OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T seeing work for mainline Linux kernel support

One of the perks of buying a OnePlus smartphone is the aftermarket development support. The company is generally known for its timely kernel source code releases (they have been slow at publishing sources a couple of times) and promotion of custom ROMs for EOL devices among other things, which makes it a fan favorite in the developer community. We often speak about devices outliving their generation by leaps and bounds, and now it looks like two OnePlus phones are about to achieve a similarly remarkable feat in terms of third-party development. It’s been nearly three years since the launch of the OnePlus 6 series, but if you still have a OnePlus 6 or a OnePlus 6T lying around, it may soon be possible to boot it with the mainline Linux kernel.

OnePlus 6 Forums ||| OnePlus 6T Forums

The one thing that might convince many users to finally lay their old device to rest is if unofficial software support ends for the foreseeable future — something that is almost a guarantee to happen with nearly every smartphone out there. However, there is an independent developer named Caleb Connolly, who has been working hard to include the OnePlus 6 and 6T in the mainline Linux kernel, which will surely help pave the way for the prolonged life of these devices. He has already taken the important step of successfully booting a postmarketOS instance on the device duo.

With the OnePlus 6/6T being built atop the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform, the upstreaming effort isn’t too convoluted but principally adding the appropriate device tree bits for the kernel. Thanks to the existing minimal mainline support for the platform, features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3D Acceleration are already working at the current stage of development. What’s more interesting is that users can even dual-boot postmarketOS and Android on the OnePlus 6 and 6T using the custom installer created by the developer.

postmarketOS for the OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T

Previously, there have been Windows 10 ARM bootstrapped for the OnePlus 6T by another independent developer, albeit it didn’t spark too much interest. The situation is entirely different now, as Caleb has been actively involved in the process of upstreaming kernel patches with hopes of improving the situation for those wanting to run Linux on the OnePlus 6 and 6T in the near future. We look forward to many years of continued development for these phones.

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How to add support for the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller on your rooted Android phone

Did you manage to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 at long last? If you did, you surely must be enjoying the new DualSense controller accompanying the console. Since the launch of the DualShock 4 with the PlayStation 4, the controllers for the PlayStation have also been an amazing controller to use on other devices, such as your PC, and yes, your smartphone. Android does support the DualShock 4 for the most part in current versions, and you can expect to use your controller just the way you would use it on your PS4. The PS5’s DualSense, though? Your mileage may vary. To be clear, it’s an amazing controller that adds to the best aspects of the DualShock 4 with new features and improvements across the board. But it’s too new, and so your older Android device may not support it. If your device is rooted, though, then all you have to do is install the 1Controller Magisk module to make the DualSense controller map button presses properly.

We’ve covered this mod before, but in case you missed it, the 1Controller module basically provides layout files for various controllers, such as those from the PlayStations, Xbox controllers, and more. While Android has controller layouts for a bunch of popular controllers, such as the DualShock 4, the availability of controller layouts may vary depending on your manufacturer and Android version. Thus, if you have a controller that is popular but is not properly supported by your system, then this module will have you covered. Conveniently, this module supports the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller which, being so new, may not be properly mapped on many Android devices.

1Controller XDA Thread

So, does this all sound good to you? It sure does to me. Be mindful that you do need to install Magisk on your device in order to install this module, so if you haven’t rooted your phone yet and you want to use your oh-so-white controller with your smartphone, then go install Magisk and then come back. Done? Then you should by all means go ahead and check out the newest version of this Magisk module.

Download the 1Controller Magisk Module

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The ROG Phone 5 could have a dot matrix on the back for Aura Lighting

The ROG Phone from ASUS is the quintessential gaming phone. It has the most powerful chipset in an Android phone, shoulder buttons, an uninterrupted display, an active cooling attachment, and RGB lighting. The ROG logo that lights up on the back hasn’t changed in the 3 generations of ROG Phones that ASUS has released, but it looks like the Taiwanese brand will shake things up with the next phone in the series: the ROG Phone 5. (We don’t know exactly what it’ll be called, but there’s a chance ASUS will refrain from marketing it as the ROG Phone 4 given the popularity of the tetraphobia superstition in East Asian countries.)

Earlier this month, ASUS published a teaser on its Weibo page that hinted at the next ROG Phone’s upcoming launch. Given the ROG Phone 3 launched in July of 2020, the launch of the ROG Phone 5 seems to be happening a bit earlier than expected. A lot of devices are being released earlier than usual this year, though, so this isn’t too surprising. Shortly after ASUS teased the ROG Phone 5, a photo and later a brief hands-on video of the alleged device were posted to Weibo. The leaked image and video gave us a first look at the phone’s tiny secondary display on the back. This small display appears to support showing alerts for games and notifications for incoming calls.

