How to enable the Pixel 5’s Adaptive Sound feature on older Pixel phones

Google rolled out the fifth Pixel Feature Drop earlier this month, which brought a host of new features to both old and new Pixel phones. Some older Pixel phones gained features like Hold for Me and Extreme Battery Saver, while only Google’s latest Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 got support for the new Adaptive Sound feature. The Adaptive Sound feature is designed to improve the phone’s audio output by tweaking its equalizer based on your surroundings, and thanks to XDA Recognized Developer Freak07, there’s a way to enable this feature on older Pixel devices. If you’re interested in trying it out on your phone, here’s what you need to do:

Enable Adaptive Sound on older Pixel devices (with root)

On rooted Pixel devices, you can enable the Adaptive Sound feature by following a couple of simple steps, and it will remain enabled even after your reboot your device. To do so, you’ll first need to download the Pixel 5-specific version of the Device Personalization Services app from APK Mirror and install it on your device. Yes, you will already have the Device Personalization Services app installed, but the version of the app that Google pushed to your phone doesn’t include the Adaptive Sound feature. Hence, you’ll need to grab the one that Google made for the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. You can download that version of the app by clicking this link.

Once you have the app installed, you’ll need to download and install the Adaptive_Audio_Settings_Enabler Magisk module from the Magisk Manager app and restart your device. Alternatively, you can download the module by following this link and flash it manually. A few moments after a successful reboot, you should see the Adaptive Sound option in device settings.

Enable Adaptive Sound on older Pixel devices (without root)

On non-rooted Pixel devices, the process to enable Adaptive Sound is a bit more complicated as you have to execute a couple of shell commands. But before you get to that, you have to install the Pixel 5-specific version of the Device Personalization Services from APK Mirror and install it on your device. You can get the app by following this link.

Once you have the app installed, make sure you have USB Debugging enabled on your device. You can do so by heading over to Developer Options and tapping on the toggle next to the USB Debugging setting. You’ll also need to ensure that you have a working ADB environment on your PC (we have a tutorial on that here). After you’ve done that, you’ll need to connect your phone to your PC and execute the following 3 commands one-by-one:

adb shell
device_config put device_personalization_services AdaptiveAudio__enable_adaptive_audio true
device_config put device_personalization_services AdaptiveAudio__show_promo_notification true

After you execute these three commands, you should see the Adaptive Sound option in the device settings. Unlike the method for rooted devices, though, this method doesn’t enable the Adaptive Sound option permanently, and it’s removed once you reboot your device. So, make sure you don’t reboot your device after following the aforementioned steps, or you’ll have to go through it once again.

Enable Adaptive Sound on older Pixel devices XDA Forums thread

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An Update on XDA Labs

It was five years ago that we launched XDA Labs after hundreds of hours of development. The primary purpose was to create an alternate app distribution platform for developers that couldn’t host on Google Play. Labs had other features such as beta and alpha channels (before Google added the same to Google Play) to enable developers to have more control over their app distribution and testing. Not only that, but Labs let users get early access to new versions of popular apps with an update mechanism that would “push” updates to phones often days or weeks before Google or other big developers did full rollouts of new app versions.

In addition to being an app platform, XDA Labs also included a way to browse the XDA forums through a ground-up forum app we built in house using our own API. However, it’s been five years, and we find ourselves having to make some difficult decisions as we look towards the future of XDA where we plan to make XDA the best place in the world to talk about your tech.

The most significant decision we’ve made recently was to move from an outdated software platform (vBulletin) to something more modern and flexible (XenForo). This undertaking was huge and presented issues that have been resolved (thanks everyone for your patience!), and we’re happy to report that the forums are now stable and relatively fast, and our members have been pretty happy with the upgrade. Along with the migration we recently introduced the new XDA App, built using a platform that allows a combination of native and webviews (for those trying to learn how to use the new app, we have a great guide in the forums).

There’s yet another big change we have to announce, and we do it with a heavy heart knowing that it will affect several developers who have come to rely on XDA Labs to distribute their app: XDA Labs has been shut off and there are no current plans for further development.

Why such a drastic move? There are multiple reasons for it, the biggest of which come down to resources: the team that runs XDA is small and we can no longer dedicate the resources needed to continue running and maintaining Labs. Labs has many inherent costs we are no longer able to support as a business. We always wanted Labs to be free, and we see no path to keep it viable at this juncture.

