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Android Pie hits 10 percent adoption two months ahead of its ancestors
Google left people in the dark regarding Android Pie's adoption for more than half a year, but it's finally lifting the curtain -- and Pie is doing better than its predecessors. Updated stats supplied to VentureBeat show that 10.4 percent of active users were using Pie after eight months. That may not sound like much, but it took about 10 months each for Oreo and Nougat to reach the 10 percent milestone. Google's efforts to spur Pie's uptake appear to have paid off, even if it's not a night-and-day difference.
Google: Android Pie will hit more devices in 2018 than Oreo did in 2017
Google has long been criticised for the long delays between Android upgrades. While iPhone users are merrily chowing down on regular OS updates, Android users have to wait for long intervals, with lower cost handsets never seeing an update at all during their lifespans. Google's update framework, Project Treble, seeks to rectify this, and the company has just announced that all devices launching with Android 9 Pie or later will be Treble-compliant. The picture above shows off a range of Trebled-equipped devices displaying the same Generic System Image.
Fairphone's ethical smartphone gets Android 7
Nearly three years after ethical smartphone company Fairphone launched its Fairphone 2 handset, the Dutch social enterprise has announced it's now compatible with Android 7.1.2, aka Nougat. This might seem like old news, given that most smartphones are now munching on Android Pie, but the time and money spent upgrading the phone to even this level is indicative of the sustainability challenges still prevalent in the smartphone market.
Nougat is now the most-used version of Android, 17 months later
Google hasn't quite licked its problems getting users to adopt the latest version of Android. Its latest Play Store user share stats show that Nougat has become the most-used Android release at 28.5 percent... just over 17 months after its summer 2016 debut. Not exactly a speedy transition, then. That still gives it the edge over the older-still Marshmallow release, mind you, and indicates that a large chunk of the user base is running a modern take on Android.
Amazon's new Fire TV supports picture-in-picture and recording
Amazon is mainly selling the new Fire TV's hardware-dependent features, such as 4K HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound, but there are some key software improvements, too. The online shopping giant has revealed that the device's Fire OS 6 underpinnings run on Android Nougat, enabling app features specific to Google's not-quite-latest platform. You can play picture-in-picture video within apps, so you don't have to disrupt your show while you check settings. There's a framework for time-shifting to pause and rewind live video. And apps can record content, including scheduling that can grab content automatically. This doesn't mean that you'll be ripping video from your favorite streaming service, but it does make it relatively easy for Fire TV apps to include DVR-like functions or capture epic game sessions. Just don't expect these features to reach your older hardware.
Essential PH-1 review: A beautiful blank slate
Andy Rubin was disillusioned. He helped build the Android operating system. He watched as Google acquired the company, and he steered development on the mobile OS for years after that. And somewhere along the way, he grew a little weary of how the smartphone market worked. To hear him tell it, the mobile industry prioritized iteration over innovation, to the point where it centered itself around only two companies: Apple and Samsung. Convinced that Apple's premium phone business model would work for a startup, Rubin set about building his own phone, and here we are. That startup, Essential, offers its new PH-1 as a remedy to the industry's ills. It's a premium smartphone with an impeccable pedigree that embodies progress and choice and openness. That was the idea, anyway. Here's the thing about lofty goals though: You're almost never going to achieve them in one shot. And really, that's the Essential PH-1 in a nutshell. It's an exceptionally crafted device and a stunning first effort from a company that didn't exist 18 months ago. While the PH-1 stands as a testament to Rubin's vision, a few shortcomings keep it from being as truly great as promised.
Essential's PH-1 strives to be more than just another Android phone
Andy Rubin rose to fame for his role in creating Android, and even after leaving Google, he couldn't quit phones completely. Now he's back with his new company, Essential, to show the world's best phone makers how it's done. I've spent a few days playing with Essential's first device, the PH-1, but that wasn't enough time to fully understand the extent of the startup's impressive work. For now, let's take a closer look at what Essential has delivered, and how it performed over the first few days.
Android stops glitchy apps by detecting your panicky presses
If you can't dismiss an app by pressing the "back" button, it may just be a glitch or crappy app, but it could also be something much worse. That's why Google has quietly slipped in a new Android feature called "panic detection" that can preemptively close an app if you stab at the back button multiple times. So far the feature, spotted by XDA Developers, has appeared in some, but not all devices with Android 7.1 Nougat.
The success of Andy Rubin's Essential Phone may depend on carriers
When Android co-founder Andy Rubin left Google in November of 2014, shortly after a major executive shake-up, his next move wasn't particularly clear. All we knew back then was that he reportedly wanted to strike out on his own, which ultimately meant building a high-end phone with a company called Essential Products Inc. And after much speculation and multiple teases by Rubin himself, we now know that device is the Essential Phone, an Android handset with a gorgeous design and top-of-the-line specs.
