Author: Clinton

There is a new update rolling out for the Huawei P10 that brings a host of improvements and new features.  The update is build VTR-L09C432B162 for those keeping score at home for the single SIM model of the phone.  The dual SIM variant will be VTR-L29C432B162 but the key is the “B162” portion.

The first thing this update brings is an updated Android Security Update patch to July 2017.  This is up from the April 2017 patch in the previous build so it is a big step forward.

Second is what Huawei is calling MirrorLink.  This allows you to link your phone to your car or MiraCast device to share the display of your phone with that device.

Good news! HMD Global has confirmed that all of the Android running Nokia devices – the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 – will be receiving the Android Oreo update.

The new came from Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas via Twitter over the weekend.

All of our smartphones will upgrade to Oreo, Nokia 3 included. No comments yet on timing so that I don’t get into trouble 😊.

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) September 2, 2017

This announcement is great new for every Nokia owner, especially those who have the lower priced Nokia 3.  Often, manufactures will not update their entry level devices to the next major version of Android in favor of focusing in on their midrange and flagship devices.

The latest update to Google Photos is rolling out and bringing a new local video caching feature so you don’t have to stream videos in your library.  The update, version 3.4 for those keeping score at home, will cache a video after you have played it and, when you replay it, will use that local cached version of the video so you are not eating up your data plan to stream it from your online account.

The feature is purely aimed at saving mobile data, something that Google is continually working on across their apps as they try to expand them into parts of the world here mobile data is expensive.

Yes, you read that headline correctly.  The Nokia 5, the mid-range phone from parent company HMD Global, has the September 2017 Android Security Update rolling out to it today.  The update is just over 140MB in size and is primarily a security and patch update so don’t expect to see much in the way of new features.

For those that don’t recall, the Nokia 5 is a 5.2″ phone with a Snapdragon 430 SoC, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (expandable to 256GB with the MicroSD slot), 13MP camera and a 3000mAh battery.  The phone was released in July primarily in Europe.  You can pick one up on Amazon for $319 but you will have limited LTE support here in the US.

Microsoft has rolled out an update to the SharePoint app for Android that brings much improved access to communication sites in your enterprise deployment.  The update, version 1.8.1 for those keeping score at home, now brings access to SharePoint that, to this point, has pretty much been limited to the desktop.  With this update, the app actually makes using the sites in your corporate SharePoint accessible and usable.

Within the app, you can now view pages, news, navigation and search with this update.  That means it is much easier to find content from various sites within your enterprise while you are on the go.

T-Mobile has rolled out another BOGO plan and this one is on a phone that’s not even available yet.  The carrier famous for these types of deals, is bringing customers the ability to get a free Galaxy Note8 when they purchase one through their payment program.  It is a pretty sweet deal and if you and a significant other are looking to get the new Note8, this could be the way to go.

Here is how it works.  First, you need to pre-order a Galaxy Note8 on the T-Mobile site.  You must select the monthly payment plan (paying in full won’t get you the 2nd one free) which means you will be on a 2-year plan with T-Mobile.  The free Note8 is done through billing credits that are applied to your account and that can take a couple of months to appear.  Also, you will need to pay the taxes on the 2nd device.  This is virtually the same program T-Mobile ran earlier on the Galaxy S8 and they have run it on other phones too.  Even with the caveats, its a great deal.