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Xiaomi is Recruiting Beta Testers for the Mi Mix 2 Android Oreo Update The Xiaomi Mi A1, which is part of Google’s Android One program,  received an update to Android Oreo a few days ago . But the rest of Xiaomi’s devices run MIUI , Xiaomi’s proprietary software layer, and they haven’t gotten Oreo yet. That won’t be the case for much longer, though — in December, Xiaomi started recruiting beta testers for an Android Oreo update for the Mi 6 , and later that month, the company launched a closed beta program for the Mi Mix 2’s Oreo update. Now, Xiaomi is back with announcement: It’s recruiting beta testers for the Mi Mix 2’s Android Oreo update. Anyone can apply, but only if they’re (1) running the latest version of MIUI Global Developer ROM, (2) active on Xiaomi’s community forums, and (3) have an interest in and knowledge about testing ROMs. To sign up, you need to download the Mi Forum app. Tap on the Recruitment tab,...

Microsoft OneNote Updated with App Shortcuts and Office Lens Integration Microsoft refocused its smartphone strategy in 2015, pivoting from first-party Nokia Lumia hardware to cross-platform software. Operating system agnosticism’s worked well for the company — recently, it entered into partnerships with Samsung, Huawei , and other OEMs. And its application development efforts on Android and iOS have only accelerated. Microsoft  now offers a variety of apps for both platforms , one of which is OneNote. Over the years, OneNote’s matured into an excellent note-taking app. It’s a worthy alternative to Google Keep, and it’s continued to receive new features. Last year, Microsoft launched a redesign across all platforms with a focus on usability, and added features like fingerprint security. And on Wednesday, OneNote got an update to version 16.0.8827.2090, which brings features such as Office Lens integration, app shortcuts, and phone number sign-in. Thanks to...

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Receives a Price Cut in India, Now Available for Rs. 32,999 (Approx.$520) The first-generation Xiaomi Mi Mix was a pioneering smartphone. It had a near bezel-less 6.4-inch 17:9 display and ditched the traditional earpiece in favor of a cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic solution. Its design and construction were also unique — its body was made of ceramic instead of aluminum. And although it was only available in limited quantities, the Mi Mix foreshadowed the rise of taller displays with small bezels on Android devices in 2017. Xiaomi followed up the Mi Mix with the Mi Mix 2 in September 2017 . It had a premium list of specifications which included the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, 6GB of RAM and 64/128GB of storage, a 6-inch Full HD+ (2160 x 1080) 18:9 (2:1) IPS display, 12MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), and a 3400mAh battery. ( It also recently received an update to MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1 Nougat .) But the Mi Mix 2...

OnePlus Switch Makes Migrating to a OnePlus Device Super Simple Generally speaking, OEMs want to make transferring data from old devices quick and easy. To that end, OnePlus announced a new data migration application this week called OnePlus Switch. OnePlus says the application simplifies the process of transferring files to a new OnePlus device. Setting it up is as simple as installing it on your old phone and new phone and scanning the auto-generated QR code, which pairs them. You’ll be immediately greeted by a list of items that you can transfer, including contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, audio, and applications. OnePlus Switch is a bit bare bones right now, but the team says that it’ll add support for Wi-Fi history, camera settings, app data, and other types of data transfer in the coming months. Future versions will also gain support for more devices, including iOS. OnePlus Switch is a welcome addition to OnePlus’s software portfolio, but it certai...

LG Plans to Rebrand its G Series Smartphone Lineup Branding is something that companies spend a lot of money on — a product’s success hinges partially on its brand, it’s often said. That’s one reason why  LG, which hasn’t had much success in the smartphone business lately, is ditching its G series smartphone lineup for a different one. The company says it’ll unveil a replacement in the first half of 2018, according to The Investor . An LG official said   that the company’s been tossing around a lot of ideas, including a two-digit number series and a completely new name. LG kicked off the G series in 2012 with the LG Optimus G. The phone garnered critical praise, with some reviewers saying it was the best smartphone hardware that the company had ever produced. The LG Optimus G Pro was next in line, the LG G2 after it. But recently, the G series hasn’t been able to keep up with the competition. The  modular LG G5 failed to attract attentio...

