Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge now receiving Android Oreo in UK

The Android Oreo update is finally arriving for some Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge owners. After arriving officially for the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8, the U.K. unlocked Galaxy S7 models are now receiving the update. The update clocks in at 1251MBs and brings the device to Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.0.

So far, we have seen a report from one tipster who rebranded his device to the U.K. model as well as a few reports on Reddit that the update is rolling out. Checking Samsung's update server confirms that the update is rolling out for region BTU and model numbers SM-G930F and SM-G935F.

This makes the U.K. unlocked model the first Galaxy S7 device to officially receive the Android Oreo update. Previously, a beta build of the update was leaked in Vietnam and was also discovered on AT&T's servers for their carrier variants. Now, the official update is available for these select models, meaning users won't have to worry about SafetyNet not passing as the build should be certified by Google.

Android 8.0 Oreo brings many notable features to the table, including but not limited to: picture-in-picture mode, Autofill API, adaptive icons, notification channels and snoozing, and more. Samsung Experience 9.0 also offers a number of features on top of Google's Oreo such as an overhauled keyboard, new edge lighting effects, better lock screen customization, and more. Like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8 before it, the Samsung Galaxy S7's Android Oreo update does not bring Project Treble compatibility.

Let us know in the comments below if you have received the update on your device.

Thanks @Dr_Dizzy_74 for the tip!

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Poweramp returns from the grave with a new UI

Most audiophiles around here probably remember Poweramp. The paid ($3.99) music player might not be a winner in the looks department, but it makes up for it by being one of the most feature-rich music players out there. So feature rich and reliable, in fact, that it remained the player of choice for some users despite an absolute lack of updates since September 2016. It supports a wide range of audio files including mp3, m4a, ogg, wma, flac, and others, as well as including an internal equalizer, crossfade, gapless playback, support for displaying lyrics (powered by Musixmatch) and a whole lot more. A major update for Poweramp is, however, coming very soon.

The first and most noticeable change is in the UI department, and boy does it look different. Given that Poweramp's previous UI looked rather old compared to Material-based players like Retro Music Player and Phonograph, it was one of the most criticized aspects of the application. The developers are bringing a fresh coat of paint to Poweramp. The new UI is not really Material-based like the rest of its competitors and still favors function over form, but it looks a lot better while at it, including new animated transitions on every aspect of the app. The "now playing" screen features a blurred version of the song's cover as the background and it actually looks nice.

"Now Playing" screen for different songs.

All other menus inside the app—including the album list, the song list, and the equalizer—were also revamped, swapping the old UI for a white-based one. Animations are also the order of the day: absolutely all transitions inside Poweramp are now served with a buttery-smooth animation, making the app a complete pleasure to use. Notifications were also updated to both support the new notification format introduced with Android Nougat and to support Android Oreo's colored notifications.

In my opinion, while it could definitely look better, this is an absolute step in the right direction. You can download the latest beta from Poweramp's forums but have in mind that some basic functionality—like some library categories, playlists, and more—is missing from this version. If you're happy with your current Poweramp installation, do not download this, as a proper beta with all functionality included should come around May. But if regardless, you want to play around with what the newest Poweramp has in store, you can do so by downloading the APK and installing it on your device.

Download the Poweramp beta!

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The Google Pixel & Pixel 2 will support Bluetooth Hearing Aids on Android P

Google I/O 2018 is quickly approaching. We expect to learn more about what's new in Android P at the event. Google has already given us a small taste of what's new with the first Android P Developer Preview, but there's a lot of goodies the company has yet to unveil. Navigation gestures are rumored to make an appearance at the event, and they're supposedly reminiscent of the iPhone X pill bar gestures. Thanks to the Android Open Source Project, we're able to track some of the upcoming features in the next Android release, and there's one feature we spotted that'll make people with hearing disabilities excited to learn about: support for Bluetooth hearing aids. According to a series of code commits, the Google Pixel and Pixel 2 smartphones will natively support connecting to Bluetooth hearing aids.

The benefit of a Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid is that it allows for persons with hearing disabilities to listen to their surroundings while still being able to enjoy standard Bluetooth functionality such as making phone calls or listening to music. Currently, the hard of hearing cannot directly connect their Bluetooth hearing aid devices with the majority of Android devices (though they can connect their devices to iPhones.) Manufacturers of Bluetooth wireless hearing aids often offer an extra Bluetooth-enabled device (such as the ReSound Phone Clip+) that clips on to the person to act as a bridge between the hearing aid and the Android smartphone. Having to carry a second Bluetooth device is not ideal, and that's why Google has worked to make Android more accessible with native support for Bluetooth wireless hearing aids.

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Google Pixel & Pixel 2 support Bluetooth Hearing Aids natively in Android P

In November, we spotted a few commits that suggested native support for Bluetooth hearing aids with the next release of Android. At the time, the implementation was in its beginning stages. But as we approach Google I/O, the number of code commits related to hearing aids has substantially grown. There's now a hearing aid Bluetooth profile in Android, a hearing aid manager, and more. The latest code commits that have sparked our interest in this topic once more are a series of commits with the title "Disable Hearing Aid Profile for all platforms except Pixel." I think that's rather self-explanatory, no?

As you can see in the commit description, the new hearing aid profile for wireless Bluetooth devices will be disabled in AOSP but enabled by default for the Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2, and Google Pixel 2 XL. This is accomplished by setting the boolean value profile_supported_hearing_aid to true in the overlay for the Bluetooth system app, as shown below.

