Android 11 beta launch postponed indefinitely

Nothing is going right in the world and its implication has affected various sectors all across the globe. As a tech enthusiast group, one of the things we’re excited, even during this critical phase was about the Android 11 beta launch scheduled for June 3. Seems our excitement is short-lived as Google has officially announced the postponement of the event.

Also Read: Realme 5S gets the new Realme UI 1.0 based on Android 10 update; Realme 5 Stable update registration starts

Now it’s not the time to celebrate, says the Android Developers Twitter handle as a reason for the indefinite postponement. The latest announcement comes as a nail in the coffin of all tech enthusiasts who’re already dejected with the Google I/O being cancelled due to the pandemic.

Despite, Google urges the Android fans and developers to wait as they will be back with more on Android 11 soon. But when exactly, no word on the same yet. We might even witness Google directly pushing the stable Android 11 to the wild. This possibility can’t be ignored though.

Thanks to Project Treble, it’s during the beta phase of a new Android release when Google includes other OEMs to make use of the early builds. In case if you forgot, last year, few devices from Vivo, OnePlus, Nokia, Huawei etc, were part of the Android 10 beta programme. Hope to see the same this year as well.

In case if you missed all the tidbits of the Developer preview builds, then do check our post on the Android 11 DP 4, which will give you a brief idea of what we can expect from the next major Android iteration.

Must See: New Features on Android 11 Developer Preview 4

 

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Android 11 beta launch postponed indefinitely

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Unknown Realme RMX2185 device appears at TKDN Indonesia

Realme has got a slew of devices due for launch later this year from its popular X Series. The likes of Realme XT and X2 were popular in the emerging market such as India and Indonesia. Adding up to its X portfolio, Realme could have yet another device in the pipeline bearing the model number RMX2185.

Must See: Realme X50m 5G starts getting May 2020 Security patch update in China

TKDN Indonesia had listed an unknown device yesterday with the model number RMX2185. The same device listing appeared today as well, grabbing our attention. So far we don’t know what the device actual name is, but presumably, it would be a model of upcoming Realme X50t 5G or even Realme X3.

Earlier, Realme X50t 5G was spotted in a Google Play supported devices listing and on China’s 3C agency database. It bears the RMX2052 (global) and RMX2052CN (Chinese version) model numbers and was previously spotted on the TENAA database as well. Judging by the model number, the RMX2185 could be an X50 Series if not Realme X3.

Various leaks and listings suggest Realme working on multiple devices. The launch of these devices could happen soon at a date and time that Realme find apt given the current scenario of the global economy. Moreover, we can expect more leaks and rumours in the coming days unfolding all most all the mystery revolving around the upcoming Realme X devices.

Also Read: Realme Narzo 10 starts receiving May 2020 Security patch update with some usual optimizations

 

Unknown Realme RMX2185 device appears at TKDN Indonesia

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Galaxy A51 8GB RAM variant launched in India

As per the research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung Galaxy A51 (4G) was the world’s highest-selling Android smartphone in the first quarter of 2020. Especially in the region such as India the device had showcased incredible performance in terms of sale. As a follow up to the device’s popularity and to keep the hype revolving around the device intact, Samsung has launched a beefed-up variant with monstrous 8GB RAM in India.

Must See: Samsung Galaxy A51 start receiving One UI 2.1 and April 2020 Security patch update

The Galaxy A51 8/128GB variant is priced at INR. 27,999($370), which is around INR. 2,500 more than the 6/128GB variant. The pricing is not bad given the device packs features and flaunts modern design which is strikingly similar to the high-end flagships from Samsung such as Galaxy Note 10/S10.

Apart from the increase in RAM, the new variant of Galaxy A51 offers nothing new but all those goodies which we already know. It’s a device with 6.5-inch AMOLED display, 4,000mAh battery, and the Exynos 9611 AI chipset. A quad-camera setup comprising of 48MP, 12MP ultra-wide, as well as two more 5MP sensors, fine-tuned for depth-sensing and macro photography, resides at its back in a rectangular cut-out.

