A Look at the HTC 10’s Nougat Update, Rolling out Now!

HTC is wishing all of its flagship users in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving, and it's doing so by announcing the rollout of the official Android 7.0 Nougat update for the HTC 10.

Clocking in at a hefty 1.11GB in size, there is no mistake in assuming that this is a significant update for the HTC 10 which was launched with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. This update is currently rolling out to unlocked HTC 10 users in the USA. Sadly, there is no word on when this update will begin its rollout for other regions of the world, but we can guess that it won't be too long now. Carrier locked HTC 10's would have to wait for their update as well.

Update Info Screen

But if you can't wait, or don't have a HTC 10 for that matter, we received the update on our unlocked HTC 10. Take a look at some screenshots from the update:

The update that is rolling out is Android 7.0 Nougat, and not Android 7.1, in case you got too happy about it. The update contains security patches up to November 1, but the patch level for November 1 is partial only. The full security update with many more critical fixes is dated for November 5, and an additional patch was rolled out on November 6. We are disappointed that HTC did not include the absolute latest in security patches as this is a critical area where being on the cutting edge is preferable over still being vulnerable.

The Settings Menu sees the Nougat overhaul, and HTC has left things untouched for the most part.

The Nougat treatment extends onto the Notification Panel and the Quick Toggles. One thing to note, Night Mode comes "revealed" by default on HTC's minimalistic skin. You do not need any additional apps to enable or toggle it, as you can do so out-of-the-box on the update. Heads up notification is slightly different as well.

App switching experience is improved as well. Double tapping on the recents button switches to the last used app, instead of just going back into the original one. The animation for this switch is smooth as well.

As for bugs, we found one so far in our usage. HTC's "Weather Clock" widget breaks on the Google Now Launcher, while it works fine on the Sense launcher. The widget is iconic (albeit modern in its current avatar) and represents an "HTC" experience ever since widgets were introduced in Android, so we're slightly bummed on this. You can use other widgets, so all is not lost.

Have you tried out the update? How do you like it so far? Let us know in the comments below!

Big thanks to Steven for the screenshots!

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Xposed Version 87 Fixes Bootloop Issues with Google’s November Security Update

The latest update to the Xposed framework fixes the compatibility and bootloop issues brought about on ROMs which included Google's November security patch. Rovo89 has detailed the issue on a separate GitHub page as well.

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The Elephone S7 Has a Double-Curved Design with Near-Zero Bezels

The Elephone S7, as was the case with the Galaxy Note 7, features a dual-curved design, which means that the surface on the front and back curve towards the edge. The net result is a phone that feels really comfortable to hold, and is impressive to look at, especially considering that the curve on the front lends to a near-zero bezel. Let's take a closer look at the Elephone S7, which, in its top 4GB/64GB configuration, can be had for just $239.99.

When picking an Elephone S7, you have several choices. The first choice is screen size: you can opt for a more manageable 5.2″ display or the larger 5.5″ screen, both of which are FHD, edge-to-edge, and protected by Gorilla Glass.

The second choice you have is color. You can choose from green (which we absolutely love–seriously–it's awesome), as well as black, blue, and gold.

Here's a closer look at that amazing green color. All S7 models feature a light-reflecting pattern on the back that reminds us a lot of the Honor 8.

Other specs of the Elephone S7 include the MediaTek Helio X20 deca-core CPU, a 13MP camera on the rear and 5MP camera on the front, a 3000mAh battery for the larger phone and 2450mAh for the 5.2″ model (both with 2A fast-charging), plus a variety of RAM/ROM choices with the cheapest coming in at 2GB/32GB for the smaller phone, and up to 4GB/64GB for the larger phone. All models support microSD memory expansion up to 128GB, or you can drop in two SIMs. Also worth noting: the S7 runs near-stock Android Marshmallow with a planned upgrade to Nougat in the coming months.

If you like what you see, click the link below to buy an Elephone S7:

  Buy Elephone S7

And follow Elephone on Facebook to learn about their upcoming phones:

  Elephone on Facebook

Thanks to Elephone for sponsoring this post.

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Nougat Beta on the Honor 8 (Also Get $110 Off)

A beta version of the Android Nougat update for the Honor 8 has been pushed to phones that are enrolled in the beta program. Along with the jump from Marshmallow to Nougat, we get an update to EMUI 5.0. This video highlights all of the new features found in the beta update.

Check out these screenshots of the latest update.

When it comes to performance, there is a noticeable improvement throughout the system. Honor 8 owners will be glad to know that this is a solid updates bringing a lot of great stuff to your devices.

As a side note, there is a crazy deal going on over at Amazon for the Honor 8. You can grab one of these phones for only $289. Check out our affiliate links.

Honor 8 in Midnight Black

Honor 8 in Pearl White

Honor 8 in Sapphire Blue

Check out more content for your Honor 8 phone over at the XDA Forums here.