The commits for these changes have been merged already. However, since we're so close to Google I/O and the expected release of Android P Developer Preview 2, I don't suspect we'll see this feature in the next preview release. Instead, I'm hoping to see it in Developer Preview 3 at the earliest but it'll definitely be in the first stable release of P.

When other devices start receiving Android P updates (such as the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S or Huawei Mate 10 Pro) then it'll be up to them to enable support for this new Bluetooth profile. Hopefully, this feature is enabled for more Android devices in the future, because accessibility is one area where iOS still seemingly triumphs over Android. Google has a session dedicated to Android Accessibility at I/O where we hope to learn more about this feature. We'll be at the event bringing you the latest Android news.

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Xiaomi Mi 6 and Motorola Moto Z receive official LineageOS 15.1

LineageOS 15.1, the popular Android 8.1 Oreo-based custom ROM, was released in late February for a handful of devices. The official roster has since expanded to include devices like the Google Nexus Player, OnePlus 2, Google Nexus 6, and Exynos Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ among others. Starting today, official 15.1 builds for the Xiaomi Mi 6 and Motorola Moto Z are available.

The Motorola Moto Z was released in mid-2016 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip and Android Marshmallow, but it has received official updates to Android Nougat and Android Oreo. The Xiaomi Mi 6 was released in mid-2017 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip and Android Nougat, but it too has received an official update to Android Oreo. Thus, both devices are capable of running Oreo, but for those of you who want an alternative to the OEM experience can now choose to flash official LineageOS 15.1 if you want.

For those of you who are wondering what features are available on the Android 8.1 Oreo-based release of LineageOS, check out our previous article that covers most of the features present in the release. If you want to download the release, then you can do so at the following links to the LineageOS website for each device:

Download LineageOS 15.1 for the Xiaomi Mi 6

Download LineageOS 15.1 for the Motorola Moto Z

Furthermore, we recommend you check out the official XDA forum for each device. Here, you can discuss the latest release as well as any tips, tricks, or other modifications for the devices.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Forum

Motorola Moto Z Forum

There are certainly other Android 8.1 Oreo custom ROMs for each device, but LineageOS is one of the ROMs that many people opt to wait for because of its strict requirements for inclusion on the official build roster. The ROM team members try to avoid releasing buggy builds such as the recent port of Android P to the Moto Z, but it's up to you what bugs you are or aren't able to deal with. For those of you who want a stable, fairly bug-free experience, then you may want to give the official LineageOS 15.1 builds a shot.

In other news, the Google Nexus 4 (mako) and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (chiron) were also added to the official build roster, but those builds will be made available next week. Once they go live, we'll let you know.

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Get a dark theme for Sony devices running Nougat with Substratum

Substratum is the current go-to theme engine of choice for the majority of the Android enthusiasts within the community. It offers a robust platform for designers who want use their talents to customize the look and feel of both the Android operating system as well as individual applications. Different smartphone OEMs implement certain features that designers can include in their themes to offer complete support for certain devices. XDA Senior Member balrajs99 wanted to do this for Sony devices that are currently running Android 7.x Nougat, so they released a Substratum theme called Graphi.

Graphi is a dark theme that gives you the ability to choose the background and accent color you like the most. The developers want you to make sure you download Substratum from the thread linked below and that you don't update it via the Play Store if you want to use this theme. It has been personally tested by this developer on the Xperia Z5 on Android Nougat but we're told that it should work on all Sony devices running Nougat and Substratum.

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Check out Graphi  in our Sony Themes and Apps forum

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GCam Tool 2.0 Moves all Google Camera Photos to any Folder, Prevents Flipping of Selfies and More

We've reported a lot on the Google Camera with HDR+ port here on XDA, and various developers have figured out how to get more of the features working on our devices. While lots of work has been done with the application in getting it working on as many devices as possible, not a whole lot of work has been done outside of the application. There's not been much by the way of companion applications. Reddit user /u/naveenjn has created GCam Tool 2.0, which allows you to move all Google Camera photos to any folder on your device and prevent the flipping of selfies. It was initially created to move portrait mode photos to another folder due to how it took multiple photos in their own folder, but it grew from there.

The app is fairly simple and easy to use and costs $1 if you want to unlock all the features like selfie flipping. This feature is necessary as unlike most camera applications, the selfie camera does not allow the option for you to save the image you see in the camera viewfinder. As a result, selfies you take will be saved flipped. GCam Tool 2.0 will flip this back to the right way around if you enable that feature, before saving it. It's simple and it solves one of the bigger complaints Google Camera has had since its release.

If you still use any of the Google Camera applications, then this app is for you. If you want to save your photos to an SD card, it's the best solution available currently. If you don't like your selfies being flipped when you take them, then this app is also for you. It's got plenty of small features that anyone can benefit from, so give GCam Tool 2.0 a try and see what you think. It might just make taking photos that much easier.

GCam Tool (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ with 128GB and 256GB of storage will be available May 1st

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ launched a short time ago with 64GB of storage as the default option. For the vast majority of people, 64GB is a perfectly fine amount of storage. Especially if you use a lot of cloud storage and media streaming services. However, people who like to take a lot of photos and videos may run out of space. Samsung is launching more storage options to cater to those folks.

