in leaked golden master software that suggested the new remote would feature new haptic feedback capabilities, but there’s no mention of haptic feedback functionality in the description of the device.

The revamped Remote continues to ship with a Lightning to USB cable, and it is available with both the new 4K Apple TV and the existing fourth-generation Apple TV.

Apple is pricing the 4K Apple TV starting at $179 for a 32GB model. The fourth-generation Apple TV is available for $149.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)
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AppleCare+ Priced at $199 for iPhone X, $149 for iPhone 8 Plus

Apple today introduced its new flagship device, the iPhone X, equipped with an edge-to-edge OLED display, a new facial recognition system, an A11 Bionic chip, and dozens of other improvements.

All of those high-end components don’t come cheap, with pricing on the device starting at $999 for the 64GB version. As it turns out, AppleCare+ for the iPhone X will also be more expensive, at $199.

That’s a $70 premium over AppleCare+ for the 8, which is priced at $129, the same price as AppleCare+ for the iPhone 7. AppleCare+ for the iPhone 8 Plus will cost $149, with Apple raising the AppleCare+ pricing for all of its Plus models by $20. Prior to today, AppleCare+ for larger-screened devices was $129, but with the new price change, AppleCare+ for iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 6s Plus costs $149.

AppleCare+ for iPhone X will extend warranty coverage of the device to two years from the original date of purchase, and it will cover two incidents of accidental damage. Apple will charge $29 to replace a damaged screen, or $99 for any other damage. These fees, interestingly, have not gone up in price.

AppleCare+ will need to be purchased alongside the new iPhone X or within 60 days. Coverage includes the iPhone itself, the battery, and the included earphones and accessories.

The new iPhone X will be available for pre-order on October 27, with the device seeing an official release on November 3.

Tag: AppleCare
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iPhone X Comes Only in Space Gray and Silver With No Sign of Gold

Apple today at the Steve Jobs Theater introduced the iPhone X, and said the high-end smartphone will be available in Space Gray and Silver, despite multiple rumors recently about a so-called “Blush Gold” colorway.

For perspective, the less expensive iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available in an all-new gold finish, and beyond the plastic iPhone 5c, every model since the iPhone 5s has been available in at least one shade of gold.

Yesterday, well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple may be encountering some production issues with the gold iPhone X, which could explain why Space Gray and Silver will be the only colors at launch.

Due to component supply constraints, we estimate current production of the OLED iPhone at less than 10k units per day, which means the model will remain in severe short supply for a while. Furthermore, we estimate that the gold version of the OLED iPhone will encounter some production problems and will initially be available only in extremely low volume. There is even a chance that the gold version will go on sale at a later date than the other versions. However, we believe these shipment delays will have a limited impact on the shares of Apple and its supply chain members.

Kuo predicted that the gold iPhone X would either be available in “extremely low volume” or go on sale at a later date, but it’s unclear at this point if Apple will introduce a gold model to the iPhone X lineup in the future.

Apple has introduced new colors for already-released iPhone models in the past, like the (PRODUCT)RED special edition iPhone 7, so it’s certainly a possibility the iPhone X could eventually come in gold.

iPhone X can be ordered starting Friday, October 27, with in-store availability starting Friday, November 3.

Related Roundups: iPhone 8, iPhone X
Tag: September 2017 event
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