Motorola Announces Which Phones will Receive Android 7.0 Nougat

Motorola's reputation for fast and prompt OTA updates has been a bit shaky since they were acquired by Lenovo. There were times when Motorola would beat Google to the punch when it came to the latest Android update. They still do a respectable job with updates to some of their devices, but they have seemingly forgotten others. We're seeing Moto devices that are exclusive to Verizon receive security updates before devices that are not tied to a carrier (like the Moto X Pure Edition).

Motorola has already confirmed their new Moto Z line will not get monthly security updates. Instead, the company will choose to package multiple security updates together and push them out every 2-3 months. They've done well with them some of the new Z devices though. The new Moto Z Droid received the August and September security updates, even if they were a few weeks late with the September one. It will be interesting to see how much of a priority these devices get as time goes on.

Motorola is currently busy working on Android 7.0 Nougat, and now we've then told exactly which Moto devices will receive the update. Most of them are from 2016, but there are some older ones in there as well. So far, we can expect the Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, Moto G4 Play, Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen), Moto X Style, Moto X Play, Moto X Force, Droid Turbo 2, Droid Maxx 2, Moto Z, Moto Z Droid, Moto Z Force Droid, Moto Z Play, and Moto Z Play Droid to receive the update.

Motorola tells us the Nougat update rollout will start sometime during the fourth quarter of the year (so it could be any day now), and that they will begin with the Moto Z and the Moto G4 first. We aren't told how long it will take them to complete the rollout though, so we should expect that some of these devices won't receive Android 7.0 Nougat until Q1 of 2017.

Source: Official Motorola Blog

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Samsung will Reportedly Manufacture the Snapdragon 830 for Qualcomm

Qualcomm has generally hired companies like TSMC to manufacture the custom Snapdragon SoCs that so many mobile devices use these days. This worked out well for them for years, but changed last year with the Snapdragon 820. It's unclear if this transition happened because Qualcomm was unhappy with how the Snapdragon 810 turned out (which was made by TSMC), or if they were just able to get a better price or process from Samsung.

Whatever the reason is, Samsung fabricating the Snapdragon 830 would mark the second year in a row that Qualcomm has opted to go with the South Korean tech giant. This latest report comes from ETNews and tells us Samsung LSI (their semiconductor company), will be manufacturing the Snapdragon 830 SoC for Qualcomm. From the report, we also learn that the Snapdragon 830 and the Exynos 8895 will use Samsung's 10nm process.

For comparison, the Snapdragon 820, Snapdragon 821, and the Exynos 8890 are using Samsung's 14nm process. So we should see a decrease in heat generation as well as battery consumption, on top of an increase in performance. Both the Snapdragon 830 and Exynos 8895 are said to be jointly developed by Samsung and Qualcomm using FoPLP (Fan-out Panel Level Package) technology.

This Fan-out Panel Level Package will allow for Samsung to eliminate the need for PCBs (printed circuit boards) for the package substrate. As a result, this will help reduce the cost of production for Samsung, which will be great for the company's financial report. The elimination of PCBs will also allow for an easier way to increase input and output ports so that Samsung can manufacture thinner packages.

Assuming there aren't any issues like we saw with the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810, next year is shaping up to be great for flagship Android SoCs. The report also goes on to say that Samsung will be using the Snapdragon 830 in the Galaxy S8 for certain markets (just like we saw this year with the Galaxy S7 and the Note 7).

Source: SamMobile

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Debloat Galaxy Devices Without Root

In this XDA TV video, TK shows us how to get rid of the bloatware on Galaxy devices, without having to root your phone. TK demonstrates the Package Disabler Pro on the Galaxy Note 7. Check out the video to see how it works and download the app for yourself.

Download Package Disabler Pro here.