Google plans faster updates for all Android phones in 2017
If you didn't get a timely update on your Moto, Samsung or HTC device, but your friend over there with the Google Pixel did, it's not necessarily the manufacturer's fault. The complexity of Android, especially when it comes to security, is also a big part of the problem. In fact, Google revealed that around half of the 1.4 billion Android devices out there didn't get important security patches in 2016. This year, however, it plans to work more closely with smartphone makers to improve that stat.
Google Assistant comes to recent Android phones
Yes, the leaks were true: You no longer have to buy a Pixel (or launch Allo) if you want official support for Google Assistant on your Android phone. As of this week, the AI helper will start rolling out to Android phones running Marshmallow or Nougat. So long as your phone has Google Play Services and meets some basic specs (at least 1.5GB of RAM and a 720p screen), you too can use Android's native search app to get answers and issue commands through Google's conversational companion. Just where and when you'll get it will vary, though.
Android's instant tethering is now officially available
Instant tethering started making its way to some Android users in late January, allowing them to set up an automatic hotspot connection between devices. Now that the feature is officially available, more people should have access to it -- but it still only works with Pixel and Nexus devices. The new FAQ section dedicated to the feature confirms what was reported before: Pixel and Nexus phones running Nougat can act as hosts or the source of internet connection. Tablets like the Pixel C and Nexus 9, as well as phones running Android Marshmallow, however, can only use shared data connections and can't act as hosts.
Samsung brings Android Nougat to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
The Galaxy Note 7 might be no more, but Samsung is still supporting its other flagships in earnest. Today, the company is rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, coupling Google's latest software improvements with a dash of TouchWiz design. The biggest changes can be found in the notification tray -- swipe down and you'll notice that the Quick Panel interface looks cleaner than before, with titles removed from each icon. The "second depth," opened with a subsequent downward swipe, has been reworked too with grouped icons. Notifications have also been bundled for easier sorting, and now support direct replies.
NVIDIA's original Shield TV gets the new model's smarts (updated)
NVIDIA unveiled a new Shield TV box at CES, but the list of upgrades was pretty slim. It has a funky new controller, with a mesh of triangles peppering the grips, but otherwise it's the same hardware with some extra software bells and whistles. If you have the older model, good news -- today, you're getting all those non-hardware additions too. They include a new foundation -- Android 7.0 Nougat -- and a bunch of new apps including Amazon Video, Twitter, the NFL, Comedy Central and Vimeo.
Panasonic unveils an Android-powered car infotainment system
Panasonic and Qualcomm have launched an Android-based in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) platform, but as with a similar offering from Google and Fiat Chrysler, it isn't Android Auto. Rather, the companies are aiming create a smartphone-like Android Nougat system with high-end specs, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820Am automotive processor with Adreno 530 graphics, 680 DSP and a high-speed LTE modem. Automakers can then customize it to their own specs and install it as a factory OEM system.
LG's Stylo 3 pairs a solid midrange phone with a mediocre stylus
Now that the Galaxy Note 7 is just a footnote in smartphone history, what's a person supposed to do if she wants a phablet with a stylus? Well, there's always the LG Stylo 3. It was the most interesting of the midrange mobiles LG announced before CES officially started, and it's a testament to how good non-flagship phones can be. Mostly.
Google and Fiat Chrysler work together on Android car tech
The team-up between Google and Fiat Chrysler is about to extend well beyond self-driving minivans. The two companies have revealed an 8.4-inch Uconnect concept system based on Android. No, not Android Auto -- we're talking full-fledged Android Nougat. While it still uses the familiar Uconnect interface (for better or for worse), the Android underpinnings give it "seamless integration" with core Google services like Assistant and Maps. It should play nicely with third-party Android apps, too, including NPR One, Pocket Casts and Spotify.
Moto Z phones are Daydream ready thanks to Android Nougat update
Motorola promised to upgrade its Moto Z and Moto Z Force phones to Nougat before the end of the year and today the company revealed that it's rolling out the update before the end of November. Motorola says the Android 7.0 update will being rolling out globally this week and it delivers a big feature to the phones: Daydream. That's right, with the addition of Nougat the Moto Z and Moto Z Force are ready to take advantage of Google's VR platform.
LG V20 review: Great for audiophiles, but who else?
After the unabashed wackiness of its G5, LG had a real conundrum on its hands: Does it keep up the modular streak for its 2016 V-series flagship phone and risk lousy sales, or try something a little more traditional? As it turns out, LG chose the latter and built a more conventional kind of powerhouse: the V20. None of that means the phone is boring, though. Between its stellar audio, a neat dual-camera setup and a second screen, there's theoretically enough charming weirdness here to help the V20 stick out from the competition. The bigger question is whether all those disparate bits come together to form a compelling whole. As is often the case, the answer depends where your priorities lie.
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?