Now, a listing published on the Chinese certification site TENAA shows us the ROG Phone 5 in greater detail. On the back, we can see the number “05” (which suggests this is indeed the ROG Phone “5”), “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS”, “EST. 2006” (the year the brand was founded), and “TENCENT GAMES.” ASUS has typically offered a custom version of its ROG smartphones in China in collaboration with Tencent Games, so we’re likely looking at the Tencent version of the device here. The Tencent model typically compromises on a few internal hardware components in order to cut down on costs, but the overall design should be similar to the international model.

We can also see on the back that the area on the bottom-left is a dot matrix used for the phone’s Aura Lighting feature. The image of the rear submitted to TENAA shows the ROG logo lit up, but the lighting can likely be customized in the phone’s software. The dot matrix design on the back of the ROG Phone 5 reminds me of the Lightning Armor case that ASUS offers for the ROG Phone 3.

Other than the aforementioned changes to the rear design, we don’t see a lot of other design changes. The cameras look the same, the dual front-facing speakers are still there, the selfie camera on the right is still there, the display still seems to have no notch or hole-punch, and the ports still seem to be in the same location. The SIM card tray cover has a neat red color, but we’re not sure if that’s a Tencent-exclusive design change.

Not much else is known about the ROG Phone 5. According to the rest of the certification listing (H/T @_the_tech_guy), the device will have a 6.78-inch OLED display, a dual-cell battery design (2x 3000mAh batteries), run Android 11, and measure 172.834 x 77.252 x 10.29 mm in dimensions. A previous certification listing revealed the device will support 65W fast wired charging. We expect it’ll have Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888, ample amounts of RAM and storage, and other flagship-tier hardware.

The ROG Phone 3 was our favorite gaming phone of 2020. With competition from new entrants to the field like Lenovo and soon Redmi, the ROG Phone 5 will need to debut with exclusive gaming features that’ll justify its likely high price tag.

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Magic: The Gathering Arena is now available on Android in early access

Magic: The Gathering Arena, developed by Wizards of the Coast, is now available on Android in early access. The free-to-play title supports cross-play, allowing Android users to join their desktop counterparts.

Wizards of the Coast said that Magic: The Gathering Arena players can expect the same experience enjoyed by those on desktop. The game has been optimized to support smaller screen sizes and touch-based controls. If you already play on desktop, you’ll be able to log into your Wizards Account and complete quests, play competitively, and build decks.

Magic: The Gathering Arena on Android will include all current card sets, formats, events, dev building and more. Players will also get access to the Viking-themed Kaldheim deck, which is available on digital today. The game is free to download, but you can spend money on purchasing cards. If you own a physical copy of the Planeswalker decks, you will get a code to unlock them online.

Wizards of the Coast says that the game has been optimized the run on higher end devices. Here’s what the developer recommends:

Android Version: 6.0 (Marshmallow) or newer
RAM: 4GB or more
Graphics API: OpenGL ES 3.0
Texture Compression: ETC2

Required Chipsets

• Kirin 970 -or-
• Snapdragon 845 -or-
• Exynos 9810

The list of supported devices includes everything from the Google Pixel 3 all the way up to the Galaxy S21 series:

• ASUS ROG Phone 3
• ASUS ROG Phone II
• Galaxy A71 5G
• Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 10+
• Galaxy S10
• Galaxy S10+ 5G
• Galaxy S20 Ultra
• Galaxy S9
• Google Pixel 3
• Honor Play 4
• Huawei Mate 20 Pro
• Huawei Mate 30 Pro 4G
• Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G
• Huawei P20 Pro
• Huawei P30 Pro
• LG G7 ThinQ
• Motorola One 5G
• OnePlus 6T
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• OnePlus 8
• Oppo Reno 3 Vitality
• Oppo Reno 3 5G
• Realme V3
• Redmi K30 Ultra
• Redmi 10X Pro 5G
• Redmi K30 5G Racing
• Xperia XZ2
• Xperia XZ3
• Vivo Y70s

“Due to the wide and variability of Android devices, we are unable to provide a comprehensive list of supported devices,” Wizards of the Coast said. All of the devices listed above assume your phone meets the standard requirements.

The developer said wider Android and iOS support of Magic: The Gathering Arena is coming later this year.

Magic: The Gathering Arena (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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ZTE teases the Axon 30 Pro 5G with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888

Although much of the focus has been on Huawei, another Chinese tech company, ZTE, had a run-in with the former Trump administration. Fortunately for the company, the U.S. eventually lifted its ban, allowing the brand to sell smartphones in the country. Since the company overcame this debacle, its international product launches have been rather low-key (and unimpressive.) That changed with the launch of the Axon 20 5G in September of 2020, the world’s first smartphone with a selfie camera underneath the display. After it launched globally in December of 2020, we had a chance to try it out for ourselves but came away disappointed. Now, ZTE is preparing to launch its successor: the Axon 30 Pro 5G.