Starting May 1st, Samsung will offer 128GB and 256GB storage options for the Galaxy S9 and S9+. They are the exact same phones that launched previously with 64GB of storage, just with more storage. Same processor, same battery, same display, same everything. The only other difference is the price. You'll be paying a pretty penny to get the extra storage space. Here's how the pricing breaks down:

	Galaxy S9	Galaxy S9+
128GB	$769.99	$819.99
256GB	$889.99	$939.99

The prices equal an extra $50 for each storage upgrade. Keep in mind you can still use a microSD card to expand storage up to 400GB with any of the models. These extra storage options will be available for pre-order on May 1st. They will begin shipping on May 18th. Anyone who buys any Galaxy S9/S9+ between May 1-17 will get a free pair of Gear IconX Bluetooth earbuds or a discount on the Gear S3 Frontier. Samsung is only selling the extra storage version on their own website. You won't find them at carrier stores or Best Buy.

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Source: Samsung

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Early First Look at the Honor 10

XDA has an early look at the upcoming Honor 10 phone. In this video we will unbox the new device and take a close look at it.

The Honor 10 shares the same Kirin 970 chipset found in the Honor View 10 and Huawei P20. This means that the same AI-powered camera is in the Honor 10, but this time it comes with Semantic Image Segmentatio technology. The camera can detect multiple scenes within the same frame and apply multiple filters precisely, creating much better looking photos. We have a full review on this camera in the near future.

Honor 10	Specs
Display	5.84″ 1080x2280p
Camera	16+24MP / 24MP
RAM	4/6GB
Chipset	Kirin 970
Storage	65/128GB
Battery	3400mAh
OS	Android 8.1

Honor 10 Forums

We thank Honor for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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Dublin Tech Summit 2018: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Privacy

I had the pleasure of attending this year's Dublin Tech Summit which took place at Dublin's Convention Centre on April 18th and April 19th. A number of famous faces were there, from the "e-celebrities" like YouTuber Casey Neistat to the geekier such as Jordan Evans of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). There was something for everyone and there was generally somebody that you had heard of giving a presentation. While Casey Neistat focused on his life growing up and how he became a YouTuber, Jordan Evans talked about the work JPL was currently undertaking and their hopes for the future. Both presentations came with a lot of "fun" attached – information laced in with some comedy. Despite the seemingly lighthearted nature of the conference, things became a little more serious when Michael Chertoff, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security took to the stage to talk about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and privacy.

His talk, entitled "Exploding data: Reclaiming our Cyber Security in the Digital Age" initially focused largely on terrorism, opening his talk by giving examples of the ramifications of 9/11 and how it affected world travel as a whole. He focused heavily on how terrorism has molded much of our lives and how the Afghanistanian invasion happened as a result. Then came the kicker – the US had access to data collection methods that meant it could potentially have been prevented, but they simply hadn't used them. He stated that if it had been planned the same way now as it had back then, the FBI would likely have intervened long before any lives were in danger.

So why didn't the US collect this data?

Chertoff puts it pretty simply, explaining how the US government just never really thought about it. In the aftermath of 9/11, they discovered that the people's data could be used almost as a radar to detect those who stand up as potential risks to the state. Then comes the question of privacy, where he admits that surveillance occasionally goes too far when it comes to the invasion of privacy. He uses examples of new machine learning algorithms used in x-ray machines in the airport. Despite being more invasive than ever, he asks if how that data is being used matters. Commercial companies use our data to exploit us for profit, while these machine learning algorithms simply are doing it to keep us safe. He also mentions that these x-ray machines being entirely operated by artificially intelligent machines means that nobody is actually looking at you, it's all a machine. He brings up concerns about "Big Brother" in the book Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, and how corporations have not just our data, but our subconscious data. Thanks to artificial intelligence, in ways we are worse off. It's not just where you drive, he explains, it's how and why you drive. In his opinion, it's not just about hiding your data, it's about controlling your data.

One of the biggest challenges we face in legislating for the coming of new technologies and even more intrusive algorithms is the age of said legislators, Chertoff continues. People who do not understand a topic completely should not be the ones to make rulings on it. He then mentions The Two Cultures, the first part of a Rede Lecture written by C.P. Snow. It's a thesis which analyses how we have split mainly into two cultures as a society: science and humanities (or philosophy).

"We need to understand that as we design things, what are the ethical and philosophical implications?" Chertoff asks. "We need to bring philosophers and scientists together."

As far as cybersecurity goes, he wouldn't panic but he also agrees that there is a need for legislation particularly when it comes to the Internet of Things devices and companies should be held accountable for their security. Massive DDoS attacks have been made possible because of the existence of mundane devices like baby monitors simply because of the lack of care from these companies. There is no regulation or provisions for updating them in terms of vulnerabilities.

In closing, Chertoff tells us to judge if what we are doing is beneficial to ourselves when we provide our data to these companies. Calibrate your engagement based on how beneficial it is to yourself. You can't get paranoid and disengage with everything, but at the same time, don't become complacent either. He then says that while crossing the road can be risky, if you'll look both ways you'll probably be fine. Look both ways when you provide your data, make sure you know what exactly it is you're getting into.

He sees the GDPR as a good thing, pressuring companies into choosing the data they want to take wisely. The US can definitely benefit from something similar. He brings it back to artificial intelligence. When all that's looking at your data is a machine, then where does the privacy violation begin? This is when philosophers join the design process, and he believes that there are discussions that need to be had not just about spying, but about the spying he says is deemed a necessary violation of privacy.

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So what are your thoughts? What do you think about companies harvesting your data for a potentially mutual benefit? Is it a violation of privacy? Let us know in the comments!

