The OnePlus 3 gets its first taste of Android Nougat this month
Watching Android Nougat make its way to phones Google didn’t have a hand in making has been, well, a little excruciating. Some major players are getting the update out first, but now it looks like the upstarts at OnePlus are next in line. Brian Yoon, the startup’s head of software, confirmed to Engadget that a Nougat beta “community” build would be ready for the OnePlus 3 this month. Even better: once all the kinks have been ironed out, Nougat will be pushed out over-the-air to all OnePlus 3s by the end of the year. Not a bad way to ring in the holidays, right?
Yoon also confirmed that older devices like the OnePlus 2 will be updated to Nougat as well, though there isn’t a firm timeframe set for that yet.
The company’s push to bring Nougat to its phones comes after a pretty dramatic internal restructuring. Earlier this year, OnePlus leadership merged the teams working on HydrogenOS (their software for OnePlus devices in China) and OxygenOS (their software for everywhere else). It was a smart, and ultimately necessary move — OnePlus hasn’t had the best reputation where speedy software updates are concerned, and their users were vocal in their frustration. By combining software teams, the company hoped to marshall its resources more effectively and ultimately just get stuff done faster.
So far, it seems to be working — word of OnePlus’ Nougat update plans come just days after much bigger companies announced their own. LG was first off the line with a Nougat-powered phone, and followed up just a few days ago to push the update to its flagship G5. Then came Samsung, which made the update available to S7/Edge owners through its Galaxy Beta program very shortly after LG made its move. While it’s heartening to see Nougat finally making the rounds, here’s hoping the pace picks up: it’s almost time for the Android 7.1 update to take its turn in the spotlight.
Google’s defense against anti-trust claims: ‘we’re open’
Google has a response for the European Commission’s anti-trust allegations. In a lengthy blog post, the tech juggernaut addressed the EC’s concerns point by point. That starts with the EC’s stance that Android isn’t in competition with Apple’s iOS mobile operating system, and Google citing the Commission’s own research that 89 percent of survey respondents feel that the two are competitors. That last bit is a recurring theme, with Google pointing toward the survey responses for the EC’s stance on Android’s “stable and consistent framework” across devices as well.
In perhaps the most poignant response, Google made a GIF that illustrates how many apps are typically pre-installed/bundled on Android devices versus the competition — something the EC directly called out. By Mountain View’s count, of the Samsung Galaxy S7 with Android 6.0.1’s 38 pre-installed apps, only 11 were from Google. Contrast that with 39 out of 47 on the Lumia 550 from Microsoft and 39 out of 39 from Apple on the iPhone 7 running iOS 10.0.2.
“Android hasn’t hurt competition, it’s expanded it,” Google’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Kent Walker said in a statement. “Android is the most flexibe mobile platform out there, balancing the needs of thousands of manufacturers and operators, millions of app developers and more than a billion consumers.
“Upsetting this balance would raise prices and hamper innovation, choice and competition. That wouldn’t just be a bad outcome for us. It would be a bad outcome for the entire ecosystem, and — most critically — for consumers.”
And with that, the battle moves onward. Maybe the EC’s stance won’t leak ahead of the next round. Maybe.
Source: Google
Samsung launches Android 7.0 beta program for S7 and S7 edge
If you have a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you might be able to give your device an Android Nougat refresh before everyone else. Samsung’s Galaxy Beta Program is now available for S7 users, but only in the US, the UK and the company’s home country of Korea, though it will soon launch in China, as well.
You’ll have to apply for the privilege to be one of the first — and fast, since it’s first-come, first-served — by making a Samsung account and then downloading the Galaxy Beta Program or the Samsung Members app. Since the Korean conglomerate introduced the program for Android Marshmallow last year, you might already have either app. In case you do get early access to Nougat, you’ll obviously be able to preview Samsung’s updated user interface and provide feedback on anything you think needs fixing.
