This week, on our weekly firmware news roundup: HTC U11 finally gets its slice of Pie, Galaxy S10 gets another version of the last update, hopefully, to fix all the bugs that were introduced, and more!
What's New This Week?
LG
- Verizon's LG V40 ThinQ is now getting Android Pie
HTC
- HTC U11 is now receiving its slice of Pie
OnePlus
- OnePlus 7 Pro's latest update brings a few improvements to the camera
Asus
- Latest update for the ZenFone 6 brings camera improvements
- ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is now getting its slice of Pie across the world
Xiaomi
- Redmi K20 Pro joins the Android Q beta - Mi Mix 3 5G and Mi 9 as well
Huawei
- P30 and P30 Pro's latest update is bringing DC dimming to the table
Samsung
- Galaxy M10 and M20 are now getting Android Pie in India
- Galaxy M30 is now getting its slice of Pie as well
- New Galaxy S10 update is here to fix the issues that the last one created
LG
LG V40 ThinQ
Verizon's LG V40 ThinQ is now receiving the latest version of Android. And it doesn't simply come with Google's included features, but also with a few more that are included by the manufacturer.
To be more precise, you'll now have:
- Dual app operation
- A game launcher
- Pin to screen
- Brief notifications
- Cine Shot
- Part slo-mo
- AI Composition
- Story shot
- And more
AI composition and Cine Shot are definitely two features to look out for. There are also a few more minor changes, so, you definitely have a few things to look forward to.
While there is no mention of the update's size, we're expecting that it'll cost you more than a gigabyte. So, do not forget to enable your Wi-Fi.
Last, but not least, you also get April's security patch. It's a bit of a shame that it's April's and not the latest one. But, hey, better than nothing.
HTC
HTC U11
It took a while, but the HTC U11 is finally getting its slice of Pie. HTC mentioned that it'll get the update by the end of May, and here we are now towards the end of the month.
Apart from Android Pie, we can safely assume that you'll be getting some of Google's goodies like Digital Wellbeing and such.
Though, do keep in mind that only Taiwan is receiving the update right now. And with that being said, chances are the rest of the world is going to follow up soon enough. So, no biggie here.
OnePlus
OnePlus 7 Pro
The latest update for the OnePlus 7 Pro is here and it brings a few improvements to the camera. To be more specific:
- Improved image quality in HDR shots
- Better low-light performance
- White balance issues have been fixed
- And focus issues have been fixed as well
Apart from that, you also get general bug fixes and improvements, a fix for the audio delay while using Bluetooth earphones, along with small improvements in the Ambient Display and the double tap to wake.
Do keep in mind that while the update number differs in EU and global units, 9.5.4 and 9.5.5, they are essentially the same thing.
As per usual with OnePlus, this update is being delivered in a staged rollout. So, it may take a bit of time before everyone gets this update.
Asus
ZenFone 6
Another update is here for the Asus ZenFone 6 and it brings a few improvements to the camera. To be more specific, we're talking about Super Night Mode, HDR++, along with additional camera control by using the volume buttons.
While we'd love to go into the details, there really isn't much to say. Night mode's improvements are more or less the same with what we saw on the S10, the enhanced HDR is slightly better now, and you can take a picture with the smart button. That's about it.
The update is being delivered over the air in small waves. So, if you haven't received it later, be patient and you should soon get it.
ZenFone Max Pro (M1)
The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has already received its slice of Pie, but only in India. Now the update is universal. So, get ready to download it.
It's currently arriving in waves/batches. So, there is a chance that you won't get it immediately. But, make no mistake, you'll get it!
Xiaomi
Redmi K20 Pro
The Redmi K20 Pro was revealed about 3 days ago and is one of the most powerful phones that Xiaomi has to offer right now. Despite being basically brand new and coming with Android Pie out of the box, Xiaomi's latest flagship has already joined the Android Q beta.
As per usual, the beta is full of issues of which some are known while others are waiting to be discovered. At the moment, Xiaomi has officially announced that there are 5 known bugs with the beta:
- Fingerprint module is not supported
- The settings app crashes immediately after you open it and keeps on doing so
- You can't switch between different users
- Sometimes videos that are downloaded from Google Drive will not appear on your gallery
- Bluetooth doesn't work with specific keyboards. The Logitech K380 is currently the only confirmed model by Xiaomi
And again, chances are that there are more bugs waiting to be discovered. So, if you're the owner of a brand new K20 Pro, don't join the beta unless you're willing to experience a bunch of issues.
Apart from the Redmi K20 Pro, the Mi Mix 3 5G and Mi 9 are in the Android Q beta as well. Obviously, each one of them have their own bugs that need to be solved.
Both devices have issues with the alarm and also with the settings app where it crashes under specific circumstances. So, again, don't install the beta unless you're fine with having your phone being used as a sort of guinea pig.
Huawei
P30 And P30 Pro
According to our sources, DC dimming is now being delivered to the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. Currently only in China. But, it should soon become available for everyone.
In case you don't know about it, most displays work with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). PWM basically turns pixels (or the back-light if we're referring to LED) rapidly on and off which makes the display dimmer or brighter depending on the frequency.
The problem with PWM is that it may cause headaches to certain people. That's where DC dimming may come in handy.
Unlike PWM, DC dimming directly lowers the voltage to each individual pixel which is what turns the brightness down. This can eliminate headaches, but it can also make colors look weird.
OLED displays don't play well with low voltages. So, do keep that in mind! You'll have the option of turning DC dimming on and off in the settings. So, that comes in handy for sure.
That's all for now. We'll let you know if anything else comes up!
Samsung
Galaxy M10 And M20
It was just a couple of days ago where the Galaxy M10 and M20 started receiving Android Pie. Samsung had originally announced that the M series would get the "currently" latest version of Android by June 3rd but it seems like we got it faster than expected.
Apart from Android Pie, you're also getting May's security patch. The update weighs a bit less than a gigabyte on the Galaxy M10 and about 1.9 gigs on the M20.
Not sure why there is such a big difference in the size of the update. The changelog is the same thing with the exception that the M10 doesn't get the Scene Optimizer feature. Still, that shouldn't make such a difference in size. So, If you know, about it, please do let us know about it in the comments section down below!
The update is currently rolling over the air. However, do keep in mind that it may be coming out in waves - which means that only a small percentage of users will get it at a time until it eventually becomes available for everyone.
Galaxy M30
Just like the M10 and M20, the Galaxy M30 is now also receiving the latest version of Android. It weighs a bit more than a gigabyte, so, do make sure to enable your Wi-Fi.
Apart from Android Pie, you're also getting Samsung's One UI, a few Pie features, and May's security patch. And of course, the same applies for the M10/M20.
The update arrived a bit earlier than we expected for the whole M series. But, that's for the best. And with the latest security patch. Kudos to Samsung.
Galaxy S10 Series
As we saw last week, the last update for the S10 series brought some series improvements in low-light photography. However, some users also mentioned that they experienced a series of bugs.
To be more specific, users complained about random freezes, restart, and even issues with 3rd party apps like Twitter. Needless to say that this is kinda unacceptable for a phone that costs nearly a thousand dollars or even more than that depending on which version you got!
According to SamMobile, the issues were severe enough for Samsung to temporarily pull down the update. Now a new update is out which will hopefully fix those issues.
The changelog doesn't mention anything different from the last update. But, that may be Samsung's choice so that they won't let others know that the last update was a bit troublesome.
If you've received this update, please do let us know if it fixed the issues for you.
That's all for now. We'll let you know if anything else comes up. So, stay tuned!
Feel like we forgot to mention something important? Got anything wrong? Then let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section down below!
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