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LG V20 for “US Open Market” Added to LG’s Official Bootloader Unlock Tool

When we talk about developer support, the first name that pops up outside of Nexus devices…is not LG. Recent LG devices have been notoriously bad when it comes to allowing the user full control over what they can do with their device. LG does not provide complete access from the get-go for even its flagship devices. For some respite though, devices from certain markets are added on later to their official developer unlock tool.

As spotted by AndroidPolice and threads in our forums, the LG V20 is the latest device from LG that can now be officially unlocked through the OEM provided tool. The catch in this situation is that not all V20 devices will get the unlock love. Only devices sold for the U.S. Open Market through retailers like Amazon and Newegg, codenamed US996.USA, will have support from the unlock tool. This excludes all the other regions that the V20 is sold in, and also excludes all the carrier variants of the LG V20 (including the ones purchased from US Cellular, despite them bearing the similar codename – US996TNUCL). Effectively, in a market where carrier and contract based phones are preferred especially in the premium smartphone segment, the unlock tool extends the opportunity to those who bought the V20, LG's costly $800 flagship, in the open market.

Of course, the standard disclaimers continue to apply if you do decide to unlock your device. The bootloader unlock process cannot be undone, and your warranty from LG will be void once your bootloader is unlocked. If you need further instructions beyond the ones provided by LG, you can refer to the instructions and help thread in our LG V20 device forums.

The other devices and regions that LG officially allows bootloader unlocks for include:

• LG V20: US996.USA for the U.S. open market
• LG V10: H960A for the European market and Android M (Except France)
• LG G5: H850 for the European market
• LG G4: H815 for the European market

We hope LG extends some more developer love to its flagships in other regions as well.

What are your thoughts on LG allowing bootloader unlock on the LG V20? Let us know in the comments below!

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OnePlus AMA Roundup: OnePlus 3T Edition

Contrasting the mediocre response to its 2015 products, OnePlus has been on a high with the OnePlus 3 in 2016. The company managed to deliver one of the best and consistent experiences that one could purchase in its price bracket. To top that off, OnePlus is once again in the news with the launch of the OnePlus 3T: an "enhanced re-release" of their best product, aiming to solidify their position as one of the top dogs despite the continuous barrage of new competition.

The launch of the OnePus 3T inevitably presented a situation where consumers, both old and new, had a lot of questions to ask. We answered a whole bunch of such questions in our article on the philosophy of the OnePlus 3T. Mario also went on to answer what changed between the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T in his extensive review, so check that out as well.

But if you still had more questions, the OnePlus team had offered to host an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session over on Reddit's Android subforum. This AMA was attended by Carl Pei (/u/carpe02), co-founder of OnePlus; Aaron (/u/Aaron_oneplus) from the ROM team; Jonathon (/u/jonathan_oneplus) from the Customer Service team; Steven (/u/StevenG_OnePlus from Logistics and Caio (/u/Caio_OP) from the EU team. The AMA saw close to a thousand comments in all, and a bunch of the earlier ones were answered to by the team.

In case you did not plan to go through all the comments and hunt down replies, we compiled this summary of the AMA session:

On updates:

• Android 7.0 is what the next update on the OnePlus 3/3T would be. Android 7.1 was released midway through OnePlus' development cycle, and hence, integrating it would have delayed their schedule of providing Nougat. (Link)
• Following the Android 7.0 Nougat update, both the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T would be on the same update cycle.
• Future updates will bring Enhanced EIS to both the devices for their IMX298 camera sensor.
• No ETA was given for Nougat update on the OnePlus 3, but it is "sooner than you think". (Link)
• The merger of OxygenOS and HydrogenOS has helped the company move at a much faster pace than before while still maintaining two different products with the same team. (Link)

On the OnePlus 3T specifically:

• The OnePlus 3T was launched because OnePlus had the capability to improve their product (Link).
• Clearing up some confusion, the front camera is fixed focus and not PDAF (Link).
• Accessories purchased for the OnePlus 3 (cases, screen protectors) are compatible for the OnePlus 3T as well.
• The increase in the battery voltage to 4.4V does not compromise on the safety of the device. OnePlus certified Dash charger keeps the heat out of the device, just like it did with the OnePlus 3.
• 3rd party chargers (5V/3A) will work with the device, but you will be bereft of "fast" Dash Charging unless you use the certified charger (Link).
• The rear camera on the OnePlus 3T did not see any hardware upgrade because there were none ready to go (Link).
• The OnePlus 3T does not have a MIMO antenna but does support MU-MIMO (Link).
• When asked why the OnePlus 3T (or the OnePlus 3, for that matter) do not come with a hybrid SIM slot and stick strictly to using a Dual SIM try, Carl commented that the 128GB UFS 2.0 storage performs much better than current microSD card implementations (Link).
• The reason why a choice for microSD was not provided was to avoid a scenario of unacceptable user experience (Link).
• The OnePlus 3T makes use of the F2FS file system while the OnePlus 3 used EXT3. Both use UFS 2.0 for storage (Link).
• The OnePlus 3T ships with Enhanced EIS 2.0 (Link).
• The Gunmetal Gray color came from feedback from the forums and reddit. Users wanted a darker variant.
  "Gunmetal is the best balance between aesthetics and darkness. Darker, but light enough to reflect light the way we want, accentuate the product's subtle curvature" (Link).