What about those that have relied on Labs to distribute their apps and will mourn its loss? We’re sorry that we have to pull the plug on this project, and we’re sympathetic to the fact that you put your trust in the Labs platform only to have it unplugged. If it’s any consolation, effective today (12/31/20), we are massively increasing attachment limits in the XDA forums to 2GB. External users do not require an XDA account to download attachments; just share the file URL as you need! While this isn’t the same as the Labs app store, we do hope this still provides you a resource from which to distribute your app.

When we first announced the forum migration a few months ago, we invited anyone interested in continuing to maintain Labs to contact us. Unfortunately, we’ve had no viable proposals. We are willing to open-source the entire project if anyone would like to pick up the mantle. If you’re interested, please contact XDA Admin svetius.

In the meantime, we want to say thank you to everyone who made Labs possible. Many thanks to XDA Recognized Developer blk_jack, who was the godfather and main creator of this app, plus the many other testers, coordinators, and developers that worked on Labs in any shape or form. Many thanks to the dev team at XDA for maintaining it over the years, and to all our forum members who made our Labs dream possible. Labs was born out of a need from our community and while we’re unable to support it going forward, we truly hope that the community will rise up and continue keeping Labs running.

We’ve got lots of special plans for XDA as a whole and the XDA community and we can’t wait to share them with you in 2021 and beyond! Thanks for your ongoing support!

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Sony has still not launched the PlayStation 5 in India

Today is the last day of the calendar year and clearly, Sony’s plans of a late 2020 launch of the PlayStation 5 in India have gone down the drain. While Microsoft started selling its new Xbox Series X and Series S in India last month, we are yet to hear from Sony regarding the official launch date of the PlayStation 5 in the country.

Sony has had a rough time trying to get its new console to India. Earlier in the year, the company had to deal with a patent dispute where the trademark for the PS5 name in the country was filed by an individual three months before Sony filed for the trademark. As of now we only know the India pricing of the PlayStation 5, which was announced back in October, along with a listing on the official PlayStation website. But ever since then there hasn’t been any other communication from Sony India regarding the launch or pre-orders, other than boilerplate responses. Some marketing materials had mentioned an obscure “late 2020” availability, but even those have been cleansed away.

It is quite bizarre that Sony is keeping this quiet when it comes to sharing information regarding the launch date or reason(s) for the delays. Not only is the company disappointing its fanbase in India, but it is also giving Microsoft an upper hand in the console wars. Microsoft claims that it has witnessed a record demand and sales for the new consoles globally, including India, as it was one of the 40 countries where the Xbox Series X and Series S were available on launch day. While the stock situation for all the new consoles are not all that great over the world, interested consumers at least have a chance of landing a PlayStation 5 officially in the regions it has launched, which is something that is missing for the Indian market.

The PlayStation 5 is priced at ₹49,990 in India, while the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition costs ₹39,990. This is fairly competitive with Microsoft’s new consoles. At the same time, Sony is offering you more bang for your buck if you go for the digital edition as it comes with the same internal hardware as the regular version, unlike the new Xbox consoles where the Series S gets less powerful hardware.

Xbox Series S Review: A compact console for the budget conscious

At this stage, we can presume that the launch of the PlayStation 5 in India will happen in early 2021. However, before that happens, a report by The Mako Reactor has revealed that customers in India might not entirely be pleased while buying the new console. The PlayStation 5 will not arrive with any special game bundles at launch, unlike the PS4 launch. Thankfully, you will egt a standard one-year warranty where customers will be entitled to a replacement unit, instead of repair. But then, boxed accessories and controllers will not have any warranty or after-sales support, which is a very odd ommission. Perhaps to make it up to customers, the report suggests that customers buying the PlayStation 5 on Day 1 would be given a token of appreciation (most likely a certificate) to indicate that they were one of the first to purchase the console in India. The big question still remains: When exactly can you buy a PlayStation 5 in India anyway?

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4G is getting Android 11 with One UI 3.0

Just yesterday, Samsung began rolling out the One UI 3.0 update on top of Android 11 to the Galaxy Note 10 lineup. Today, the Korean OEM is starting to deliver the same update to the Galaxy Z Flip 4G, introducing several improvements along with a new security patch.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4G XDA Forums

As reported by GSMArena, the One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy Z Flip 4G (model number SM-F700F) has the firmware version F700FXXU3CTLA and comes in at nearly 2GB. The update is currently rolling out in a number of countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa, which suggests that Samsung has already started the broad-scale rollout. The OTA also brings Android security patches up to December 2020, along with new features for the Samsung keyboard and the Messages app.