As of its availability, the Galaxy A51 8GB will be sold both offline and online platforms such as Flipkart. Potential consumers can choose from three colours: Prism Crush White, Prism Crush Black, and Prism Crush Blue.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 May Security Patch

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Galaxy A51 8GB RAM variant launched in India

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OnePlus 5/5T stable Android 10 update rolling out

While most of the Android OEMs provide at most 2 major updates for their devices, OnePlus always has been an exception with its exceptional support for the devices. If we think of a brand which could provide three major updates in the Android world, then there aren’t many, barring Google and OnePlus obviously. As such, OnePlus has started officially pushing the stable Android 10 for the OnePlus 5/5T.

Must See: April Security Patch for OnePlus7 and 7T Series

OnePlus 5/5T users couldn’t be happy anymore as the update marks the third major update for the OnePlus 5/5T. The fact that the devices which launched with Android 7.1.1 onboard a long time ago in the year of 2017 are getting major update treatment even now is something worth appreciation.

Speaking of the update, it comes in at around 1.9GB in size. The changelog is similar to the one we’ve seen in the initial beta. Nonetheless, have a look at the full changelog given below.

OxygenOS 10 changelog for OnePlus 5/5T

• System
  
  • Upgraded to Android 10
  
  
  • Brand new UI design
  
  
  • Enhanced location permissions for privacy
  
  
  • New customization feature in the Settings allowing you to choose icon shapes to be displayed in the Quick Settings
  
  


• Game Space
  
  • New Game Space feature now add all your favorite games in one place for easier access and better gaming experience
  
  


• Message
  
  • Now possible to block spam by keywords for Message (Messages – Spam – Settings – Blocking settings)
  
  


• Full Screen Gestures
  
  • Removed back gesture from the bottom of the screen
  
  
  • Added back gesture on left and right side of the phone
  
  
  • Added a bottom navigation bar to allow switching left or right for recent apps
  
  


• Camera
  
  • Electronic image stabilization currently under optimization and will be pushed in later stabler versions. Please stay tuned.
  
  

The OxygenOS 10 based on Android 10 bundles a whole new UI and other features. Don’t forget all the privacy and security improvements Google baked into the Android 10 apart from the visual changes.

Needless to say, the OnePlus 5/5T users can expect OxygenOS based features such as Game Mode that we all love. As per the changelog, there seems to be a bottleneck by which OnePlus couldn’t make the EIS a part of this release. Despite OnePlus promise to fix that with a later stable release.

Also Read: Best Custom ROMs for OnePlus 5T

 

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OnePlus 5/5T stable Android 10 update rolling out

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Verizon Moto E5 Play starts getting May 2020 Security Patch update

The Verizon Moto e5 Play starts getting the May 2020 security patch update in the United States. The device got the last security update in the month of March. After that the device didn’t get the April security update, but jumped to the May 2020 security patch.

Also, Check out: Realme TV and Realme Buds Air Neo goes official in India.

Coming to the update, it brings fixes for all the prominent security loopholes and issues that were listed in the last two months on Google community forums. As the old reported bugs are fixed, It will also improve the overall security of the system and enhances stability.

The update is rolling out in staged manners, which means that a set of random users will start getting the update now. After the successful verification of the update, all the users will start receiving it. The May 2020 security patch comes with an ODPS27.91-121-16-14 firmware version.

To check the update manually, navigate to the Settings menu on your smartphone. We also suggest you to switch to a WiFi network to avoid carrier data costs.

Moto E5 Play Features

Just to recall, the Moto E5 Play launched back in April 2018 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor. The device features a 5.2-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution. It comes with 2 GB RAM coupled with 16GB internal storage. Coming to the camera, there’s an 8MP camera on the rear side. On the front, it comes with a 5 MP camera for selfies and video calling. The smartphone comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and packs a 2,800 mAh battery.

(source)

Verizon Moto E5 Play starts getting May 2020 Security Patch update

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YouTube Vanced: Download and install the latest version

YouTube Vanced, the popular YouTube mod available for Android is now at version 15.05.54. The developer has made a little change with the release by adopting split APK architecture. In that case, we’ll go through how to install the latest YouTube Vanced on your device and experience ad-free YouTube videos and much more.

