Tag: Android Oreo 8.1

LineageOS has rolled out support for the 2016 Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL in their latest firmware build of Android Oreo 8.1.  In LineageOS terms, that build 15.1.  The addition of the two Google phones adds to an ever increasing number of devices that the independent Android development group, which rose from the ashes of CyanogenMod, supports.

Like other phones, in order to use LineageOS on your Pixel or Pixel XL, you will need to have the bootloader unlocked and be comfortable with manually installing a software build.  It isn’t an overly difficult process but if you aren’t familiar with the process or comfortable with it, its best to stay away.

The 2016 Asus ZenFone 3 Max is getting a nice surprise for owners starting today.  The company has pushed out the Android Oreo 8.1 update to the phone along with the new ZenUI 5.0 update to the phone.  The updated firmware is version 15.0200.1807.406 for those keeping score at home.

The update can be checked for on our ZenFone 3 Max by going to Settings>About>System Update.  Given that it has just been released, it make take a few days to get to everyone so patience is the key.

The ultimate Android gaming phone, the Razer Phone, has its shiny new Android Oreo 8.1 update rolling out according to the company.  While it will take several weeks to get to everyone, once it arrives, you will get all the goodies that 8.1 brings along with some stability improvements and the latest Android Security Updates.

For those that don’t recall, the Razer Phone was borne out of the acquisition that the company made of Nextbit last year and their first phone is a powerhouse of a gaming and entertainment device, sporting HDR video and Dolby audio for Netflix to name but a few of its high end features.  Couple that with its 120MHz refresh rate and it provides a great gaming experience in your hands.

A few days after the unlocked variant of the Essential Phone began receiving its latest update, now too is the Sprint enabled version of the PH-1.   The update is the same as it was for the unlocked version of the phone, bringing the same updates and improvements to the only carrier locked version of the Essential Phone.

The update brings the April Android Security Update patch to the phone which, despite being a few days behind the unlocked variant, still makes it one of the first to get updated to the latest security patches.  Also, the software to enabled Bluetooth 5.0 is in this update.  The radios for 5.0 have been in the PH-1 all along but were not enabled via the software on the device.  That now changes with this update.

Good news for those of you who have the Razer Phone:  Android Oreo 8.1 is coming your way in just a few weeks.  The company, who bought Nextbit to get their first phone out the door last year, has announced that they are skipping Oreo 8.0, going straight to 8.1, and that a developer preview of the build is now available too.

The preview is only available for sideloading at the moment so unless you are comfortable with that process (unlocking the bootloader, ADB commands, etc), I recommend you wait until it is officially released next month.

HMD Global, the company that owns Nokia, has begun slow rolling the Android Oreo 8.1 update out to the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.  Starting in India and Indonesia, the update to 8.1 is expected to make its way to all global markets in the coming days.

For both devices, the update is just under 1GB in size and brings with it the March Android Security Update to both phones.  If you don’t recall what all comes in Oreo 8.1, you can get a debrief here.