KEY FEATURES:
* Disabling and enabling any packages /apps
* Package Disabler Helps to Identify 100+ Bloatware's on most of Samsung Handsets
* One click bloatware removal to quickly improve device perfomance and save battery
* Export your disabled list to the external storage to import them later
* Batch operation to enable all disabled packages
* Filter to show all disabled packages
* Password protection
* Filter to show all installed apps
* Filter to show all system packages
* Quickly find apps using the search functionality
* Use Google cardboard APPS on Gear VR ( disable package com.samsung.android.hmt.vrsvc )

 

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Meet the New Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL

After months and weeks of leaking little by little, the newest phones from Google have arrived. This time, there is a special emphasis on the "Made by Google" part, much more than what we have been used to with the Nexus lineup. The Pixel lineup is Google taking the reins back in its own hands, as the devices no longer remain content with just being developer reference devices. These are the phones that are made with the end consumer in mind rather than enthusiasts, with a view to pull a consumer deeper into the Google ecosystem with a slew of exclusive (as of now) features.

Starting off with the design of the phones, the Google Pixel comes bearing a 5″ FHD AMOLED display, while the Google Pixel XL bumps the spec up to 5.5″ QHD AMOLED. Outside of the difference in the sizes, the devices are near identical when it comes to design. The front of the devices looks simple and plain, and also has sizable bezels on the top and bottom despite not having a front fingerprint sensor or front facing stereo speakers. The back of the phone shows off the flat, metallic chassis of the device, but also a glass window on the top half. The window adds a bit of contrast, color and means of differentiationm ultimately giving it a rather interesting look. The bottom of the back also sports a "G" logo, indicating its "Made by Google" origins. There is no HTC branding visible on the device.

On the inside, both the Pixel and the Pixel XL sport the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, coupled with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Storage options on the device consists of either 32GB or a healthy 128GB. There is no microSD expandability on the device, but we expected as much out of a Google device. The smaller Pixel sports a 2770 mAh battery, while the larger Pixel XL sports a 3450 mAh battery. The devices come with a USB Type-C connector, and have Quick Charge 3.0 support.

The camera setup on the device consists of a 12MP rear camera with f/2.0 and PDAF, capable of video recording 4K at 30fps. The front is a 8MP shooter with f/2.0. There were no mentions of OIS specifically for either spec, so we assume it to be absent. Google dd mention that DXOMark rated the Pixel at 89, which is the highest they have rated any smartphone that they have tested. The complete camera package just on specs is not the most exciting when compared to the current competition, so we are curious to see what Google has done behind the scenes to make the setup competitive.

The most important part of the Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL is the software. The devices launch with a new version of Android, Android 7.1 Nougat. Google has made a few changes to stock Android for these devices, making Google the centerpiece of attraction. The launcher on the device, aka the Pixel Launcher, replaces the Google search bar on the homescreen with a Google Search button, much inline with their current branding choices. The Pixel is the carrier for all things Google Assistant, so you have easy access to the Assistant at every step. Google is also offering free unlimited Photos storage for full resolution videos and images on the Pixel. And then, there's also 24×7 Customer Support present within the phone. Finally, there's automatic and seamless updates, where the update is downloaded and installed in a new partition and the phone then just switches over.

The Pixel devices come in Very Silver, Quite Black and (limited edition, for US only) Really Blue colors (much wow). The Google Pixel starts at $649, and is available for preorder from today in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. Pre-orders begin in India from 13th October. For the US, you can also get the Pixel from Verizon, but in case you want your bootloader to be unlockable, you can buy it off the Google Store unlocked as well.

The Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL, on the hardware front, do not hold any edge over the competition. This is an approach to smartphones seemingly without stand-out gimmicks nor clear selling points beyond the Google branding: the camera setup is not the best, there is no modularity at play, nor is there any waterproofing either. Google is banking hard on the Google experience (and marketing) to sell the device. It remains to be seen if the average consumer finds this experience worth spending money on, but we certainly can't wait to take it out for a spin!

What are your thoughts on the Pixel and the Pixel XL? Let us know in the comments below!

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JCase: “Verizon Pixel Phone May Not Be Bootloader Unlockable”

We are just mere moments away from the launch of the Google Pixel phones, hoping for Google to settle whatever is left of the mystery once and for all. We do know that the Pixel devices will be coming to Verizon, but the extent of Verizon influence has remained unknown other than suggestions of it being SIM-locked.

XDA Senior Recognized Developer jcase took to his personal Twitter account to give some insight on what the Verizon influence possibly include.