Read More: Everything you need to know about YouTube Vanced

For the uninitiated, let’s give a brief intro. The YouTube (Ad)Vanced is a modded YouTube app overhauled with features including – ad blocking, background playback options and many other custom add-ons. Like most of the modded APK’s, the Vanced YT is free of cost. That being said and without any further ado, let’s see the installation procedure.

Downloads

Make sure you download one of your preferred from the links given below. Also, download and install the MicroG package given below.

Secondary Theme	Version	Architecture
Dark	15.05.54	Default
Black	15.05.54	Default
Dark	15.05.54	Legacy
Black	15.05.54	Legacy

MicroG: Download

Installation

1. Install SAI (Split APK Installer) from Google Play Store.


2. Open SAI


3. Choose the downloaded YouTube APK and install from SAI.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   
   


4. Then, install MicroG as you’d normally do.

Note: MicroG installation is must otherwise the YouTube Vanced will force stop while viewing a video.

As you can see we make use of SAI to install the YouTube Vanced. It’s so because the stock package installer doesn’t support parsing split APK’s yet. More info about Split APK’s or multiple APK’s can be found over here.

It’s a boon that YouTube Vanced can be installed on Non-rooted phones. Versions dedicated for rooted devices too are available though. Here’s a small bucket-list of features and customization options that YouTube Vanced brings to the table

• Blocks all YouTube ADs (some options are togglable) except in-app search/discovery ads.


• Background playback feature


• Force VP9(or HDR) or vice versa


• Override Max Resolution


• Pinch to Zoom on all devices


• Casting togglable (can be forced off)


• Togglable Theme (White/Dark/Black/Blue)


• PiP (Oreo Only)


• Video window new or old style


• Repeat video feature


• Preferred Resolution & Speed feature


• Swipe controls for Volume and Brightness


• And lot more

Hope you’ve successfully installed the latest YouTube Vanced. If in case of any issues or whatsoever, do let us know down in the comments.

 

YouTube Vanced: Download and install the latest version

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Now make Google Meet Video calls right from your GMail

Google has integrated Meet to users’ GMail accounts in India. No wonder since the video conferencing services have seen a tremendous boost in this period and Google don’t want to miss out the chance either. So by integrating the GMeet within the GMail, Google aims to influence the consideration of its video conferencing tool.

Must See: How to turn off Google Chrome Dark Mode

Most of the GMail users would now see a new popup called Meet “New: on the left side of GMail. Under the Meet section, you will find two options: ‘Start a Meeting’ and ‘Join a Meeting’.

To make things a little clearer, here’s how you can make a Meet video call right from the GMail.

1. Start a meeting from GMail

• Open GMail and in the sidebar, click Start a meeting.


• In the Meet window, do one of the following:
  
  ○ Start with video and audio on your computer—Click Join now.
  
  ○ Start with audio-only on your phone


• Click Join and use a phone
  
  for audio, then enter your number, and click Call me and join.

2. Invite participants

• In the Add others box, do any of the following:
  
  ○ Share the meeting code with someone—Click Copy joining info,
  
  then send the info through an email or chat message.
  
  ○ Send someone an email invitation to the meeting—Click Add
  
  people, enter names or email addresses, then click Send invite.
  
  ○ Invite someone to join the meeting by phone—Click Add people,
  
  then click Call and enter a phone number.


• The recipient receives a phone call.

Participants can join a meeting from GMail simply by:

1. Open GMail and in the sidebar, click Join a meeting.


2. Enter a meeting code, then click Join.


3. Customize video settings, interact with participants, or share screen.

GMeet offers customization options, video settings, chat option and other interactive elements. The GMeet integration is being carried out slowly and would reach all the GMail users by a couple of days or weeks. In case if it’s not available for you, we’d say you to wait for few more days. The option should be visible then.