Take note that that if you somehow managed to snag a limited edition S7 edge Olympic Games or an S7 edge Injustice Edition, you won’t be able to participate in the beta. Further, you’re only eligible in the UK if you have an unlocked device. In the US, on the other hand, you’ll have to be a Sprint, T-Mobile or a Verizon subscriber. If you can’t participate in the beta or end up not getting a slot, Sammobile has some screenshots of Nougat on a Galaxy S7 so you can get an idea of what it would look like on your device.
Source: Samsung
Simple Habit guided meditation app is now on Android and the web
If you’re desperately in need to de-stress this morning (I can’t imagine why) and you’re an Android user, there’s a new app out there worth checking out. Simple Habit started out as an iOS meditation and mindfulness app with a Netflix-style model — after signing up for a weekly or monthly subscription, you get access to a huge library of guided meditation exercises. Now, that app is available on Android as well as the web.
We checked Simple Habit out earlier this year when it launched and found it to be one of the better apps out there in a crowded marketplace of mindfulness tools. There’s a set of things you can try for free, and if you sign up for a subscription you’ll get access to the full library. There are hundreds of different topics so you can focus on your specific needs — from broader things ilke sharper focus and stress reduction to more niche things you might be dealing with like breakups or calm before a job interview.
Simple Habit has changed its pricing structure a few times, but currently the subscription options are $11.99 per month or $8.99 per month if you sign up for a full year. You can also get a lifetime subscription for the rather high cost of $399. Fortunately, there are plenty of free sessions you can try before signing up for a subscription.
Adobe brings full RAW support to Lightroom on Android
While iOS users have enjoyed full RAW support in Adobe’s Lightroom mobile app since this summer, the Android faithful had to be content with the company’s own DNG RAW format. Thanks to an update to the software today, Android users will now get the same functionality. Adobe has revamped the version of Lightroom mobile to include a technology preview of full RAW support. The new feature set includes the ability to connect a camera directly to a phone or tablet to access files if you have the necessary cable to do so.
As you might expect, the update also means that you’ll be able to edit full-resolution RAW files with the Android version of Lightroom mobile. Adobe says that the app will play nice with all of the file formats the desktop version does, in addition to Adobe Camera RAW. The company also explains that the tools that allow you to edit white balance, access detailed color info, edit uncompressed files and more with the mobile app use the exact same tech that drives those tasks on the desktop version of Lightroom.
What’s more, any imported files to your mobile device will sync across all versions of the photo editing app so you’ll have them whenever or wherever you need them. Lightroom mobile also labels RAW files so you’re less likely to grab a compressed or low-res version of a photo before you begin working. The updated version of Lightroom mobile for Android is available now via Google Play.
For Lightroom on the web, Adobe is giving users more tools when it comes to sharing. You can now add a header image to collections and divide up groups of images into sections. Once you do so, you can also input details about the sections should the need arise. When the time comes to add files to your Adobe Portfolio, you can now do so straight from the web-based version of Lightroom.
Source: Google Play
Google doesn’t want proprietary fast charging in Android phones
Google isn’t a fan of non-standard approaches to fast-charging Android phones over USB-C, and it’s bent on having manufacturers fall in line. Its newest Android Compatibility Definition document (for Android Nougat) now says it’s “strongly recommended” that device makers don’t support proprietary charging technology that modifies voltages beyond standard levels, or otherwise creates “interoperability issues” with standard USB charging. In other words, tech like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 is likely considered naughty. On top of that, the company warns that later versions of Android might even require full interoperability with standard chargers.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t see fast charging. Remember, both of Google’s Pixel phones can top up quickly. However, it’s evident that Google would like to fulfill USB-C’s promise of cables and chargers that always work together. It doesn’t like the idea that you might have to carry a specific charger for your phone to work as expected, or that a flaky cable might fry your charger, phone or both. The company might never force vendors to drop their preferred fast charging standards, but it certainly won’t look kindly on them.