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Xiaomi Mi A1 Android 8.1 Oreo beta update leaks with May security patch

Earlier today we broke news about the Xiaomi Mi A1's successor. The Mi A1 was Xiaomi's first Android One device and their CEO said there would be more this year. However, that doesn't mean the original is getting left by the wayside. Android 8.1 Oreo beta ROM has leaked for the Mi A1 and you can download it right now.

Users in the Xiaomi Mi A1 XDA forum have already got the update up and running, as you can see in the screenshot above. This is a leaked update to the beta ROM and it is still very much a beta. Currently, the stock camera doesn't work but Google Camera ports are working. There aren't a ton of new features going from Android 8.0 to Android 8.1. One noticeable difference is the black theme when you use a dark wallpaper. The other big thing is the May security patch, which isn't even available on Pixel phones yet.

Users are reporting that Treble is not enabled and they don't see the new adaptive icons. The new Power menu is included and VoLTE does appear to be working, but there is no logo. If you would like to try this beta update on your device, you can find the download link below. You will need to flash it through TWRP. Keep in mind there are bugs present in this release. Visit the Mi A1 forum link below to report on your findings. We expect the official OTA release to be available in the coming weeks.

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Download  Android 8.1 ZIP Source: Xiaomi Mi A1 Forum

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Solid Explorer Is Now Optimized For Android TV And Chrome OS

In the years since it was released, Solid Explorer has built its reputation as one of the top file managers available for Android. It was installed over a million times and has a rating of 4.6 in Google Play Store. The popular file manager has finally made its way to Android TV and Chrome OS.

Usually, Android TV devices are shipped without any file manager. A user needs to go to the Play Store and install one to manage files. By all means, it's not an easy task. While there are a lot of managers available, not many offer similar quality as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer. The latter is finally available on Android TV and gets along nicely with every remote controller.

A version compatible with Android TV brings the same interface as the mobile app. By default, it opens two columns that allow moving files conveniently. When your system is rooted, you can even easily edit build.prop or other data without additional applications.

The newest Solid Explorer is also optimized to work on Chrome OS. Google's operating system is first non-mobile OS that received official support from a Polish company NeatBytes. Before installing, please keep in mind that you can freely use the application for 14 days. After the testing period, you can either buy a license via in-app purchase or uninstall it. To get the latest version of Solid Explorer, head over to Play Store.

Solid Explorer File Manager (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Honor 7X Android Oreo update now rolling out in the U.S.

The Honor 7X, a mid-range smartphone from Huawei's sub-brand Honor, was launched with Android Nougat-based EMUI 5.1 out-of-the-box. However, the company had promised at the time of launch that the device would eventually receive the Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 update. Making good on its promise the company is rolling out the EMUI 8.0 update for the Honor 7X.

Starting today, Honor 7X owners in the U.S. will start receiving the official stable EMUI 8.0 OTA. The update is based on Android 8.0 Oreo and brings along many EMUI 8.0 enhancements. Speaking of the Android Oreo goodies, users can look forward to features such as Notifications Dots, picture-in-picture mode, autofill password manager, support for adaptive icons, and Instant Apps just to name a few. The EMUI 8.0 features include a new floating navigation dock, Face Unlock, updated settings menu, and more.

Here's the full list of EMUI 8.0 features coming with this update, according to the official changelog:

• New floating navigation dock: With the newly added home screen shortcut, the floating navigation dock lets users navigate and operate their device from anywhere on the screen.
• Updated setting menu and Phone Manager: The redesigned Settings menu is clearer and more intuitive. The updated Phone Manager automatically optimizes the system based on usage patterns, keeping the smartphone running at top performance all the me.
• Phone gallery recycle bin: Users can now restore photos and videos if they accidentally delete them. The Gallery in the new UI features a recycle bin which retains deleted photos and videos for 30 days.
• Seamless LinkedIn integration: Contacts and Email in EMUI 8.0 let users sync the career details of their LinkedIn contacts, making it faster and easier to manage contacts across platforms.
• Link up two Bluetooth device: Smartphones are now able to connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same me, boosting mobile experience and fun.
• Face unlock: Scans a recognized user's face to unlock instantly. It also prevents unlocking with closed eyes, and allows only device owners to see lock screen notification details, ensuring maximum security.

As we previously learned with the EMUI 8 beta, the update also brings Project Treble support for the device, which adds the device to the short list of devices that has officially received Treble support with the Android Oreo update. That means that Honor 7X owners can opt to flash a Generic System Image based on AOSP Android Oreo such as LineageOS 15.1 if they choose.

The OTA has already begun rolling out and Honor 7X owners residing in the U.S. can look forward to receiving the EMUI 8.0 update in the coming days. As always is the case with staged rollouts, however, it might take some time for the OTA to reach all devices. Unfortunately, the company didn't give any details on when it will expand the rollout to other markets. But here's to hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

The Honor 7X was originally launched in China back in October of last year and was later brought to the international market in December along with the Honor View 10. It packs a 5.93-inch 18:9 display, HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras and a 3,340mAh battery.

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LG Watch Timepiece is arriving with Wear OS and no NFC

With smartwatches seemingly on the rise, LG will be launching a new smartwatch known as the LG Watch Timepiece, according to AndroidHeadlines. Not only is this the first LG smartwatch that will be released since the LG Watch Sport, but it will also be the first smartwatch to launch with Wear OS. Wear OS is the rebranding of Android Wear and is essentially the same software with a new name. We know basically everything about the device, except for what it looks like and how much it will cost.