One UI 3.0 Changelog for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4G

One UI 3 is designed to help you focus on what matters. Our visual redesign has improved the places you visit the most, like the Home screen and quick panel, to reduce distractions, highlight important information, and make your experience more consistent. Performance improvements will help apps run quicker while using less battery power. And One UI 3 puts control in your hands with new privacy controls, one-time permissions, and enhanced Digital Wellbeing.

Scroll down for a full list of changes.

Visual design

• We’ve refreshed the look and feel of One UI 3 in lots of ways, big and small, from new, more consistent icons to smarter organization of the quick panel and notifications. Motion is smoother and more natural than ever, with improved animations and haptic feedback for common interactions. And the interface responds to different screen sizes to provide the best experience on any device, whether it’s a phone, foldable, or tablet.

Improved performance

• We optimized One UI 3 with enhanced dynamic memory allocation, so apps run faster and perform better. We’ve also restricted background activities to provide better performance and power usage.

Better customization

• New image categories have been added to Dynamic Lock screen, and you can select up to 5 categories at once.
• On the Lock screen, you can add a widget to check your usage time.
• Get an interactive preview when setting a wallpaper.
• Adjusting the Always On Display and Lock screen is easier.
• Add a call background to see a picture or video when you make or receive a call.
• In Samsung Internet, you can reorder and lock tabs.
• Bixby Routines has even more controls to help you automate your life.
• New icons and Lock screen widgets make it easier to find and control your routines.
• Use Digital Wellbeing with separate personal and work profiles.

Enhanced features

• Home screen and Lock screen
  • Add widgets by touching and holding an app on the Home screen.
  • Turn off the screen by double tapping on an empty space on the Home or Lock screen. (Set it up in Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures.)
  • On the Lock screen, tap the clock area to see widgets like calendar, weather, and music.
• Calls and chats
  • See conversations separately in the notification panel. Works with Messages and your favorite chat apps.
  • Easily remove duplicate contacts stored in the same account in Contacts. The storage period for deleted contacts has been extended from 15 days to 30 days.
  • Added the ability to edit multiple linked contacts from a single screen.
  • Added Trash in Messages so that recently deleted messages are stored for 30 days.
• Pictures and videos
  • Take pictures quicker with improved auto focus and auto exposure.
  • View, edit, and share pictures and videos more easily from Gallery.
  • Find pictures and videos quicker with new search features and categories in Gallery.
  • Revert edited pictures to their original versions at any time, even after they’re saved, so you never lose a shot.
• Settings
  • Settings has a new simpler look and feel. Your Samsung account is shown at the top, and Home screen settings are now easier to access.
  • Find the settings you need more easily with new Search features. You’ll get better results for synonyms and common misspellings, and you can tap on tags to see groups of related settings.
  • Quick settings buttons have been reduced to provide only the most commonly used features. You can also add buttons to create your own customized quick panel.
• Samsung Keyboard
  • Increased the number of input languages to 370.
  • Made it easier to paste copied images and verification codes from text messages.
  • Added emoji and sticker suggestions when you enter a text-based emoticon.
  • Improved the keyboard layout to provide a larger space bar when entering web and email addresses.
  • Reorganized Keyboard settings so it’s easier to access frequently used settings.
• Productivity
  • Maintain a healthy balance between work and life by minimizing repetitive and complicated tasks and handling them efficiently.
  • New routines will be recommended based on your daily life and usage patterns.
  • Bixby Routines provide a setting to return everything to the way it was before the routine ran.
  • In Internet, you can hide the status and navigation bars for a more immersive experience and quickly translate webpages.
  • You’ll be prompted to block websites that send too many pop-ups or notifications.
  • You can browse and select cloud drive files from the file selection screen in My Files.
  • You can now delete cache files in My Files to easily free up storage space.
  • Events with the same start time are displayed together in the month and agenda view in Calendar.
• Easy media and device control
  • Media and device control is easier with the improved media panel in notifications. You can see recently used media apps and quickly change the playback device. You can also check Android Auto settings in the Advanced features menu in Settings.

