Category: Android

The Android Oreo based OxygenOS build for the OnePlus 5 is starting to roll out again.  The original update was released to a small group last week but was halted after a bug was found in the initial release.  OnePlus reworked the build, incremented it up to OxygenOS 5.0.1, and has re-released it.  So far, no issues have been reported.

The 5.x train for OnePlus’ Android builds, brings it up to Oreo as the base platform and the company has now released it for the OnePlus 3, 3T and 5.  Only the 5T remains in beta but that shouldn’t be for much longer.

As for changes, there are a lot in this update for the OnePlus 5.  The launcher has been updated, the camera now has portrait mode and there are a lot of overall system optimizations that are happening that should improve the stability and performance of the phone.

Nokia has announced that the second generation of the Nokia 6 is now available for pre-orders in China.  The mid-range phone has been rumored for several weeks with various leaks suggesting that an update to the phone would be coming in short order.  Those rumors were confirmed today with the announcement and the device’s product & ordering page going live.

Being dubbed the Nokia 6 (2018), this updated device has a 5.5″ Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass with Gorilla Glass 3.  It is powered by the Snapdragon 630 SoC, clocked at 2.2GHz, and coupled with the Adreno 508 GPU.  It has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and will come with either 32GB or 64GB of storage.  You can expand that with the MicroSD card slot (also the SIM 2 slot) on the phone.

AT&T has begun the process of rolling out an update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on the carrier’s network.  The updates for both devices are small at 46.5MB and bring the Android Security Update patch to the December 1, 2017 level.  The patch also brings a fix to the BlueBorne Bluetooth exploit on both devices.

For the Galaxy S7, the updated build is G930AUCS4BQL1 while for the S7 Edge, you are looking for build G935AUCS4BQL1.  Given the small size of the updates, you can download them via your mobile data account but it is always recommended that you download them via WiFi.  After it is downloaded, expect about a 10-15 minute install and a required reboot.

Chrome 64, the next major release of the Chrome browser for Android and other devices, is currently in beta and likely will be for another month or so.  But that doesn’t mean that we don’t get a glimpse at what will be in the release.  When it comes to the Android build at least, we can expect to see a much improved Flags page.

For those who aren’t familiar, flags allow you to change granular elements of how Chrome functions on your phone.  You get to this page by typing chrome://flags in the omnibar and you can enable or disable specific features. Be warned however that they are experimental in many cases and can cause instability.  In Chrome 63, the Flags page got a bit of a makeover that made it much easier to read.  In 64, Google is going a step further.

Today’s Deal is on the powerful and ultra thin Lenovo Yoga Book Android tablet.  The 10″ 2-in-1 tablet is my current Android tablet of choice and you can pick up a great deal on it right now.  The Champagne Gold model is down to $275, a savings of $224 off the original price.

The Yoga Book has a 10.1″ display that gives Full HD resolution of 1200 x 1920.  It is powered by the Intel Atom x5-Z8550 processor, a quad-core processor that is clocked at 2.4GHz.  That is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.  That internal storage can be expanded up to an additional 256GB thanks to the MicroSD slot.  Also, the Lenovo Yoga Book can take advantage of Adaptive Storage in Android Nougat so once you have a MicroSD card installed, it can act as part of the main storage on the device.

Microsoft OneNote, the free note taking app from the Redmond based company, has a new update rolling out for Android users.  The update, version 15.0.8827.2090 for those keeping score at home and who like playing version number BINGO!, brings several new features including integration with Microsoft Office Lens.

For those who don’t know, Office Lens is the scanning and whiteboard capturing app that allows to save them as photos.  Now the apps are more tightly integrated so you can capture something with Office Lens while in OneNote.