The most interesting feature of the device is that while it will feature a 1.2-inch 360×360 circular LCD display underneath regular analogue watch hands. This smartwatch analogue watch hybrid should make for some cool and interesting potential features in the future. They can relay information by acting like a compass, stopwatch, altimeter, timer, or even a barometer. It's unknown how annoying it will be to have the watch-hands over the display, but hopefully, it works fine in practice. With an IP68 dust and water resistance, this smartwatch will be absolutely fine for those wanting an activity tracker that can be used in the majority of sporting activities.

In terms of specifications, the first thing you'll likely notice is the lack of NFC or GPS support. Apart from that, the watch comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 and 768MB of RAM. It's a bit disappointing that the same SoC that was found in smartwatches like the Huawei Watch 2 is still being launched in smartwatches in 2018. Also worth noting is the 4GB of eMMC storage and 240mAh battery. Once depleted, the analogue hands will still work for about 4 days. It will also charge with a USB-C port. It will have Bluetooth 4.2 support, along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.

As for add-ons, it will arrive with a silicone rubber strap that can be swapped out for other straps of the same size (22mm) along with a charging cradle as well.

The LG Watch Timepiece is rumoured to be announced on Monday with two colour options: Aurora Black and Cloud Silver. It's likely to be available sometime in June, but it's unknown how much it will cost. There will apparently be mild differences between versions launched in different regions.

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Source: AndroidHeadlines

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Exclusive: Xiaomi Mi A1’s successor is coming along with another Android One phone

The XDA-Developers forums are a popular destination for users interested in modifying the software on their Android smartphone or tablet. Custom ROMs, especially the ones based on the AOSP such as LineageOS, Resurrection Remix, or Paranoid Android, are especially popular on our forums for providing an alternative to OEM software. There's a lot of people who love Xiaomi's MIUI ROM for instance, but there's also a lot of people who would prefer to have their devices run stock Android. The Xiaomi Mi A1 was the company's first Android One device and it was really well-received by the community. People have been wondering when, or if, another Xiaomi Android One device would be coming, and now we can exclusively confirm the existence of two Android One devices from the Chinese company.

The following information is based on firmware files obtained by @FunkyHuawei, the man behind the FunkyHuawei.club service, which allows users to update, unbrick, or rebrand Huawei and Honor phones for a fee. He has shared the files exclusively with XDA-Developers, and we have examined them in collaboration with XDA Junior Member franztesca.

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Xiaomi Mi A1's Successor on the Android One program

Last week, Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi Mi 6X in China. The device has a 5.99″ FHD+ LCD panel, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip, dual rear 20MP+12MP cameras, and a single 20MP front-facing camera. It comes in 3 different RAM and storage variants and runs MIUI 9.5 on top of Android 8.1 Oreo. Ever since this device was first rumored to exist, various tech blogs have lumped the unconfirmed "Xiaomi Mi A2" together with the device. There was never any direct evidence for the Mi A2's existence, but since people assumed it to exist and since the Xiaomi Mi A1 was essentially a re-branded Xiaomi Mi 5X, people assumed the same would be true for the assumed successor to the Xiaomi Mi A1. While we still can't confirm if there's a "Xiaomi Mi A2" or if it will indeed be a re-branded Xiaomi Mi 6X, we can confirm that there will indeed be a Mi A1 successor and that it'll possibly be based on the Mi 6X.

Welcome "jasmine_sprout" to the Xiaomi Android One family

The Xiaomi Mi A1 was codenamed "tissot_sprout" where "sprout" signifies that the device is part of the Android One program ("sprout" is notably the codename for the first generation Android One devices.) Now, a new device's firmware has appeared, codenamed "jasmine_sprout." While we were unable to obtain a full dump of the device's firmware, we were able to view a few key files from a partial dump—namely, the device's build.prop, system applications, and permission files. Based on the following reasons, we believe that the firmware files we obtained are indeed for an Android One device:

1. The codename suffix "sprout" is typically seen in Android One devices.
2. There are no MIUI system applications in the build.
3. The Android framework, SystemUI, and other system applications are stock Android-based. (Unlike MIUI apps, I was able to fully decompile them with APKTool to see what's inside.)
4. The file "com.google.android.feature.ANDROID_ONE_EXPERIENCE.xml" can be found in /system/etc/permissions. This is a special permission that can be read by apps to guard whether or not the app should be accessible to the device. (Apps unique to the Google Pixel phones such as Google Camera are also guarded by similar flags in /system/etc/sysconfig.)
5. The device has A/B partitions to support seamless updates. We confirmed this by the presence of ro.build.ab_update being set to true. The only other Xiaomi device, even among its flagships, that supports seamless updates is the Xiaomi Mi A1—another Android One device.

Given that this is definitely an Android One device from Xiaomi, exactly what will it be called? There's unfortunately no name given in the firmware, but we have been able to piece together some clues. First of all, the device will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip. This is evident by a comment in the build.prop file as well as lines in mmi.xml, a file that contains hardware testing parameters for diagnostic purposes in the MMI app. Second, several camera-related parameters hint at a relation to the Xiaomi Mi 6X such as the shared EXIF model (at least, for now) and the shared front-facing camera sensor. "Wayne" is the codename for the Xiaomi Mi 6X which you can verify for yourself by looking at the public list of Certified Android devices while the IMX376 is the 20MP Sony sensor that the Mi 6X uses for its front-facing camera.