MTPwn Can Access Samsung Devices’ Storage Without Unlocking Them When it comes to Android phone security, one of the best-known platforms is Samsung’s Knox , a suite for Samsung phones aimed at enterprise. It’s considered one of the best on the market , but it isn’t impregnable, as a recently uncovered exploit showed. The exploit (SVE-2017-10086), which was fixed in the October 2017 security patch or  November 2017 security patch (depending on the device model) , leveraged a vulnerability in Samsung’s implementation of Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) that could allow an attacker to view all of a device’s files. It’s been nicknamed “MTPwn”, and it affects all Samsung devices running Android 4.4.x to Android 7.x. MTPwn allows a hacker to bypass the lock state of unpatched devices even if they’re in “charging” mode, and enable MTP access from a computer. How’s that possible? Affected devices run an MTP server when...

Report: Amazon is in Talks with Big Brands for Ads on Alexa Retailers like Amazon are constantly looking for ways to boost their bottom lines, and one of the easiest is by leveraging and monetizing the customers they already have. That’s starting to happen with smart home devices — last year, Google ran an experiment with audio ads  on Google Home devices, which made a lot of people upset. Now, a CNBC report claims that Amazon might do something similar on its Echo speaker lineup. Amazon is currently in talks with brands like Procter & Gamble and Clorox for ads within specific skills, and for data-sharing agreements that’d let them dig through users’ shopping history, according to CNBC. It’s also talked with companies about sponsored placements in product searches on Echo devices, and about using customers’ purchase habits to suggest products they might like. The discussions have reportedly been kept private so far. The move would certainly be a...

Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode Ported to some Non-Google Devices running Android Oreo There are a few contenders for best smartphone camera of 2017, and many would argue that the Google Pixel 2 & 2 XL were the best mobile shooters. That’s thanks in large part to the phone’s exceptional combination of camera hardware with Google’s prowess in image processing software as seen by their famous HDR+ technology . Ports of Google Camera with the HDR+ technology have been shown to dramatically improve the picture quality of budget phones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and flagship phones like the Essential Phone . The Pixel 2 camera experience is largely an iterative improvement over the first generation Pixel, though it adds some polish with features such as Motion Photos, Face Retouching, and lastly Portrait Mode. The Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode is perhaps its best new feature due to how the algorithm can produce beautiful photos that focus on one or more persons. ...

LG to Introduce Raspberry Rose LG V30 at CES 2018 LG doesn’t typically announce new flagship products at the Consumer Electronics Show. It has a history of unveiling smartphones (particularly new G series devices) at Mobile World Congress, with the release date usually following a month or two later. So it was a little surprising when LG said it’d introduce a new variant of the LG V30 at CES 2018 next week: A new Raspberry Rose color option for the V30 featuring audio tuning by specialists at B&O PLAY. LG says the new color is designed for “fashion-conscious smartphone users”, with the goal of crafting a design so outstanding it wouldn’t feel out of place in a Valentine’s Day gift basket. Source: LG As with most of LG’s unique smartphone variants, the LG V30 in Raspberry Rose isn’t expected to be available in every market. While LG didn’t announce launch pricing and every launch country, it said it’ll bring the new phone ...

Huawei P20 Schematics Reveal Three Models, Triple Rear Camera Mount Huawei is one of the biggest and most influential China-based OEMs on the planet, right up there with giants like Samsung and Apple. And while it’s looking to expand its global reach with a wireless carrier partnership in the U.S., it’s also preparing to launch its first 2018 flagship: The Huawei P20 . For the Huawei P20, the company’s changing its branding strategy slightly, skipping a few numbers in the P series and going straight for P20. We’ve covered leaks and rumors regarding the P20 before, but we’re getting a clearer look at the exterior through internal schematics. Huawei P20. Huawei P20 Plus. Huawei P20 Pro. The device will reportedly come in three flavors: The Huawei P20, the P20 Plus, and the P20 Pro. All three will feature an 18:9 display and a triple rear camera mount, but similarities end there. The P20 has a horizontally-mounted camera mount in the top-left corner, while t...

