This week, on our weekly news roundup: many rumors around the Internet are saying that HMD Global is delaying the Pie update for their older devices on purpose but HMD Global denies these claims, Pie Beta for the Note 9 is now arriving in Germany, India, and the US, and more!Google
In case that you haven't heard about it, numerous rumors around the Internet were saying that HMD Global is delaying the Pie update for the Nokia 8 on purpose so that they'll be able to boost the sales of the Nokia 8.1.GSM Arena reached out to HDM Global to clear the misunderstanding and this the response that they shortly got:
The latest update for the Mate 20 Pro brings various improvements in camera, biometric unlocking, and also the November security patch. It takes 523 megabytes so you may want to make sure that you're connected to a Wi-Fi.To be more specific with the update, it improvements the unlocking speed when using the fingerprint scanner or face unlock and also improves the camera and photo quality. Furthermore, it comes with better positioning in Google Maps and fixes the bug where you couldn't see the notification badge in Google Messages.That's all for now, we'll keep you updated if we find out anything else!
According to XDA Developers, the Note 9 has started receiving the One UI Beta update with Android Pie on top of it in Germany, India, and the US. But, remember, this is still in Beta.In case that you haven't heard about it, One UI is set to replace the Samsung Experience on a few supported devices. It's a massive overhaul to the "classic" Samsung UI which focuses on simplicity and ease of use.To the best of our knowledge, this UI was originally meant to be used with Samsung's foldable device that is still on development. It seems like Samsung liked the whole UI as we now know that they'll replace the Samsung Experience on supported Samsung devices with instead. As we mentioned above, the Note 9 is one of these devices.Do keep in mind that the update weights 1.5 gigabytes. So, do make sure to download it with a Wi-Fi connection. And, of course, if you're signing up for a Beta update, you can expect to come across a few bugs and general issues.
The transparent Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer just started receiving the MIUI 10 update. Thankfully, this one is based on Android Pie and not on Android Oreo like most of the MIUI 10 updates that we've looked at as of recently.Apart from Android Pie, you'll now have the option to record videos at 960fps along with shooting at Super Night Scene mode. The 960fps option is pretty self-explanatory. More fps means that you'll have the option of either shooting slow-mo videos for a longer period of time, or the same amount of time but with a more fluid/smooth experience.As for the Super Night Scene Mode, well, it basically shoots a few photos simultaneously and sets a different exposure for each one of them. After that, it combines all of them into one final picture which should look more clear and bright. It most certainly comes in handy while taking pictures during the night.
The Pocophone F1 recently got an update which allows it to record videos in 960fps. This is still in Beta form, but if the phone is capable of that, then you should eventually see it in the stable updates as well.However, according to Slash Gear, the phone isn't actually recording in true 960fps but uses interpolation to make the video appear smoother instead. This is a technique that we've already seen with older televisions.Still, this is one of the best budget devices that you can get at the moment. So, nothing wrong with that. In fact, it may as well be the best budget/mid-range phone that's available at the moment.Other than 960fps, you're also getting Super-Low Light which is used for better camera performance during night-time. That's all for now. We'll keep you updated if we find out anything else.
Good news for Xiaomi Mi A1 owners. After the Mi A2, the Mi A1 is now also getting upgraded to Android Pie. The Beta version was only available for a couple of days and now the stable release is officially out.At the moment, we know that the update has been delivered on Bangladesh, but we haven't heard anything about other regions. We assume that everyone will receive it eventually, though.Apart from Android Pie, you're also getting some of its features along with FM Radio. To be more precise, Adaptive Battery, Digital Wellbeing, Gesture-based navigation, and more.The update weights about a gigabyte. If you receive it in any other place apart from Bangladesh, then please do let us and everyone else about it in the comments section.Google
If you haven't heard about it already, numerous Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL users have reported numerous issues with their device. One of these issues is bad RAM management.Due to bad RAM management, you can expect to see background apps randomly closing/stop working and even experience issues with your foreground apps. To be more precise, the Camera app is often the one to suffer the most from bad RAM management.Thankfully, Google heard about this problem and released an OTA update which fixes that a few days ago now. If you haven't received it yet, then you'll probably get it very soon.This isn't only about the Pixel 3 but the whole Pixel series. So, the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and Pixel 3 XL are also included here.Apart from the RAM management fix, you also get expanded eSIM support for a few carriers including Sprint in the US, EE, and the UK, Telekom, and Vodafone in Germany, Airtel and Reliance Jio in India.Furthermore, you now also get improved camera shutter performance and autofocus behavior along with better contouring on HDR color in apps that support it. And let us not forget to mention that you'll be getting the December security patch as well.Updates for the Pixel/Pixel XL are delayed and will likely get delivered in the upcoming weeks.