While it's certainly not concrete evidence, these findings do lend some credence to the idea that the Xiaomi Mi A1's successor will be based on the Mi 6X. Whatever "jasmine_sprout" ends up as, its hardware specifications are unlikely to surprise us since Xiaomi is unlikely to release an entirely new hardware model for its next Android One device. Unlike the Mi A1, however, though this device will launch with Android 8.1 Oreo and hence support Project Treble.

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A Xiaomi Redmi Android One Device?

As I stated before, Xiaomi is preparing to launch not one, but two Android One devices. Last week, Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun hinted at a possible Redmi Android One device, but he was careful to avoid any sort of confirmation.

"Yes, we plan to have more Android One devices. Some of our users in India seem to like stock Android, and we are willing to bring in more devices with Android One including the Redmi series." – Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun

While we can't confirm what this other Android One Xiaomi device will be called, we can confirm that it exists.

Welcome "daisy_sprout" to the Xiaomi Android One family

"daisy_sprout" is the codename for another Android One device from Xiaomi. We believe that this is indeed another device in the program for the same 5 reasons we listed above for "jasmine_sprout." The biggest difference is in the SoC: Whereas jasmine_sprout has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, daisy_sprout has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. This is the same system-on-chip as the Mi A1, but given that this device is likely launching later this year along with the higher-end jasmine_spout, then it's likely that daisy_sprout will be marketed as a budget option. This is especially likely in light of the upcoming budget Xiaomi Redmi S2 device.

While we aren't sure if daisy_sprout will be a Redmi Android One device such as a re-branded Xiaomi Redmi S2, it does seem possible given the statements from the Xiaomi CEO.

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Conclusion

Unfortunately, we can't offer any other information about either device at this time. We only know that they exist and what system-on-chip they will have. Still, for those of you who are fans of Xiaomi's hardware and pricing but not their software, then you'll be happy to know that you'll have some decent options from the company in the near future.

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Xiaomi Redmi S2 leaks in live photos and hands-on video

Xiaomi is perhaps best known for their range of high-performance mid-range devices at low price points. Recently, their Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has become a best-seller in India (though the success is partly driven by the fact that the company has thus far only offered limited quantities sold during flash sales). The company also offers many budget devices to compete with Samsung in India, and it seems that the company is gearing up to launch the Xiaomi Redmi S2 as their next budget device.

We exclusively reported on the device's existence 2 weeks ago, while last week we saw the device make its way over to TENAA which confirmed additional specifications for the device. Now, Czech publications have obtained live photos and hands-on videos of the device after it seemingly popped up early in a Mi Store in the Czech Republic.

SvetAndroida (now taken down) posted images of the device and Dotekomanie posted a hands-on video of the device. They have been able to confirm many of the specifications we reported on earlier (and after re-examining the firmware files, we can corroborate most of what they're reporting.)

Xiaomi Redmi S2 live photos. Source: SvetAndroida.

For reference, here is a table we put together listing the likely specifications for the Xiaomi Redmi S2.

Feature	Specification
Size & Weight	160.7 x 77.3 x 8.1mm. 170g.
Display	6-inch 18:9 1440×720 LCD
SoC	msm8953 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
Storage	16/32/64GBs with microSD card slot
RAM	2/3/4GBs
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9
Rear Camera	(Sony 12MP IMX486 OR OmniVision 12MP OV12A10) + Samsung 5MP S5K5E8 EIS Portrait Mode
Front Camera	Samsung 16MP S5K3P8SP Face Unlock
Battery	3,080 mAh
Colors	White, Silver, Gray, Black, Gold, Rose Gold, Blue, Red, and Pink
Regions	China & India & Europe

A budget 6-inch device with dual rear cameras and a 16MP front-facing camera will probably sell a ton of units. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 might give you some pause in 2018, but there's a reason Xiaomi keeps coming back to it: It just works. The power-efficient Snapdragon 625 coupled with a display at a resolution of 1440×720 and a 3,080mAh battery should easily be able to last you through the day. And with Android 8.1 Oreo on board, the device will be Project Treble compatible which means you can forego running MIUI and instead run an AOSP-based ROM if you so choose (though we have little doubt the device will have a healthy development community.)

Interestingly, the fact that this device has appeared in the Czech Republic suggests it will be launched in Europe alongside India and China. We don't have pricing information for the device's India launch, but if we learn more about the device we'll be sure to let you all know.

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Massive 18.4″ Samsung Galaxy View receives unofficial LineageOS 15.1

Although smartphones have gotten larger and larger, tablets have mostly been pretty consistent with display sizes ranging from 7-inches to 10-inches measured diagonally. The bezel-less trend hasn't caught on with tablets (as it doesn't really make much sense for them), though more devices have shifted to 4:3 displays to match the iPad. In late 2015, the Samsung Galaxy View was released with a massive 18.4″ 1080p display to buck the trend. It was an experiment that the company (nor anyone else) hasn't attempted since. Official software releases have long since ceased for the device, but now work has started on bringing Android 8.1 Oreo-based LineageOS 15.1 to the device.

Top: Samsung Galaxy View. Bottom left to right: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, iPad Pro 12.2, Samsung Galaxy S3, Jelly Pro

The device was launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop and has not even received a single major software upgrade. The last official release is dated March 7th, 2017 with a build date of October 11th, 2016. Fans of the massive media consumption tablet have yearned for a software update for some time. The only custom ROM available for the device for the longest time was Android Marshmallow-based CyanogenMod 13 created by XDA Recognized Contributor deadman96385. deadman96385 has announced that he recently started working on bringing LineageOS 15.1 to the Samsung Galaxy View, and he has published his first unofficial build for the device.