I believe the Verizon Pixel phone will not be bootloader unlockable based on test firmware, if you care about an easy root buy unlocked.

— Jon Sawyer (@jcase) October 4, 2016

Based on test firmware, jcase mentions that the Verizon based Pixel devices will not be bootloader unlockable. This statement is based on the prerelease bootloader, but jcase is not a complete 100% sure of this, as often things change by the time of release. The Verizon Pixel has had different firmware packages than the Google Pixel, further fueling doubts on the status of its bootloader. Pixel phones also do not have a traditional recovery partition, with the recovery being inside the boot.img and mostly unused.

The locked bootloader status is likely to be restricted to only the Verizon models (if at all it is locked). So as jcase recommends, if you care about ease of root, either purchase the Pixel devices unlocked, or wait for more information and confirmation. With the devices being mere minutes away from launch, we should know more sooner rather than later.

Image Credits: @evleaks

What are your thoughts on this new development? Let us know in the comments below!

Check out XDA's Pixel Phone Forum! >>

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Huawei Allegedly Declined to Manufacture the 2016 Pixel Phones

Huawei has been trying to break into the United States smartphone market for a little while now and a new rumor claims this was planned to go big this year. We've seen the Chinese smartphone maker (well, its company Honor) have moderate success with the Honor 5X, but it seems Huawei wanted more. Android Police cities a "source familiar with Huawei's operations," and talks about how they have been wanting to have their smartphones on shelves of the major United States wireless carriers.

In particular, they've been wanting to make their smartphones available at Verizon Wireless. This source talks about how Huawei was in talks with Google get the Nexus 6P at all four of the major United States wireless carriers and that each of them would put money toward a multi-hundred-million dollar ad campaign for the device. However, something went wrong and they simply were not able to come to an agreement in the end.

Despite that, this source says Google was in talks with Huawei again to manufacture the Google Pixel and Pixel XL this year. The deal would have allowed Huawei to manufacture three devices for Google, but again the deal fell through. It's being said that Huawei was interested in the deal until Google required that the Pixel smartphones have the Google brand, and that Huawei was not allowed to have theirs on the devices.

Huawei was not happy with this stipulation and Huawei's CEO, Richard Yu, ceased all negotiations right on the spot. The rumor says this forced Google to go with plan B, HTC, even though Huawei and Google are still happy to work with each other. There have been rumors that Huawei will be producing a Nexus tablet for the internet search giant, but we'll have to wait and see if anything happens with that.

It's still interesting to think that if Huawei had signed on with the deal, then they would have had their first smartphone on Verizon Wireless shelves with the Pixel and Pixel XL phones. Even if that meant the Huawei brand wouldn't be on them.

Source: Android Police

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Google Publishes October’s Security Updates & Finally Releases Nougat for the Nexus 6

Google has released Android 7.0 Nougat for a number of Nexus devices last month, but they were still working on the update for Motorola's Nexus 6. It's unclear if the Android 7.0 update for the Nexus 6 was delayed because Google engineers were squashing bugs, or if Motorola was holding them back. Whatever the case, the Nougat update is finally rolling out to the Nexus 6 and you can manually flash the OTA update right now if you would like.

Along with 7.0 Nougat, Google also released the Android security patches yesterday. This update comes in two sets as there is a Security Patch Level for October 1st and a bigger one for October 5th. The October 1st level includes patches for 12 vulnerabilities marked with a high severity and 5 that are marked with a moderate severity. The October 5th level includes patches for 5 vulnerabilities marked with a critical severity, 17 that are marked with a high severity, 8 that are marked with a moderate severity and then 1 marked with a low severity.

As usual, Google has released both factory images for Nexus devices that include these October security patches, as well as the OTA files for those who want to manually install the update. So far, Google has released the October security update for the WiFi variant of the Nexus 9, the Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player and Nexus 5. If you'd rather not update the Nexus 6 to Nougat right now, you can use the MOB31H build for the device to get the security patches and stay on Marshmallow.

Google has yet to release the update for the cellular variant of the Nexus 9, but we've seen this type of delay in the past. It can take Google a few weeks to get the update certified and then both the factory images/OTA files will be available for those who need it.

Source: Android Security Bulletin

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