Obviously, the one thing that stands out in this update is the Bluetooth audio tuner. To our understanding, it's basically an equalizer for Bluetooth earphones.That is most certainly a welcome addition. By using an equalizer, you can add extra base, mids, and tremble to your sound which is something that can make a massive difference.While you always have the option of adding 3rd party equalizer apps and music players with built-in equalizers, having a pre-installed equalizer is welcome too. With that being said, if you don't like the look and feel of this one, you could always try something else. We recommend checking out PowerAmp as it has one of the best equalizers that we've ever seen on Android.As for the update, one last note. This is an incremental OTA update - which means that only a small percentage of people will get it in the first few days.With that being said, the update was announced a few days back now. So, if you haven't received it yet, you likely will very soon. Do manually check for updates as well because sometimes they just never arrive automatically for whatever reason.Feel like we forgot something important? Got something wrong? Then let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section down below!Like what you see? Then don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, reviews, listicles, apps, games, devices, how-to guides, and more!
What's new this week?
HMD Global
- Rumors regarding HMD Global delaying the Pie update for the Nokia 8 turn out to be fake
Huawei
- The latest update for the Mate 20 Pro improves camera quality and biometric unlocking
Samsung
- One UI Beta for the Note 9 is now arriving in Germany, India, and the US
Xiaomi
- Mi 8 Explorer 960fps video recording and gets Super Night Scene mode update
- Pocophone F1 gets 960fps video recording in Beta update
- Xiaomi Mi A1 gets upgraded to Android Pie
- The Pixel 3 RAM issues are finally getting fixed
OnePlus
- The OnePlus 6T gets a Bluetooth equalizer update
HMD Global
Nokia 8
In case that you haven't heard about it, numerous rumors around the Internet were saying that HMD Global is delaying the Pie update for the Nokia 8 on purpose so that they'll be able to boost the sales of the Nokia 8.1.GSM Arena reached out to HDM Global to clear the misunderstanding and this the response that they shortly got:"There is no purposeful delay. As soon as the upgrade to Android Pie is ready and we can be sure that it delivers the best experience for our fans, we will begin the update cycle. We are committed to a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience which involves rigorous testing to ensure no part of that commitment is compromised"So, there you have it. HMD Global is just trying to deliver a bug-free update and that's why it hasn't reached you yet. So, just be patient.Granted, some people will not believe the above statements. And it kinda makes sense to be distrustful - especially when some companies "cough" Apple "cough" have been caught slowing down their older models on purpose.That's all for now. We'll let you know when the update is officially ready and starts rolling out.
Huawei
Mate 20 Pro
The latest update for the Mate 20 Pro brings various improvements in camera, biometric unlocking, and also the November security patch. It takes 523 megabytes so you may want to make sure that you're connected to a Wi-Fi.To be more specific with the update, it improvements the unlocking speed when using the fingerprint scanner or face unlock and also improves the camera and photo quality. Furthermore, it comes with better positioning in Google Maps and fixes the bug where you couldn't see the notification badge in Google Messages.That's all for now, we'll keep you updated if we find out anything else!Samsung
Galaxy Note 9
According to XDA Developers, the Note 9 has started receiving the One UI Beta update with Android Pie on top of it in Germany, India, and the US. But, remember, this is still in Beta.In case that you haven't heard about it, One UI is set to replace the Samsung Experience on a few supported devices. It's a massive overhaul to the "classic" Samsung UI which focuses on simplicity and ease of use.To the best of our knowledge, this UI was originally meant to be used with Samsung's foldable device that is still on development. It seems like Samsung liked the whole UI as we now know that they'll replace the Samsung Experience on supported Samsung devices with instead. As we mentioned above, the Note 9 is one of these devices.Do keep in mind that the update weights 1.5 gigabytes. So, do make sure to download it with a Wi-Fi connection. And, of course, if you're signing up for a Beta update, you can expect to come across a few bugs and general issues.Xiaomi
Mi 8 Explorer