On Developer Support for the OnePlus 3T:

"Dev support is something we're serious about, and it's an area where we really put our money where our mouth is. Honestly, we just love the custom ROM scene. It's why we are one of the few that allow for rooting/installing custom ROMs without voiding warranty. It's also why we always release kernel sources and devices trees super early, as mentioned in the OP.

As for devs who are upset about the 3T – we hear you, we understand where you are coming from, and it's something we were prepared for. We have something planned (that we can't announce just yet) to address this. Just hang on a bit. We got you."
– Bradon

Link

On the OnePlus 3:

• You cannot swap the battery for that of the OnePlus 3T. This will 100% void your warranty, with OnePlus explicitly condoning this modification. There is no cross-compatibility with regards to the batteries (Link).
• The OnePlus 3 will receive EIS 2.0 as well, although no ETA was given for the same.
• When asked why the OnePlus 3 does not pack in a 3400mAh battery as well, the team commented that they were still in the testing phase for checking the reliability of the higher density cell, and they were not ready in time for the OnePlus 3. Since battery is an area where quality is very important, the company opted to play safe and not compromise of user safety (Link).

On sales and regions:

• The OnePlus 3T will come to India. The time window was left unspecified but OnePlus India's social media channels have pointed to an announcement soon.
• Availability on some regions is restricted as production of the device needs to ramp up (Link).

On Daydream support:

• Both the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T are not Daydream compatible yet and there are no plans to support Daydream on either at this time (Link).
• Daydream was announced after the product design of the OnePlus 3, so the design remains uninfluenced by Daydream compatibility specifications (Link).

On the lessons of the past:

Q: What do you guys feel like you've learned from the OnePlus X and 2?
A: To think more, and reflect more. To better know ourselves and our situation, and do the right thing. In other words, to find our own true north, and not to have noise such as the market or competition lead us.
– Carl Pei

(Link)

On the future of OnePlus products:

• There are no concrete plans on going ahead with "T" releases. The company would like to assess the reception for this current model, so it is early to comment on this (Link).
• Will there be more product lines? Carl answered that they could consider that when they are "10x" their current size, and there is still a lot of work to do to reach there (Link).
• Will prices of future products move ahead on the price scale? Are current price points sustainable for the company? Currently, OnePlus is happy, but it is a tough market so they are unsure of the future (Link).
• Will there be Dash Charge battery packs in the future, or simple cases (silicon/translucent gray) for the OnePlus 3? There are no confirmed plans as of yet (Link).

---

As the AMA title suggested, a lot of focus of this session was understandably on the OnePlus 3T. Hopefully, this session answered those questions that the community and users wanted answers for.

Check Out XDA's OnePlus 3T Forum >>

Check Out XDA's OnePlus 3 Forum >>

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Google Announces the Google Play Indie Games Contest in Europe

Back in July, Google had announced the First Google Play Indie Games Festival. The event was a very successful affair with hundreds of entries that were filtered down to 30 finalists, and the final winners were announced in September. Google said that they would be bringing such events to other parts of the world as well, and today's announcement brings the contest to Europe.

The first Google Play Indie Games Contest in Europe aims to recognize and build awareness of the innovation and art that indie game developers are bringing to Android users through the Google Play Store. The contest will open up avenues for these devs for publicity: getting their work noticed by regular games and industry experts alike.

The contest is open to indie game developers based in Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France (coming soon), Germany, Iceland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Poland (coming soon), Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and UK (excl. Northern Ireland). You need to have 15 or less full time employees, and have published a new game on Google Play after 1 January 2016. Google says that if you are planning on publishing a new game soon, you can also enter by submitting a private beta. Be sure you check out the complete requirements in the legal terms and conditions.

Once submissions are done, all eligible entries will be reviewed. Google will select up to 20 finalists on the basis of innovation, fun, design excellence and technical and production quality. Some of the prizes that the finalists and winners will get include YouTube influencer campaigns, premium placements in the Google Play Store, tickers to Google I/O 2017 and other events, credits for Google Cloud Platform and getting the opportunity to showcase the game at an event held at the Saatchi Gallery in London on 16th February 2017.

Even if you do not plan to compete, you can register for the final showcase event where you can check out the games and vote for your favorites. Google will also be hosting a workshop open to all indie game developers at their office at Kings Cross.

Submissions for the contest and registration for the final event as well as the workshop (both of these are open for all) are already underway. Contest submissions close on 31st December 2017. The finalists will be announced sometime in January, and the final event will be at Saatchi Gallery in London on 16th Feb, followed by the workshop on 17th Feb.

You can read more about the contest in the announcement blog post, or check out the event page.

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