In a post on Weibo, ZTE Mobile shared a poster that teases the release of the Axon 30 Pro 5G. The company sadly doesn’t confirm if the Axon 30 Pro will have an under-display camera like its predecessor, but we’d be surprised if ZTE abandons such a marketable feature. Ni Fei, the company’s President of Mobile Devices, does state that the new device will have the “industry’s strongest imaging system.” He hasn’t shared exactly how the Axon 30 Pro will best its competition when it comes to imaging, so we’re chalking this up to marketing until we learn more. Separately, Lu Qianhao, Director of Consumer Experience Department at ZTE, essentially confirmed that the Axon 30 Pro 5G will feature Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 silicon. In his post, he touts the computing performance of the Snapdragon 888’s Spectra 580 ISP. However, he stops short at confirming which features the Axon 30 Pro 5G will actually support, thus it would be a stretch for us to say his post confirms any details about the phone’s actual imaging hardware.

We’re pleasantly surprised to see that the Axon 30 Pro 5G will feature Qualcomm’s latest silicon. After all, the last two smartphones in the Axon series, the Axon 11 5G and Axon 20 5G, featured Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset. Previous devices in the Axon lineup, such as the Axon 7, Axon 9, Axon 10 Pro, and most recently, the Axon 10s Pro, featured Snapdragon 8-series chipsets, so it seems that ZTE is returning to making flagship Axon phones after a brief stint with making mid-rangers. Here’s hoping Google does the same for its next Pixel smartphone.

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The Clearly White model of the Pixel 4a 5G is now available, plus save at least $40 on all colors!

Earlier this month, we reported on the Clearly White color of the Google Pixel 4a 5G–specifically, that the new color of the popular 5G smartphone would go on sale at the end of the month. Well, it’s the end of the month! So you know what that means… it’s time to pick up your Clearly White device!

Wondering if the Clearly White Pixel 4a 5G is worth it? The standard model was named the best mid-range phone of 2020, and if you’re looking for a 5G smartphone, this is the best one to get for cheap. Better yet, the Clearly White model is already at a discount! At Amazon and the Google Store, you can save $40 on the device with no hassle and no strings attached. At Best Buy, if you activate today, you’ll save $90!

Google Pixel 4a 5G (Clearly White)

Buy at Amazon

Google Pixel 4a 5G (Clearly White)

Buy at Best Buy

Google Pixel 4a 5G (Clearly White)

Buy at Google

Not interested in Clearly White? I don’t blame you. While I like the look of white tech, the color never seems to stand up to the test of time. So instead, you can get the Just Black color instead! Sure, it may be a little boring, but you can always jazz it up with a case, and the black color is simply going to last a little longer. You can get the same discounts on the Just Black 4a G5 as well. To recap, that’s $90 off at Best Buy be activating today, and $40 off everywhere else.

Pixel 4a 5G (Just Black)

Buy at Amazon

Pixel 4a 5G (Just Black)

Buy at Best Buy

Pixel 4a 5G (Just Black)

Buy at Google

Of course, while this covers unlocked phones, there are plenty of other deals on the Pixel 4a 5G, just check out our deals round-up for more!

By the way, if you’re planning on picking up this great mid-range phone, why not grab a great case to go with it? The Otterbox Commuter cases for the phone are currently on sale at Amazon! Available in black and pink, these cases are Otterbox tough without the usual Otterbox bulk.

Otterbox Commuter Series Case (Black)

Buy at Amazon

Otterbox Commuter Series Case (Pink)

Buy at Amazon

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Netflix is testing a sleep timer feature on Android

Do you fall asleep to your favorite show on Netflix? Great British Baking Show is a soothing option. If this is part of your nightly routine, we have good news: Netflix is launching a global test today on Android that will allow subscribers to set a sleep timer.

The feature will allow users to set a timer of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or to turn off when whatever they’re watching ends. Once these timers end, the Netflix app will stop. That’s the perfect solution for anyone who puts on a TV show or movie to help them sleep.

We actually got a glimpse of this feature toward the end of last year. In an APK teardown of the Netflix app for Android, we found reference to a sleep timer. At the time, we couldn’t find any related assets, so it was unclear how the feature would work. But now that Netflix’s sleep timer is officially in testing, we have a much clearer idea.

When you’re watching a program, you’ll see a new “Timer” button in the top right corner of the program you’re watching. This will then launch a timeline with the different options you can choose. If you’re still awake when the timer goes off, you can hit snooze like a normal alarm.

The Verge said the feature is being tested globally on Android devices, but Netflix is open to bringing it to more devices, including TVs. If the feature is popular among Netflix subscribers, we could see it become a more permanent part of the service.

Personally, I would love Netflix to introduce the opposite of a sleep timer. How often have you run into the “are you still watching” dialog? There’s no way to turn that off, and it often interrupts whatever show I’m binging.

Netflix’s sleep timer feature could work well with its audio-only mode, which is also being tested. Imagine putting on your favorite show and just listening to it as you fall asleep. Once the timer runs out, the Netflix app on Android could close.

That sounds like the perfect implementation of new features to me.

Netflix (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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