Since this is just a preliminary release for testing, there are a few major bugs. First of all, the light sensor doesn't work so there's no adaptive brightness. You can use an app like Underburn if you really want automatic brightness control, though. Next, since the build doesn't pass SafetyNet you'll have to sideload Netflix as it won't show up in the Play Store. Finally, the camera doesn't work so you can't use the device to do video calls just yet. There are also a few minor bugs, but we recommend you give the linked thread a thorough read to learn more (also because you should read any development thread regardless before you flash any custom software onto your device.)

Download unofficial LineageOS 15.1 for the Samsung Galaxy View

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Sprint and T-Mobile have agreed to merger, pending regulatory approval

We could soon see the number of major mobile carriers in the United States decrease from four to three if things go according to plan. T-Mobile and Sprint have finally agreed to merge, so long as the merger is approved by anti-trust regulators, that is. The companies were reportedly in talks to merge in September last year, and it was then later reported that discussions had been dropped – largely due to how much control Deutsche Telekom would have over Sprint (not to mention the valuation of the company's shares as well). The companies have valued their combined worth at $146 billion, with T-Mobile paying about $26 billion for Sprint's shares at $6.62 each. This is because T-Mobile is paying 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile U.S. share, which is about $6.62 to T-Mobile's Friday closing price of $64.52.

Originally, the companies planned to merge in 2014 but felt that under the Obama administration the merger would be shut down. Both companies feel that they have a better shot of pulling it off under the Trump administration. If both companies merge, then that will create a new contender better capable of taking on AT&T and Verizon. It is unknown how U.S. regulators will view the merger, as the mobile telecommunications market in the U.S. has little competition. Reducing the number of companies active in the sector only strengthens that oligopoly. The first plan for the companies, if they are to merge, is to roll-out the first 5G network in the US to what could potentially be 100 million customers.

As for the company's structure, current T-Mobile CEO John Legere will run the company, with current COO Mike Sievert becoming COO and company President. Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son will both sit on the company's board. Deutsche Telekom will hold a 42% stake in the company, Sprint will hold 27%, and the rest is held by public shareholders. The combined company will have lower costs and greater economies of scale according to T-Mobile, and it will create thousands of American jobs. The company will be located in Bellevue, Washington.

While that's all well and good, the deal will need to be cleared by regulators first. It's unknown how exactly that will go down, but both companies are reasonably confident that it will go through.

What are your thoughts on the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint? Will this have negative consequences on the market, or will the merger lead to better plans in America? Let us know in the comments below!

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Source: T-Mobile

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Magisk v16.4 Released with Improved MagiskHide & Android P Support, and More

When it comes to rooting solutions on Android, there's not a lot that can beat Magisk. Capable of bypassing SafetyNet detection while being lightweight and open source, it's the root solution of choice for most users on our forums. It even has frequent updates which bring better support and more features—despite the fact that XDA Recognised Developer/Recognized Contributor topjohnwu is currently serving mandatory military service in Taiwan. Magisk v16.4 has launched, and with it brings a number of improvements such as greater Android P support and MagiskHide improvements.

In recent times it seemed that application developers had learned to circumvent MagiskHide simply by running their root detection under another service. With Magisk v16.4, MagiskHide now correctly handles these cases and will also hide the current root status of the device to these services. Applications such As Pokemon Go employed this technique with the Pokemon Go+, the physical companion for the game. Users found that their Go+ would disconnect from their phone as the Go+ Bluetooth service would close when it detected root. It ran under the Pokemon Go package name, but was its own service that also detected root.

Another major addition is the inclusion of a more complete Android P support. Previously, you could use Magisk on Android P, but there were still a number of issues that needed to be ironed out. The main fix here is in the Magisk Manager installation on Android P, along with generic fixes in MagiskPolicy for AOSP which will prevent some system conflicts. In terms of updates to Magisk Manager, really there's just a few crash fixes and Android 7.1+ app shortcuts.

If you want to read the full changelog, simply go to the link down below. You can also download the update from the same thread, or if you have Magisk already installed you can update it through the Magisk Manager application.

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Read Magisk v16.4 Announcement

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Android P OTA leaks early

With the first Android P Developer Preview announced in March, it brought a number of changes which you can test out now on the Google Pixel/XL and Google Pixel 2/2 XL. Surprisingly, Xiaomi has just announced that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s will also be receiving the Android P Developer Preview in the coming days, complete with all the features of Android P included. A tentative date of May 8th has been put forward as a release date, assuming all internal testing goes well.

This would be the first official public release of Android P for a non-Google device, though it's unclear whether this will be closer to AOSP Android and not MIUI. It's also unknown if the factory images will come directly from Google or from Xiaomi. The announcement post only states that the release will bring Android P's features to the device, which you can read about here and here.

The post, however, has been taken down from the MIUI forums. Initially, we hesitated to publish this post because we thought it might have been based on false information. However, our friends over at FunkyHuawei.club and XiaomiGeeks.com found that there was indeed Android 9.0 firmware in the works for the Mi Mix 2S. You can download it at the link below.

Download Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Android P OTA

I am not sure how one can go about installing the leaked Android P Developer Preview OTA on your Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s. It might be possible to sideload it, but I doubt it since this will likely need to be approved for your device before it can be updated via the updater app. It may be possible to install by extracting the images and flashing over the partitions manually, but I would advise against that if you're using the device as a daily driver.

