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lundi 4 novembre 2019

November update makes the 90Hz Smooth Display behave differently on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

Late last month, we learned that the Pixel 4’s display automatically switches between 90Hz and 60Hz refresh rates based on the brightness of the display. Our Editor-in-Chief, Mishaal Rahman, confirmed that the Pixel 4’s 90Hz Smooth Display automatically turned down to 60Hz when the brightness was below 77%. While we did find a way to force the 90Hz refresh rate from within the Developer Options, it wasn’t the most ideal solution as it took a toll on battery life. Shortly after the revelation, Google released a statement claiming that it was already working on updates to enable the 90Hz refresh rate in more brightness conditions. These updates are now making their way to the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL alongside the November 2019 security patches.

Following the update, the displays on the two devices will stick to the 90Hz refresh rate under more circumstances. However, the two devices will exhibit different behavior. The Pixel 4 will switch to 90Hz whenever the display brightness is above 42% and the ambient brightness level will have no effect on the refresh rate. On the other hand, the Pixel 4 XL will stick to 90Hz irrespective of the display or ambient brightness. This difference in behavior can likely be boiled down to Google wanting to save battery life on the smaller Pixel 4. However, you can still enable the “force 90Hz” mode in Developer Options to get around the display brightness trigger.

It’s worth noting that these changes have led to another issue with the Pixel 4 XL. Since the device will now run at 90Hz in more situations, the display gamma bug is now more noticeable on it. Due to this, when you turn off and on the display, it applies the wrong gamma table and the display looks very contrasty and shifted towards a magenta hue.

The post November update makes the 90Hz Smooth Display behave differently on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL appeared first on xda-developers.



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November update makes the 90Hz Smooth Display behave differently on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

Late last month, we learned that the Pixel 4’s display automatically switches between 90Hz and 60Hz refresh rates based on the brightness of the display. Our Editor-in-Chief, Mishaal Rahman, confirmed that the Pixel 4’s 90Hz Smooth Display automatically turned down to 60Hz when the brightness was below 77%. While we did find a way to force the 90Hz refresh rate from within the Developer Options, it wasn’t the most ideal solution as it took a toll on battery life. Shortly after the revelation, Google released a statement claiming that it was already working on updates to enable the 90Hz refresh rate in more brightness conditions. These updates are now making their way to the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL alongside the November 2019 security patches.

Following the update, the displays on the two devices will stick to the 90Hz refresh rate under more circumstances. However, the two devices will exhibit different behavior. The Pixel 4 will switch to 90Hz whenever the display brightness is above 42% and the ambient brightness level will have no effect on the refresh rate. On the other hand, the Pixel 4 XL will stick to 90Hz irrespective of the display or ambient brightness. This difference in behavior can likely be boiled down to Google wanting to save battery life on the smaller Pixel 4. However, you can still enable the “force 90Hz” mode in Developer Options to get around the display brightness trigger.

It’s worth noting that these changes have led to another issue with the Pixel 4 XL. Since the device will now run at 90Hz in more situations, the display gamma bug is now more noticeable on it. Due to this, when you turn off and on the display, it applies the wrong gamma table and the display looks very contrasty and shifted towards a magenta hue.

The post November update makes the 90Hz Smooth Display behave differently on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL appeared first on xda-developers.



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November 2019 security patches roll out for the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and Essential Phone

As we kick off the first full week in November, Google is rolling out a new batch of Android security updates. This month is notable because it marks the end of monthly updates for the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL (RIP). We’ve still got patches for the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, and Essential Phone.

This month, there is a pretty decent list of “Functional patches” for the entire Pixel 2 through Pixel 4. Two fixes, in particular, were included for only the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Google previously talked about improvements to the 90Hz “Smooth Display,” and it appears some have been included this month. There’s also a bottom speaker improvement specifically for the Pixel 3.