Micromax to Launch a $31 Android Go Smartphone in India Google announced Android Go in May 2017 at the company’s annual developer conference, Google I/O. The goal of Android Go is to deliver an optimized version of Android (currently Android Oreo ) that runs on low-end devices with 1GB of RAM or less, which will in turn allow smartphone OEMs to use less expensive hardware so they can sell devices at lower price points. There aren’t a lot of Android Go devices in the wild yet, but this week, Micromax announced that it’ll be launching a Rs 2,000 (about $31) Android Go smartphone in January. The average price of a 4G smartphone in India is Rs 6,400 (about $100), but Android Go’s coming to devices that are far less expensive. Micromax’s $31 smartphone is expected to be followed by comparably-priced Android Go phones from Intex, Lava, Karbonn, and others. Android’s middling performance on low-end devices has been a longstanding issue, but Google’s ...

CAD Renders Show off the Sony Xperia L2, Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra Sony’s product portfolio includes multiple smartphones across mid-range and flagship price brackets. Last year, the company launched several mid-range phones, including the Xperia L1, the Xperia XA1 and the Xperia XA1 Ultra . Rumors abound suggest the successors to these devices may launch soon, and on Tuesday, @OnLeaks published CAD renders of the Sony Xperia L2, the Xperia XA2 and the Xperia XA2 Ultra in collaboration with  Compare Raja  and  Tiger Mobiles. Source: Compare Raja and Tiger Mobiles The renders show that the Xperia L2 will have a 5.5-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and measure 149.9 x 78.4 x 9.9mm. (The screen resolution hasn’t been revealed yet, but it’s safe to say it’ll be at least HD, or 1280 x 720.) The handset may have an octa-core Snapdragon 630 system-on-chip paired with 4GB of RAM, and it’ll reportedly ship with Android Nougat on board. In terms of aest...

Android Security Bulletin for January 2018 is Live, OTA and Factory Images Now Available Just like clockwork, Google releases a new Android Security Bulletin at the beginning of every month, and the January bulletin went live on Tuesday. With it, the search giant published a rundown of exploits that were fixed in this month’s patch and where they originated in the system. All of the vulnerabilities were of the critical or high-security variety, and so this security update is of utmost importance. Luckily, it’s already available in factory images for the Google Pixel and the Nexus 5X / Nexus 6P . Most of the fixes pertain to Android’s media framework. The worst exploit patched in the January Android Security Bulletin let remote attackers make specially crafted files that’d allow remote code execution on your smartphone — if you weren’t careful, a malicious file downloaded from the internet could’ve given full control of your phone to a hacker....

Samsung Will Highlight 3 New C-Lab Projects at CES 2018 We’ve talked about Samsung’s C-Lab (Creative Lab), which  offers Samsung employees a chance to experiment with side projects that could turn into full-blown startup companies , a few times in the past. And today, Samsung announced that it’ll be showcasing three projects from seven startups that have been spun off from C-Lab at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The first of the three new C-Lab experiments is something called S-Ray (Sound-Ray), a portable directional speaker. The idea was to engineer a smaller, lighter, and more portable sound system that could be easily transported from place to place — ideal for folks who like to listen to music in public but dislike using earbuds or earphones. Next is GoBreath , a health device for people who suffer from postoperative pulmonary complications after general anesthesia. They sometimes have difficulty recovering, so a doctor employed at the Sa...

Xiaomi Mi A1 Mod Adds Fingerprint Wakeup After Reboot, Night Light, and More The Xiaomi Mi A1 was the first smartphone from the company to ship with Android One , so it isn’t surprising that it’s received a lot of attention since its released. Android One devices sometimes don’t have the same functionality as standard Android phones. But thankfully, XDA Senior Member  Rajeev  created a Xiaomi Mi A1 mod that adds features such as fingerprint wakeup after reboot, which lets you wake the display with third-party lock screen apps, and auto brightness, which adjusts the display’s brightness level to ambient light sources. Here’s the full list of changes: Features Added Fingerprint Wakeup Added voLTE Symbol Instead of HD Added Invisible Power Button in Statusbar Added Night Light Added Auto Brightness Added 4 Row Quick Tiles (v2) If you’re raring to get started, head to the XDA Forums for a full list of installation instructions. Note that while the mod wo...