Identify and improve your digital habits

• Improved Digital Wellbeing features make it easy to check how you’re using your phone or tablet and help you form good digital habits. Check your usage while driving or see weekly changes in your screen time by function at a glance through upgraded weekly reports.

Accessibility for everyone

• One UI 3 recommends useful accessibility features for you based on your usage. The improved Accessibility shortcut makes accessibility features easier to start and use. You can use the Speak keyboard input aloud feature to get voice feedback of your typing even when TalkBack is turned off.

Stronger privacy protection

• You can now let an app access to your microphone, camera, or location just one time. Any permissions that an app hasn’t used in a while will be automatically revoked. You can no longer give apps permission to always see your location in the regular permission popup. To let apps access your location when they’re not in use, you need to go to the location permission page for the app in Settings.

Additional improvements

• In Clock, you can hear the time and preset name of the alarm read aloud when an alarm rings.

Some apps will need to be updated separately after the One UI 3 update.

You can no longer use Wi-Fi Direct to send files to other devices. You can use Nearby Share instead. You can still receive files using Wi-Fi Direct.

You can no longer connect to Chromecast using Smart View. You can use Google Home instead.

Ever since the Galaxy S20 series received stable One UI 3.0 update, the process of rolling out Android 11 to older Galaxy devices has been steadily progressing. The 5G variant of the Galazy Z Flip has already secured the update, and it’s nice to see the 4G model now gets the same treatment as well.

In case you haven’t received the update notification on your Galaxy Z Flip 4G yet, you can head over to the Software Update section in the Settings app to check if the FOTA is available for your device or not. Power users, on the other hand, can opt for Frija or Samloader, which makes it a lot more easier to download the new build directly from the update server without waiting.

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OPPO launches the Reno 5 4G with the Snapdragon 720G and 50W fast charging

Oppo has officially launched the Oppo Reno 5 4G in Vietnam, a 4G version of the standard Reno 5 that launched in China earlier this month. The device was spotted in a hands-on video just last week, indicating an imminent launch, and now, it’s finally official. The OPPO Reno 5 4G will be launching in more markets globally, but so far, it’s only available in Vietnam. Broadly speaking, the Reno 5 4G is basically a repurposed Reno 4 Global with some minor hardware and visual refresh.

Reno 5 4G: Specifications

Specification	Reno 5 4G
Dimensions and Weight	159.1 mm x 73.3 mm x 7.7 mm (Mysterious Black) x 7.8 mm (Multi-Colored Silver) 171g
Display	6.4-inch AMOLED 2400 x 1080 (FHD+) 90Hz refresh rate 410 PPI DCI-P3: 93.28% coverage
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G: 2 x Cortex-A76 @ 2.3GHz 6 x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz Adreno 618 GPU (750MHz)
RAM and Storage	8GB LPDDR4x RAM 128GB flash storage MicroSD card support
Battery & Charging	4,220 mAh battery 50W fast charger (inside the box)
Rear Camera	Primary: 64MP, f/1.7 Secondary: 8MP wide-angle, 119° field-of-view Tertiary: 2MP, f/2.4, macro Quarternary: 2MP, f/2.4, depth
Front Camera	44MP, f/2.4
Ports	USB Type-C port 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	4G LTE Bluetooth 5.1 Dual-SIM WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz) USB OTG
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner
Software	ColorOS 11.1 with Android 11

As far as the design and looks are concerned, the Reno 5 4G is impeccably similar to the last year Reno 4, with the only point of differentiation being the hole-punch design and the size of the fourth rear camera on the back. A 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display dominates the front of the Reno 5 4G with a 90Hz screen refresh rate and up to 180Hz touch sampling rate.

The primary camera sees an upgrade from a 48MP sensor to a 64MP f/1.7 one. The 8MP wide-angle, 2MP depth and 2MP macro sensors remain the same. So is the chipset, with the device still using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset, paired with Adreno 618 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB flash storage.

A 4,220mAh battery provides the juice, and a 50W fast charger ensures you can refill the tank in no time. Elsewhere, we see Bluetooth 5.1, dual SIM support, in-display fingerprint scanner, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Out-of-the-box, the phone runs ColorOS 11.1 with Android 11 on top.