Via: Android Police, Phandroid
Source: Google (PDF)
Android’s latest update doesn’t patch major security flaw
The November Android security update is live and it fixes 15 critical vulnerabilities, but it doesn’t patch a major Linux kernel exploit that can give hackers quick and complete access to devices running on Google’s OS. Researcher Phil Oester discovered the flaw (CVE-2016-5195) in October, though he believes it’s existed since 2007. The exploit is known as “Dirty COW” because of its basis in copy-on-write systems (and maybe because that name is adorable).
With this month’s security update, Google did roll out a “supplemental” firmware fix for Dirty COW across Nexus and Pixel devices. Plus, Samsung released a patch for its devices this month, according to Threatpost. An official Android patch for the Dirty COW issue is expected to land in December.
Oester, the researcher who discovered the flaw, told V3 that it’s “trivial to execute, never fails and has probably been around for years.” Dirty COW is sophisticated, and Oester said he was only able to catch it because he had been “capturing all inbound HTTP traffic and was able to extract the exploit and test it out in a sandbox.”
“I would recommend this extra security measure to all admins,” Oester said.
Via: Threatpost, Ars Technica
Source: Android Security Bulletin
Google snaps up the creators of a game-focused Android emulator
You can already run Android apps on a Chromebook, but would you run games and other intensive mobile apps on it? Probably not. However, Google might be taking steps to make that practical. The creators of LeapDroid, an Android emulator that specializes in games, have revealed that they’re joining Google just months after releasing it to the public. The team isn’t discussing “specific plans,” but they’re halting both development and support for LeapDroid. You can continue running the latest version, but you won’t get anything more than that.
It’s not clear just how the deal went down, although the team suggests that this isn’t a straight-up acquisition: LeapDroid is “not affiliated” with Google despite the move. We’ve asked Google for more details and will let you know if it can shed light on what’s happening.
However it happened, the move raises a few possibilities. On a basic level, it could help with Android’s performance in non-native environments — something as fast as LeapDroid could help developers testing Android apps, or give Chrome OS devices an extra boost running mobile titles. In the long term, though, it could be important for that oft-rumored Android/Chrome union. If you’re going to merge two largely disparate platforms, you want to eliminate as many potential hiccups as possible. While there’s no certainty that you’ll see conspicuous uses of LeapDroid’s tech, it won’t be surprising if the extra talent makes Google’s vision of computing that much more realistic.
Via: LeapDroid (Twitter)
Source: LeapDroid
Adobe’s powerful Photoshop Fix app finally arrives on Android
Adobe isn’t always quick to bring new creative apps and features to Android. It took the company over a year to deliver a version of Photoshop Fix for those devices. After making its debut for iOS last October, the mobile software brings some powerful desktop editing tools to phones and tablets that run Google’s OS. Tools like the face-aware Liquify tool to adjust facial expressions are here alongside Heal, Smooth and other adjustments that can make precise changes to images from a mobile device.
Photoshop Fix for Android also offers tools to tweak more general characteristics like focus, color and paint as well as the ability to adjust exposure, saturation, contrast and more. When you get back to your desktop machine, Adobe’s CreativeSync tech takes the work you’ve started on mobile and packages it in a layered PSD file so you can easily continue the task. Of course, you’ll need a Creative Cloud subscription to employ that workflow.
If you aren’t paying for Adobe’s suite of creative apps, you can still use Photoshop Fix on an Android device, but you won’t have access to the handy sync features that allow the company’s mobile and desktop offerings to work together. If you’re looking to give it a go, Photoshop Fix is available for free at Google Play.