Category Improvements Devices
Assistant Improvements for Google Assistant Hotword Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL
Audio Improvements for bottom speaker audio quality Pixel 3
Stability Additional fixes for some devices stuck during boot Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL
Keyboards Additional support for Xbox BT controller mapping Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
Display/Graphics Smooth Display improvements Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
Camera Camera quality improvements Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL

The OTA files and factory images for the Pixel devices can be found at the links below. Find the Android security files for your device and click “Link” to start the download. This will bring your device up to Android 10 in the process. To flash the update manually without losing all of your data, follow the steps outlined in this tutorial. The OTA Android security update for the Essential Phone has just started rolling out.

Note: There are 3 different build numbers for the Pixel 4:

  • US (ATT & Verizon): QD1A.190821.014.C2
  • US (TMobile, Sprint, Google Fi) & UK carriers: QD1A.190821.014
  • All other carriers (AU/JP/CA/TW/US): QD1A.190821.007.A3

Download Factory Images | Download OTA Images

Android Security Bulletin | Pixel Update Bulletin

The post November 2019 security patches roll out for the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and Essential Phone appeared first on xda-developers.



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[Update 2: Fix Rolling Out] Google Pixel 4’s 90Hz display only works at high brightnesses

Update 2 (11/4/19 @ 3:04 PM ET): Google has rolled out a fix for this issue with the November update.

Update 1 (10/23/19 @ 3:20 PM ET): Google says they will have a software update for the Pixel 4 to enable 90Hz in more brightness conditions.

The Google Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL were announced last week and the duo was savagely leaked, with Google contributing to those leaks through official revelations. We weren’t expecting bells and whistles since most of the features were already out in the open – many of which Google didn’t even talk about at the Pixel 4 keynote – but, the new, smoother 90Hz display on the new Pixel smartphones was among the key features that a lot of us were anticipating. While references in the phone’s source code gave away to the 90Hz display at least a month ahead of the official launch, there’s something interesting that was recently discovered.

Pixel 4 XDA Forums / Pixel 4 XL XDA Forums

Just like the OnePlus 7 Pro and the new OnePlus 7T series, the 90Hz refresh rate does not work in all scenarios and only works in certain use cases or supported apps. Apparently, Google is using an algorithm to reduce the refresh rate of the Pixel 4/4 XL’s display to 60Hz smartly in cases such as when you’re watching a video or reading static content in which case it automatically kicks back in when you scroll.

However, a peculiar behavior in this regard was discovered by Android developer Brian Sefcik and confirmed by our Editor-in-Chief, Mishaal Rahman. They determined the Pixel 4’s display automatically switches between 90Hz and 60Hz refresh rates based on the brightness of the display.

Using the Logcat tool via ADB, Mishaal confirmed that the Pixel 4’s display automatically turns down to 60Hz when the brightness is below 75%. It’s unclear why Google has tied the setting to brightness, and we hope to soon find out the exact reason why. Interestingly, the Pixel runs at 90Hz even if the brightness is low so long as there is strong ambient lighting.

Notably, neither OnePlus 7 Pro nor the ASUS ROG Phone II display this behavior. This behavior is most likely to be intentional and not a bug but we’re not sure if this is an attempt by Google to avoid complaints regarding the smooth display draining the small batteries on the Pixel 4/4 XL too quickly.

Force 90Hz Refresh Rate on Pixel 4

Meanwhile, if you have a Pixel 4/4 XL and want to always enjoy the 90Hz display, you can set the display to stay at 90Hz permanently by forcing the option from Developer Settings. This will continue to work irrespective of the brightness you’re using your phone at.

Update: Software Update Coming

Google released a statement to The Verge about the 90Hz display situation on the Pixel 4. They reiterate that the display is designed to be at 90Hz when consuming content and navigating the UI, but to preserve battery they are able to lower it to 60Hz in certain situations.

In some conditions or situations, however, we set the refresh rate to 60Hz. Some of these situations include: when the user turns on battery saver, certain content such as video (as it’s largely shot at 24 or 30fps), and even various brightness or ambient conditions. We constantly assess whether these parameters lead to the best overall user experience. We have previously planned updates that we’ll roll out in the coming weeks that include enabling 90hz in more brightness conditions.

We’re not sure if this update will give more controls to customers or simply include better variables by default. Stay tuned for more information when this update rolls out. We’re also waiting on an update to bring open eyes settings to Face Unlock.