Pricing & Availability

The OPPO Reno 5 4G comes in two colors, Mysterious Black and Multi-Colored Silver. It’s priced at 8,690,000 VND (~$375) and is available for purchase from OPPO’s online store, Vittel Store, FPT Shop, and a bunch of other retailers. OPPO hasn’t shared any details about when it plans to bring the device to more markets, including India and Europe.

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Xiaomi Mi A3 receives official Android 11 update, but you should wait

Xiaomi has begun rolling out a stable Android 11 update to the Mi A3. The update weighs in at 1.4GB in size and brings along a jump to Android 11, among other improvements. XDA Member maciej.mackiewicz received the Android 11 update notification on his Mi A3 earlier today, and it should be rolling out to more devices in the coming days. However, early reports suggest that all may not entirely be well with the update, so we suggest you wait for a few more days.

The update packs in all the standard Andriod 11 goodies, including support for Chat Bubbles, smart device controls, new media controls, one-time permissions, wireless Android Auto support, conversation notifications, and a whole lot more.  To learn about everything that’s new in Android 11, check out this article.

The changelog for Mi A3’s Android 11 update:

• Improved Notification shade
• Conversation bubbles
• Better permissions management
• Improved DND

The Android 11 update has started seeding to Mi A3 users; however, as it’s usually the case with staged OTA rollouts, it might take some time before it’s available for all devices. If you haven’t received the update notification yet, you can head to Settings > System > System update and click on “Check for update” to see if it’s available for you to download (though we advise not doing so at this stage).

According to early reports from several users, the Android 11 update is hard bricking devices.

@XiaomiIndia Today received A11 update to my Mi A3 and after installing it and restarting the device, phone is completely dead. Neither it is charging nor switching on. What the hell is this? My phone is completely dead on new year eve.@XiaomiSupport @manukumarjain

— Mohammad Mahefooz (@Mahefooz) December 31, 2020

Users who have accepted the update now find themselves in the unfortunate situation where their phone is not responding at all. Since the update is fresh, there’s not a whole lot of information on what exactly has happened, nor any solution available for users who are stuck in this situation.

This isn’t the first time that the Mi A3’s update has had issues. Earlier this year, one update broke dual-SIM functionality on the phone. Xiaomi went on to roll a bug fix later on. In this case, since the apparent damage appears to be a dead phone prima facie, we advise users to wait for a few days.

Xiaomi Mi A3 XDA Forums

The Mi A3 was launched with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box and was eventually updated to Android 10 earlier this year in February. The Android 11 update will most likely be the last update to the device. However, it should continue to receive security updates for one more year. As an Android One device, the Mi A3 offers a near-stock Android experience, standing in stark contrast to Xiaomi’s other product lineups running a highly customized MIUI skin.

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Realme opens up Android 11 betas for Realme X2 Pro, Realme 7, Realme Narzo 20 Pro, and Realme 6 Pro

The Android 11 rollout is in full swing, with the likes of Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi rolling out the latest version of Android to their mid-range and budget smartphones. Now just as we say goodbye to 2020, Realme is joining the Android 11 party with Realme UI 2.0 betas for four smartphones. The company has announced the Android 11 beta program for the Realme 6 Pro, Realme 7, Realme X2 Pro, and Realme Narzo 20 Pro.

This is in line with Realme’s update roadmap, according to which all four devices were slated to receive a Realme UI 2.0 beta with Android 11 in December 2020. If you own a Realme 7, Realme X2 Pro, or Narzo 20 Pro, you can participate in the beta program by filling in a Google form. At the time of writing this article, the beta program was no longer accepting new applicants. But you can still go ahead and visit the link below for your respective device to see if more seats have opened up in the meantime.

Realme 7 Android 11 Beta || Realme X2 Pro Android 11 Beta || Realme Narzo Android 11 Beta

The Realme 6 Pro users, on the other hand, can apply for the early access program right from their phone; go to Settings > Software update > tap on the gear icon in the top right corner > select Trial Version > fill in your details and tap Apply Now. After successful submission, you will receive the beta software via an OTA.

Do note that this beta software is not meant for average users as it will likely contain bugs and instabilities. If, at any point, you wish to leave the beta program, you can return to the stable channel by flashing the rollback package for your device.

Realme 6 Pro Android 11 Beta

The early access program is currently limited to the Indian variants only. Realme hasn’t revealed any timeframe regarding the stable release of Android 11 for these devices yet. But now that the update is already under beta testing, the final public release shouldn’t be too far.

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