Nokia 5 Camera App Reveals 4 Unreleased Nokia Phones One of 2017’s greatest developments was the comeback of Nokia  in the form a licensing agreement with holding company HMD Global. The company’s new Android-touting smartphones had solid spec sheets, durable and premium designs, close-to-stock Android firmware, and reasonable price tags. HMD Global established itself as a solid, affordable alternative to Android juggernauts such as Samsung or HTC, and it has even bigger plans for 2018. Along with a refresh of last year’s Nokia phones, it’s preparing to launch all-new handsets in almost every price bracket. Thanks to a crafty developer at MySmartPrice who decompiled the Nokia 5 ‘s camera app, we have a better idea of what Nokia and HMD Global have in store. The application’s directory points to the existence of four unreleased smartphones: The Nokia 9, the 7 Plus, the Nokia 4, and the Nokia 1 . Source: MySmartPrice The camera app doesn’t, howev...

SunShine Now Supports Android Oreo on the HTC U11 Modding HTC devices can be a pain — they use what’s called an “S-ON/S-OFF” system.  It was previously possible to mod the HTC U11 with S-OFF using the SunShine tool on Android Nougat , but with the update to Android Oreo , the functionality broke. Now, SunShine’s been updated to support Android Oreo on the HTC U11. SunShine 3.5.18 brings u11 support on Oreo https://t.co/XGKyeU7YGx — TheRootNinja (@TheRootNinja) January 2, 2018 SunShine costs $25, but it’s the only S-OFF solution available for the HTC U11’s newest firmware. (The license is non-transferable, but can be used as many times as you’d like on the device you choose.) The only catch is that it’s temporary — after a reboot, you’ll have to run SunShine to mod again. Changes made while S-OFF’s enabled don’t persist across sessions, so there’s no need to worry about your phone becoming unbootable if ...

WhatsApp No Longer Supports BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone 8 Back in February 2017, the Facebook folks behind WhatsApp gave a glimpse into their plans for future development. They included dropping support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, the Nokia S40, the Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1 and Android 2.2, Windows Phone 7, and the iPhone 3GS/iOS 6 by the end of 2016, but recently, the list was amended with new EoL (end of life) dates for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone 8 operating systems. The WhatsApp team announced in a support FAQ this week that it’d discontinued development for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone 8 on December 31, 2017. It’s no longer possible to create new accounts or re-verify accounts on smartphones running those operating systems, though the app’s core messaging features will continue to work for the time being. WhatsApp also clarified that the S40 will be supported until December 31 2017, and that...

Report: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 to Launch in Q2 2018 with Dual Cameras The international variant of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4  launched in January 2017, and it went on to become India’ best-selling smartphone of 2017 . It’s no surprising, then, that expectations are riding high on its successor, the Redmi Note 5. Since late last year, rumors of the Redmi Note 5 have been flying around the internet. In October, a Xiaomi device with an 18:9 display was certified by TENAA , and in November,  leaked photos of an 18:9 Xiaomi device appeared on social media . Most recently, in December, Xiaomi released the Redmi 5 and the Redmi 5 Plus in China with 18:9 (2:1) displays . The phones haven’t launched internationally yet, but this week, a MIUI moderator said that the Redmi 5 Plus would take the place of the rumored Redmi Note 5 in some markets. However, that seems increasingly unlikely. A new rumor from China suggests that Xiaomi is set to announce the Redmi Note 5 this year. It...