The transparent Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer just started receiving the MIUI 10 update. Thankfully, this one is based on Android Pie and not on Android Oreo like most of the MIUI 10 updates that we've looked at as of recently.Apart from Android Pie, you'll now have the option to record videos at 960fps along with shooting at Super Night Scene mode. The 960fps option is pretty self-explanatory. More fps means that you'll have the option of either shooting slow-mo videos for a longer period of time, or the same amount of time but with a more fluid/smooth experience.As for the Super Night Scene Mode, well, it basically shoots a few photos simultaneously and sets a different exposure for each one of them. After that, it combines all of them into one final picture which should look more clear and bright. It most certainly comes in handy while taking pictures during the night.Pocophone F1
The Pocophone F1 recently got an update which allows it to record videos in 960fps. This is still in Beta form, but if the phone is capable of that, then you should eventually see it in the stable updates as well.However, according to Slash Gear, the phone isn't actually recording in true 960fps but uses interpolation to make the video appear smoother instead. This is a technique that we've already seen with older televisions.Still, this is one of the best budget devices that you can get at the moment. So, nothing wrong with that. In fact, it may as well be the best budget/mid-range phone that's available at the moment.Other than 960fps, you're also getting Super-Low Light which is used for better camera performance during night-time. That's all for now. We'll keep you updated if we find out anything else.Mi A1
Good news for Xiaomi Mi A1 owners. After the Mi A2, the Mi A1 is now also getting upgraded to Android Pie. The Beta version was only available for a couple of days and now the stable release is officially out.At the moment, we know that the update has been delivered on Bangladesh, but we haven't heard anything about other regions. We assume that everyone will receive it eventually, though.Apart from Android Pie, you're also getting some of its features along with FM Radio. To be more precise, Adaptive Battery, Digital Wellbeing, Gesture-based navigation, and more.The update weights about a gigabyte. If you receive it in any other place apart from Bangladesh, then please do let us and everyone else about it in the comments section.Pixel 3
If you haven't heard about it already, numerous Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL users have reported numerous issues with their device. One of these issues is bad RAM management.Due to bad RAM management, you can expect to see background apps randomly closing/stop working and even experience issues with your foreground apps. To be more precise, the Camera app is often the one to suffer the most from bad RAM management.Thankfully, Google heard about this problem and released an OTA update which fixes that a few days ago now. If you haven't received it yet, then you'll probably get it very soon.This isn't only about the Pixel 3 but the whole Pixel series. So, the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and Pixel 3 XL are also included here.Apart from the RAM management fix, you also get expanded eSIM support for a few carriers including Sprint in the US, EE, and the UK, Telekom, and Vodafone in Germany, Airtel and Reliance Jio in India.Furthermore, you now also get improved camera shutter performance and autofocus behavior along with better contouring on HDR color in apps that support it. And let us not forget to mention that you'll be getting the December security patch as well.Updates for the Pixel/Pixel XL are delayed and will likely get delivered in the upcoming weeks.OnePlus
OnePlus 6T
If you own a OnePlus 6T, then you should soon receive the OxygenOS 9.07 update which:- Improves Bluetooth stability
- Optimizes Wi-Fi stability
- Optimizes standby power consumption, fixes display issues with the lock-screen wallpaper
- Improves camera performance in slow-motion video recording
- Brings general bug fixes and improvements
- And an audio tuner for Bluetooth earphones
Obviously, the one thing that stands out in this update is the Bluetooth audio tuner. To our understanding, it's basically an equalizer for Bluetooth earphones.That is most certainly a welcome addition. By using an equalizer, you can add extra base, mids, and tremble to your sound which is something that can make a massive difference.While you always have the option of adding 3rd party equalizer apps and music players with built-in equalizers, having a pre-installed equalizer is welcome too. With that being said, if you don't like the look and feel of this one, you could always try something else. We recommend checking out PowerAmp as it has one of the best equalizers that we've ever seen on Android.As for the update, one last note. This is an incremental OTA update - which means that only a small percentage of people will get it in the first few days.With that being said, the update was announced a few days back now. So, if you haven't received it yet, you likely will very soon. Do manually check for updates as well because sometimes they just never arrive automatically for whatever reason.Feel like we forgot something important? Got something wrong? Then let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section down below!Like what you see? Then don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, reviews, listicles, apps, games, devices, how-to guides, and more!