Regardless, it's surprising to see Xiaomi offer a preview release of the next version of Android; this is the kind of thing we would expect from Sony. Hopefully, other devices from Xiaomi will receive the P release and not just their flagship line.

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Google Inbox spoofing vulnerability lets attackers fake email recipients

Be careful what you click on. Eli Grey is a security researcher who has found a vulnerability in Google Inbox allowing for an attacker to create a mailto link that spoofs the recipient of an email. He found this vulnerability on May 4th, 2017, almost a year ago, and reported it to Google privately. After following up on March 16th of this year and the bug still being unresolved, he decided to publicly disclose this vulnerability.

What happens is that generally, mailto links are used to automatically populate the content of an email to save users some time. We use a mailto link on our tip page to make it easier for users to send us a tip. Email clients such as Gmail or Google Inbox are supposed to parse these links and pre-compose the email draft with whatever information is present in the mailto link. For example, you could click a link to send PayPal customer support an email and it would show support@paypal.com in the outgoing recipient box.

What Eli Grey discovered is that you can construct a mailto link to spoof the email recipient in Google Inbox. This means that even though the draft email might say you are sending an email to support@paypal.com, it could be sending it to an entirely different address. The only way you would know is if you inspected the mailto link or expanded the "to" field before sending the email.

As an example, this mailto link will place support@paypal.com in the "to" box but if you actually send an email here it will instead go to scammer@phishing.fakewebsite (obviously not a real email address.) Fortunately, this vulnerability doesn't seem to affect Gmail or Outlook, so if you use those services you don't have to worry.

Regardless, this is a prime example of why you should always inspect the links to anything you are about to click. Last year, a very clever Google Docs phishing scheme rocked the world because of how convincing it was to even most observant technologically savvy users. Avoiding a repeat of these schemes requires being vigilant, and never becoming too comfortable when it comes to your own personal security.

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500 Firepaper will stop working on June 15th as 500px closes down API

Those of you who love having a random, but always great wallpaper, have surely heard about 500 Firepaper. It's an application that was created by XDA Senior Recognized Developer Chainfire and it has been changing the look of many Android home screens since late 2013. Unfortunately, according to the developer, 500 Firepaper will stop working this June as the 500px is shutting down its API.

500px is a place where professional photographers share their work. Artists create their portfolios and upload their work to gain recognition for themselves. The site offers a few plans, including a free one that allows uploading seven photos a week. Photos are sorted by categories so that everyone can find some quality shots. The Canadian startup has been offering public API access since 2011 which is how 500 Firepaper has been able to operate. While the 500px API closure has yet to be confirmed on the company's official blog, Chainfire announced that the API closes down on June 15th and henceforth his app will no longer work.

PSA: 500 Firepaper will stop working on June 15, as 500px is shutting down their API on that date.

— Chainfire (@ChainfireXDA) April 28, 2018

Unfortunately, this means that you can no longer use the 500 Firepaper app will to retrieve any photos from 500px. Without a proper source of getting images, the application will likely be deprecated. So far the app has been installed over 500 thousand times, so we can assume that it generated significant traffic on the site. The news that 500px's API will be shut down is a big blow to all photography lovers.

Those of you who would like to enjoy the application for the last few weeks of its existence can head over to its forum thread or go to the Play Store to get the latest version.

500 Firepaper (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Developer gets Android P booting on the Motorola Moto Z

We're just 10 days away from Google I/O 2018 where Google is expected to unveil a lot of details about Android P such as the rumored navigation gestures and Material Design revamp. The first Android P Developer Preview is available for the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL and there's a lot we've already seen in the first release, but there's still a lot to look forward to before the final release of the new version of Android. For those of you without Google Pixel phones, you'll probably be waiting a long time before P is made available for your device. However, developers on our forums aren't going to wait for OEMs to officially update their devices (if at all), so they're taking matters into their own hands. One such developer has managed to get the first Android P Developer Preview booting on his Motorola Moto Z.

The Motorola Moto Z was released in June 2016 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip and Android Marshmallow. It has since received an official update to Android Nougat and Android Oreo, and it isn't expected to receive Android P. XDA Recognized Developer erfanoabdi has managed to port Android P to his device thanks to unofficial Project Treble compatibility. This is now the second non-Google device we've seen able to boot Android P, although the last one was the Huawei Mate 10 Pro running on a heavily skinned version of it in the form of EMUI.

erfanoabdi was able to accomplish this by modifying the existing system image from the Google Pixel XL (marlin.) Using his custom script called "Capire Le Treble" which allows him to flash a device-specific system image on devices without a /vendor partition, he was able to flash the modified P system image from the Pixel XL onto his Moto Z that was previously running the official LineageOS 15.1 release (which, by the way, will be released Monday.)

For those of you who have followed our reports on Project Treble before, you may be wondering how this script works. In essence, it extracts the HALs in /system/vendor and places them in the Generic System Image (GSI) to be flashed; that way, flashing the system image won't overwrite the HALs. After a few initial crashes and some heavy debugging, he was able to get Android P up and running. Here are some additional pictures showing off various P user interface elements and features.

According to erfanoabdi, it's not without its fair share of bugs. Things like the camera, Wifi, and radio currently don't work. Surprisingly, Moto Mods seem to work although that's also a bit buggy. Considering how much of a giant hack all of this is (Moto Z doesn't support Project Treble and the system image is a modified marlin image rather than one built from source), it's surprising this even works at all. Don't expect to run this as a daily driver anytime soon; you'll probably have much more functional Android P ROMs when the source code is released alongside the full release of P.

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