Also Read: Realme 3 and 3i Get May Security Patch

Now make Google Meet Video calls right from your GMail

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POCO F2 Pro debuts globally with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform

Xiaomi/POCO didn’t deliver the POCO F2 last year and what we got is POCO X2 which despite being a decent smartphone wasn’t able to replicate the impact created by the original POCO F1 back then. Today,  the company unveiled Poco F2 Pro which comes as a true successor to the critically acclaimed POCO F1.

Also Read: Xioami’s first 5G smartphone still runs 2 years old software!

The POCO F2 Pro is powered by the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform. It wouldn’t be of any surprise as most of us expect the same since what made the POCO F1 a blockbuster two years ago was the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 – the flagship SoC of that era.

However, it’s unfortunate that Xiaomi didn’t bother to pull a new device with the POCO F2 Pro as it’s a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro which is already available in China. On the contrary, the POCO F1 came as an original and unique device with its initial release aimed at the Indian market. We even don’t know when the POCO F2 Pro will be available in India given today’s event marks a global announcement.

POCO F2 Pro Specifications

Nevertheless, the POCO F2 Pro packs a bunch of silver lining which could enable it as a flagship killer for the year 2020. Apart from the flagship Qualcomm Mobile Platform, the device features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that offers an all-screen experience, you like it or not it’s all thanks to the motorized pop-up camera. Other Poco F2 Pro display specifications include HDR10+ support, WideVine L1 certification and TUV Rheinland eye-care certification. The device has an optical in-display fingerprint scanner as a biometric authentication option apart from the slightly secure Facial Unlock.

POCO F2 Pro Colour Options

The Poco F2 Pro comes in two storage variants — 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB. Both these variants are priced at 499 Euro (roughly Rs 40,700) and 599 Euro (roughly Rs 48,900). The pricing should vary based on region and will be revealed only when it gets launched in individual countries later this year.

Powering the device is a decent 4,700 mAh battery with support for 30W fast-charging. POCO claims that users can get up to 13.5 hours worth of gameplay or 24 hours talk-time on the POCO F2 Pro. The quad-camera setup on the back comprises of a 64MP Sony IMX686 f/1.8 primary sensor, an 8MP 123-degree f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, a 2MP portrait sensor and a 5MP macro lens. Although MIUI 12 is here, the POCO F2 Pro runs on MIUI 11 with POCO Launcher 2.0 on the top of Android 10.

As of its availability, the phone will be available at AliExpress and Gearbest initially. Pre-order starts today with shipping expected to begin on May 19. Other online distributors such as Amazon, Shopee and JD should follow the suit soon. Moreover, the phone can be purchased through the official POCO.net site.

Also Read: Download MIUI 12 ROM for Select Mi Devices

POCO F2 Pro debuts globally with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform

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New Features on Android 11 Developer Preview 4

Even though Google was supposed to release the first Android 11 Beta at Google I/O, they had to change the schedule because of the Pandemic. The 1st Android Developer Preview was announced back in February, followed by Preview 2, Preview 3, and Preview 4. The first Beta will be likely revealed at an online event on June 3rd, 2020. Developer features weren’t highlighted in the  DP 4, but that doesn’t mean there are no changes at all. Here are the changes and new features that were found in the latest Developer Preview 4 on the Google Pixel 3a XL and Google Pixel 4.

What’s New?

1. Resizable Picture-in-Picture windows

• To resize a picture-in-picture window, simply tap right outside one of the four corners and then drag inward or outward.

2. Pixel Themes: New Icon Shapes

• Google introduced the Pixel Themes app with the release of Pixel 4. The app lets you customize some parts of the UI such as the font, icon shape, accent colour and icon fill from a number of pre-installed choices.


• Google has added two new icon shape options: Hexagon and Flower.

3. Select button in the recent apps overview

• In Android 11 Developer Preview 3 a “screenshot” and “share” button were added in place of the row of suggested apps in the recent apps overview. In Developer Preview 4 a “select” button has also been added. Tapping this button highlights all selectable text and images.


• Even though it was already possible to manually select text and images in the recent apps overview on Pixel devices since Android 9 Pie, many users were unaware of this feature. This new “select” button makes it more obvious to users that you can make a selection over here. However, we don’t know if this “select” button will be available in Android 11 for non-Pixel devices. Non-Pixel devices before Android 11 already do not have access to selectable text/images in the recent apps overview.