Update 2: Tweaked in November Update

With the latest update that brings the November 2019 security patch level, Google has also adjusted the Smooth Display thresholds. First, we can confirm that Google disabled the ambient lighting threshold and lowered the screen brightness threshold. Previously, 90Hz would only be enabled if the ambient lighting was greater than 63 nits or the display brightness was higher than 77%. Now, 90Hz is enabled if the screen brightness is at least 42%, no matter the ambient lighting.

The post [Update 2: Fix Rolling Out] Google Pixel 4’s 90Hz display only works at high brightnesses appeared first on xda-developers.



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November 2019 security patches roll out for the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and Essential Phone

As we kick off the first full week in November, Google is rolling out a new batch of Android security updates. This month is notable because it marks the end of monthly updates for the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL (RIP). We’ve still got patches for the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, and Essential Phone.

This month, there is a pretty decent list of “Functional patches” for the entire Pixel 2 through Pixel 4. Two fixes, in particular, were included for only the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Google previously talked about improvements to the 90Hz “Smooth Display,” and it appears some have been included this month. There’s also a bottom speaker improvement specifically for the Pixel 3.

Category Improvements Devices
Assistant Improvements for Google Assistant Hotword Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL
Audio Improvements for bottom speaker audio quality Pixel 3
Stability Additional fixes for some devices stuck during boot Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL
Keyboards Additional support for Xbox BT controller mapping Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
Display/Graphics Smooth Display improvements Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
Camera Camera quality improvements Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL

The OTA files and factory images for the Pixel devices can be found at the links below. Find the Android security files for your device and click “Link” to start the download. This will bring your device up to Android 10 in the process. To flash the update manually without losing all of your data, follow the steps outlined in this tutorial. The OTA Android security update for the Essential Phone has just started rolling out.

Note: There are 3 different build numbers for the Pixel 4:

  • US (ATT & Verizon): QD1A.190821.014.C2
  • US (TMobile, Sprint, Google Fi) & UK carriers: QD1A.190821.014
  • All other carriers (AU/JP/CA/TW/US): QD1A.190821.007.A3

Download Factory Images | Download OTA Images

Android Security Bulletin | Pixel Update Bulletin

The post November 2019 security patches roll out for the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and Essential Phone appeared first on xda-developers.



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[Update: Coming to the U.S.] The Google Play Points rewards program quietly goes live in Japan

Update (11/4/19 @ 1:05 PM ET): The Google Play Points rewards program is coming to the U.S. too.

It was less than two weeks ago when we published an APK teardown we did on version 11.6.15 of the Google Play Store. These APK teardowns can be quite nice as Google engineers are constantly adding in new features that the company is either experimenting with or waiting to launch in the future. In that teardown, we discovered that Google has been working on a rewards system called Google Play Points that would, naturally, reward you for each item you purchased in the Play Store. Not only was this feature really close to going public, but it is currently live for those who are living in Japan.

Rewards systems are everywhere. Most of us in the United States see these as features of our credit cards, but there are individual retailers who have their own rewards system as well. We even see these rewards systems in place for companies like Samsung, where customers get rewards if they use Samsung Pay to purchase items. The entire goal of a rewards program is to give customers an incentive to continuing making purchases so they can earn a discount or prize at some point in time.

In our APK teardown, we learned that Google is planning on implementing 5 different levels of benefits for this program. The more you buy from the Play Store, the higher your rank gets and the higher your rank gets the more Google Play Points you are rewarded with. Here’s a breakdown of the individual Level Benefits and how the benefits go up as your rank increases.

  • Bronze level (up to 249 points):
    • 1 point earned for every ¥100 spent
  • Silver level (250–999 points):
    • 1.25 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • 1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • 1 ¥100 movie rental
  • Gold level (1,000–3,999 points):
    • 1.5 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • +1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • 2 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +2 ¥100 movie rentals
  • Platinum level (4,000–14,999 points):
    • 1.75 points earned for every ¥100 spent.
    • +1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • +4 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +4 ¥100 movie rentals
  • Diamond level (more than 15,000 points):
    • 2 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • +2 ¥300 credits for in-app items
    • +6 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +5 ¥100 movie rentals

There are almost always limits to what you can spend rewards points on and how many you can earn in general, and the Google Play Points rewards program is no different. As the service is live in Japan right now, this is what the points can be used for in the country:

Translated to the United States, the limits will be as follows:

Google has a big list of countries with each Google Play Points Rewards limits published in the Play Store Help document here for those who are interested.