Via: Lifehacker, Android Police
Source: Google Play
Huawei’s new Mate 9 wants to be a smarter kind of smartphone
Huawei’s slice of the worldwide mobile pie isn’t as big as it used to be, but hey — at least it keeps getting better at making big phones. We didn’t know it would be the last Nexus phone, but the 6P was a solid sendoff. Then came the enormous Mate 8, which was incredibly well built (even if the company’s EMUI interface sometimes made me want to jam a fork in my eye). With the new Mate 9, however, Huawei is trying to do things a little differently. Case in point: the phone will eventually launch in the US, a first for the company’s flagship phablets. And that stuffed-to-the-gills custom interface? It’s been streamlined thanks to Huawei’s new user experience chief. Fortunately, the company’s smart moves don’t seem to end there.
For one, the Mate 9 feels impeccably solid, with a sloping back, rounded edges and an almost complete lack of bezel running around the sides. All together, these flourishes make the Mate 9 feel like a premium piece of kit and a little smaller than you’d expect. That last bit is especially important since the Mate 9 sports an enormous 5.9-inch, 1080p LCD screen — it’s still big, but surprisingly manageable. It helps that the Mate 9 is light too, so it’ll fit into a Daydream VR-compatible headset without straining your neck.
It would’ve been nice to see Huawei run with an even more pixel-dense display considering that Daydream compatibility, but the screen we did get seemed bright and plenty punchy. That more modest resolution probably helps the Mate 9’s 4,000mAh battery do its thing, too, and the SuperCharge tech Huawei has been working on should get a bone dry Mate to almost 60 percent in a half hour.
Huawei once again chose a Kirin chipset — the high-end 960 — to take on the Exynoses and Snapdragons of the world. It’s an octa-core affair paired with 4GB of RAM and an octa-core Mali graphics processor. We’ll have to wait and see the Mate 9 stacks up to the rest of 2016’s best phones, but the unfinished models we took for a spin didn’t break a sweat, even as we tried to break them. (Note to the Huawei folks reading this: I’m kidding. Sort of.) Now, sheer power is one thing — applying it more intelligently is a whole other matter. Ever notice how smartphones, like computers, start to run more slowly over time? Huawei says it’s using a machine-learning algorithm to prevent that power drain from happening.
To hear Huawei tell it, the algorithm looks for patterns in how you use your device over time. If you like to play Hearthstone immediately after using Twitter, for example, the Mate 9 should pick up on that and optimize available memory and CPU performance while you’re still checking tweets. The Mate 9 also uses a specific kind of storage system that keeps your saved bits from getting fragmented for even better performance down the road. This all sounds pretty great, but you should still probably take these claims with a grain of salt. Huawei promises that performance won’t suffer over time, but there’s really no way for us to check those claims right now.
The thing about using Huawei phones was that even though they pack a lot of power, the underlying software and interface was always sort of a mess. They’re working on it, though, and we’ve got a new version of Huawei’s EMUI that honestly does feel a little less cluttered. Icons have been redesigned, for one, and features that get used frequently are now easier to get to. That might not sound like a huge step forward, but it is. The EMUI of old involved a lot of putzing around, but now, something like 90 percent of the features people use most frequently are accessible within three taps. Beyond that facelift is the ability to run messaging apps like WeChat and Line in a split-screen mode, and a sort of private zone where you can store files and apps you don’t want others peeking at. It’s still a long way from stock, but there’s a good chance you won’t hate this software.
Then we’ve got the cameras. You guessed it: Huawei took a cue from the P9 and gave the Mate 9 a dual-camera system. There’s a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor around back that adds extra detail to the color data captured by the main 12-megapixel sensor. Together they’re Leica-certified, and together they’re used for a sort of 2x zoom mode… which the company has been pretty bad at explaining. Throw in the usual slew of photo modes and a handy adjustable aperture feature in software and you’ve got the makings of a fun, fascinating smartphone shooter.
Huawei hasn’t said when the Mate 9 will hit the US, or how much it’ll cost when it does. Even so, the Mate 9 leaves a strong first impression — in light of stiff competition in its native China and abroad, it’s nice to see Huawei’s bringing its A-game. Stay tuned for more juicy details as we learn them.
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