4. Quick Setting tile for Wireless Debugging

• You can quickly set up wireless ADB by scanning a QR code or entering a 6 digit PIN in Android 11. With the update, Google has added a Quick Setting tile that allows you to quickly toggle on/off wireless debugging. This will help keep your device secure by letting you turn off wireless debugging when you aren’t using it.

5. Connected Preferences now links to Android Auto

• In Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences, there’s now a link to open Android Auto’s settings page.


• This is likely in preparation for the deprecation of the main Android Auto app in favour of Google Assistant’s long-awaited driving mode.

6. Notification counts

• If there are multiple notifications in the same conversation, you’ll now see a number next to the expand arrow that tells you how many messages you missed in that conversation.

In-Development Features

1. Remove apps from suggestions

• The App Drawer of Pixel Launcher contains an app suggestion row at the top, which suggests apps the user is likely to launch based on their usage statistics. It is possible to turn off the suggestions in case the user did not find it useful, there was no way to individually remove an app from being suggested.


• In Developer Preview 4 if the user had a single app that he/she prefer not showing up in the row, there is a development option that allows the user to remove apps from the suggestion row by dragging them off the App Drawer and dropping them onto the “Don’t suggest app” option. Normally, this “don’t suggest app” option will show “uninstall.”

2. Hybrid HotSeat

• The App Dock rests on the bottom of the home screen, and it acts as a fixed bar of apps visible across multiple home screens. The App Dock is filled up with five icons by default. If you remove an app from the dock, there will simply be an empty space in that spot.


• With the Hybrid Hotseat feature enabled, whenever you remove an icon from the App Dock, the Pixel Launcher will suggest an app from the Suggestion row to take the empty spot.

3. Reverse Charging

• In Android 11 Developer Preview 1, an activity called “battery share” was spotted that suggests that Google is working on supporting reverse wireless charging for certain devices.


• In Android 11 Developer Preview 4, Battery Share has been renamed to Reverse Charging. However, Google has removed many of the descriptive strings for the feature.

4. Unified Hotspot & Tethering Settings

• In the new UI, the Wi-Fi hotspot settings are on the same page as the toggles for USB tethering and Bluetooth tethering.


• Ethernet tethering, which was newly added to Android 11 Developer Preview 3, is currently missing in the new Hotspot & Tethering UI.

5. New Controls Menu UI

• One of Android 11’s key features is the Controls API, which will let developers put home automation shortcuts in the power menu. In earlier previews of Android 11, there was a “Quick Controls” section underneath the row of power menu items up top while the rest of the power menu is transparent.


• In Android 11 Developer Preview 4, the power menu background is dark, including the power menu items up top. “Quick Controls” now says “Device Controls” and a description text when it’s empty says “Add controls for your connected devices”. When you add controls from a supported app, this text disappears to make room for your favourite controls. Overall, this feature looks more polished.

6. Gestures tutorial for Pixel Launcher

• Even though full-screen gesture navigation was added to Android 10, they never implemented a tutorial on how to navigate with these gestures. In the latest Pixel Launcher release, there is an activity that guides the users on how to use the gesture navigation.

Removed Features

We gain some, we lose some!

1. Undo Recent Apps Dismissal Gesture

• With the Developer Preview 3, they made it possible to “undo” dismissing a recent app card by quickly swiping down anywhere on the screen after you dismissed the card. This feature has been removed.

2. Dismissal of Persistent Notifications

• With the Developer Preview 3 they made it possible to hide persistent notifications using the same swipe left/right gesture used to dismiss standard notifications – this put persistent notifications into a new “apps active in background” area underneath the “history” button which made these notifications far less visible. This feature has been removed

While all these changes were either fully or partially visible on the latest DP, things could change a lot in the final Android 11. However, it’s a pleasure to witness the path Google has taken before finalizing the next major Android version, isn’t it?

 

 

(Source)

New Features on Android 11 Developer Preview 4

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