Via: Android Police | Source: Google Play Help

Update: Coming to the U.S.

google play points rewards

Over a year after the program went live in Japan, Google Play Points is coming to the U.S. too. The program, which is free to join, allows you to earn points on everything you buy on Google Play. This includes apps, games, movies, books, subscriptions, and in-app purchases. You can also earn points by download featured free apps and games.

Google Play Points has four levels, from Bronze to Platinum. Your level depends on how many points you’ve collected, and higher levels have perks like weekly prizes.

Points can be redeemed in a number of ways. They can be used for special in-app items or Google Play Credit. You can learn more about joining the program here.

Source: Google

The post [Update: Coming to the U.S.] The Google Play Points rewards program quietly goes live in Japan appeared first on xda-developers.



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[Update: Coming to the U.S.] The Google Play Points rewards program quietly goes live in Japan

Update (11/4/19 @ 1:05 PM ET): The Google Play Points rewards program is coming to the U.S. too.

It was less than two weeks ago when we published an APK teardown we did on version 11.6.15 of the Google Play Store. These APK teardowns can be quite nice as Google engineers are constantly adding in new features that the company is either experimenting with or waiting to launch in the future. In that teardown, we discovered that Google has been working on a rewards system called Google Play Points that would, naturally, reward you for each item you purchased in the Play Store. Not only was this feature really close to going public, but it is currently live for those who are living in Japan.

Rewards systems are everywhere. Most of us in the United States see these as features of our credit cards, but there are individual retailers who have their own rewards system as well. We even see these rewards systems in place for companies like Samsung, where customers get rewards if they use Samsung Pay to purchase items. The entire goal of a rewards program is to give customers an incentive to continuing making purchases so they can earn a discount or prize at some point in time.

In our APK teardown, we learned that Google is planning on implementing 5 different levels of benefits for this program. The more you buy from the Play Store, the higher your rank gets and the higher your rank gets the more Google Play Points you are rewarded with. Here’s a breakdown of the individual Level Benefits and how the benefits go up as your rank increases.

  • Bronze level (up to 249 points):
    • 1 point earned for every ¥100 spent
  • Silver level (250–999 points):
    • 1.25 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • 1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • 1 ¥100 movie rental
  • Gold level (1,000–3,999 points):
    • 1.5 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • +1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • 2 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +2 ¥100 movie rentals
  • Platinum level (4,000–14,999 points):
    • 1.75 points earned for every ¥100 spent.
    • +1 ¥300 credit for in-app items
    • +4 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +4 ¥100 movie rentals
  • Diamond level (more than 15,000 points):
    • 2 points earned for every ¥100 spent
    • +2 ¥300 credits for in-app items
    • +6 ¥500 ebook credits
    • +5 ¥100 movie rentals

There are almost always limits to what you can spend rewards points on and how many you can earn in general, and the Google Play Points rewards program is no different. As the service is live in Japan right now, this is what the points can be used for in the country:

Translated to the United States, the limits will be as follows:

Google has a big list of countries with each Google Play Points Rewards limits published in the Play Store Help document here for those who are interested.

Via: Android Police | Source: Google Play Help

Update: Coming to the U.S.

google play points rewards

Over a year after the program went live in Japan, Google Play Points is coming to the U.S. too. The program, which is free to join, allows you to earn points on everything you buy on Google Play. This includes apps, games, movies, books, subscriptions, and in-app purchases. You can also earn points by download featured free apps and games.

Google Play Points has four levels, from Bronze to Platinum. Your level depends on how many points you’ve collected, and higher levels have perks like weekly prizes.

Points can be redeemed in a number of ways. They can be used for special in-app items or Google Play Credit. You can learn more about joining the program here.

Source: Google

The post [Update: Coming to the U.S.] The Google Play Points rewards program quietly goes live in Japan appeared first on xda-developers.



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