LeEco Le Max 2 Gets Unofficial EUI 6 with Android Nougat LeEco’s financial challenges are an open secret, and they’ve started to affect the company’s ability to support devices like the LeEco Le Max 2. Luckily, XDA Senior Member  KuranKaname  was able to get his hands on a EUI 6 ROM for the LeEco Le Max 2 that’s based on Android 7.x Nougat. It has a few bugs here and there, including problems with the fingerprint sensor, biometric sensors, and APKs installed from USB storage sources. But other than that, the ROM’s working on multiple devices in LeEco’s portfolio: X820 4/32GB, 4/64GB, 6/64GB, 6/128GB. Gray/rose gold X821 4/32GB, 4/64GB, 6/64GB, 6/128GB. Gray/silver/gold X822 4/32GB, 4/64GB, 6/64GB, 6/128GB. Gray/silver/gold X829 4/32GB, 4/64GB, 6/64GB, 6/128GB. Gray/silver/gold/rose gold If you’re the proud owner of a LeEco Le Max 2 and don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty, head to the XDA Forums for a full list of instructions. Be aw...

Set a Reminder from Android’s Share Menu with Remindee There are a number of different ways to set a reminder on Android, and one of the most convenient is the Google Assistant . It’s always just a long-press of your phone’s home button away (on supported devices), but it isn’t perfect — it obscures the foreground application. That’s why XDA Senior Member  crazyfool_1  made Remindee, a new tool that aims to reduce the number of steps involved in creating a reminder. Once it’s installed, you’ll see a new Remidee option in Android’s share menu, which lets you set a reminder quickly and easily from any application.  Assuming you’re viewing a webpage, tweet, image, or text you want to be reminded about, hitting the app’s share button and tapping Remind Me creates the reminder. It’s as easy as pie. Check out Remindee in our Apps and Games forum tags : android auto, android wear, android device manager, android 1, andr...

T-Mobile Moto Z2 Force Android Oreo OTA Captured, Here’s How To Install It The Android Oreo update for the T-Mobile Motorola Moto Z2 Force started to roll out a few days ago, according to users on our forums . Over-the-air (OTA) updates can take some time to roll out, however, so if you would rather not wait then XDA Senior Member joemossjr  has a guide just for you. He captured the OTA link and has published a guide over on our T-Mobile Moto Z2 Force forums to show you how to install the update right now. Plus, the guide also shows you how you can get root access on the latest build. Android 8.0 Oreo for the T-Mobile Z2 Force came a week after the Verizon variant started to receive the update and a month after the initial soak test in Brazil . The update brings your standard Oreo feature additions such as picture-in-picture mode support, Autofill API, notification channels, background app limitations, and more. In addition, the update also brings the December security patch ...

Magisk Module Adds aptX HD and iOS 11 Emoji to the Razer Phone The Razer Phone is Razer’s first attempt at making a smartphone. It packs a 120 Hz variable refresh-rate display (the first of its kind in western markets), a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, 8GBs of RAM, 64GBs of internal storage with a microSD card slot, and a 4,000 mAh battery. For the software, it basically runs a near-stock build of Android 7.1 Nougat with a few custom additions like a pre-built Nova Launcher and the Razer Game Booster app for tweaking some settings on a per-game basis. Apart from that, there’s not much else to customize. Now that root access is possible on the phone, however, XDA Senior Member raimondomartire  has put together a Magisk Module that adds Qualcomm’s aptX HD Bluetooth audio codec, iOS 11 emoji, and more. The module, titled Rayglobe Module, is available over on our Razer Phone forum. The full list of features is as below: Build.prop mods for volume and more audio steps T...

Get Google Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode on the Pixel, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P The camera on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is seen as one of the best smartphone cameras this year. Google put a lot of thought into how to tweak their camera software , and it really shows. Google Camera and its HDR+ algorithm is highly sought after, prompting some developers to go as far as porting it to other devices. Other Pixel 2 camera features such as Motion Photos and Face Retouching have also been ported to some devices , and now, the most popular camera feature,  Portrait Mode ,   is now available on the first generation Google Pixel & Pixel XL , Google Nexus 5X , and Nexus 6P . This development is thanks to XDA Senior Member Charles_l  who publishes Google Camera mods on his website  Chromloop . His previous mods have brought features such as Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL) with HDR+, 60FPS video recording at high resolutions, and the aforementioned Motion Photos and Face Retouching features. ...