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[Update 3: Supreme Court declines relief] India stares at a carrier monopoly with Reliance Jio as Airtel and Vodafone Idea face uncertain future
The Indian telecom sector is staring at a future with a Reliance Jio monopoly, as Airtel and Vodafone Idea have been handed a massive debt by the Court.
India has the world's lowest call and data tariffs in the world right now, riding on the back of mega telecom operators and hyper-competition among them. But that hasn't always been the case in the country, as a lot of it can be traced back to a few key defining moments in the telecom sector's history. There is a good chance that the country is headed towards one more such moment, one that might turn a hyper-competitive market into a carrier monopoly with Reliance Jio at the helm.
Samsung's Good Lock Offers the Coolest Smartphone Features & Customization Nobody Talks About
Samsung Good Lock genuinely changes a great deal of how the phone's UI looks and feels. This is something that other manufacturers don't allow.
Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Note continue to be the de facto Android experience for millions of people around the globe, remaining the best selling phones among casual crowds and a preferred option among enthusiasts as well. While the devices have been a bit predictable for a while, there’s no arguing that they’re incredibly competent products and certainly two of the most important Android flagships around.
How Apple's New Lineup and iPhone XR will Influence Android Trends, for Better and Worse
Apple announced three new iPhones this week. We analyze how the new iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max affect Android smartphone trends in 2019.
Apple’s annual events are a time and cause of reflection for Android purists. It's a single day, once a year—unless you count Apple's tablet events—which Android has continuously failed to compete against. It's a day when Apple arguably has the most to lose but also has the most excess to throw around, showing the world what they feel the public will want in the coming year. This has come to large success over the years, with the iPhone not only being the world's single best-selling phone model but also unarguably building a multi-billion dollar app store ecosystem and helping forge a new era with all-new ways for people to get things done. “The hand that giveth, taketh away” is also an accurate statement, and boy has the iPhone done some taking away. Lost real estate and a sense of full-screen satisfaction, the 3.5mm headphone jack that people who have sworn against Samsung and its perceived terribleness have had to mourn, and a "proprietary solution to everything" model that the rest of the market loves to follow. The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR are the newest in their stable of devices and as always, they'll greatly influence the trajectory of Android smartphones through 2019 and beyond—whether we like it or not.
Fortnite Installer could be abused to silently install apps on Galaxy phones
Fortnite Mobile on Android's installer app was exploitable in its first release. It could be abused to silently install any app on Samsung Galaxy phones.
The launch of Fortnite Mobile on Android hasn't been too great, especially since many of the supported devices really struggle to play the game with acceptable frame rates. The game launched as a Samsung Galaxy exclusive for only 3 days. The Fortnite Installer was first available on Samsung Galaxy Apps before Epic Games allowed non-Samsung players to download and install the full game from the Fortnite Installer obtained on Epic's website. Shortly after the Fortnite Installer became available, Epic Games quietly pushed an update to the Installer. Now we know why: They patched a Man-in-the-Disk exploit that made it possible for a malicious app to silently install any app they wanted on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Because there has been some confusion about how this flaw works, we'll try to clear things up. First, we need to explain the basics of app installation on Android.
OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 3 - Is it time to upgrade?
Are you wondering whether you should upgrade to the OnePlus 6 from your OnePlus 3? Read our indepth comparison here to help you decide.
The OnePlus 6 has been in the hands of reviewers and consumers alike for over a month now. While it's pretty clear that it's currently one of the fastest phones around, many will be wondering whether it's worth the upgrade. I myself came from the OnePlus 3, and I can say without a doubt that it is an upgrade (shocker!)... but is it a $529 upgrade? In this article, we'll compare the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 6 so that you can decide whether you want to hold on to that OnePlus 3 for an extra while or not.
How A/B Partitions and Seamless Updates Affect Custom Development on XDA
You may have heard of Seamless Updates before. It involves something called "A/B partitions." What is it and how does it affect custom development on XDA?
When Android Nougat released, it had us talking about all kinds of new features. We got a newly updated user interface for starters along with long-awaited multiwindow capabilities and Vulkan Graphics API support. But one under-the-hood addition flew over the heads of most users. Android Nougat introduced "Seamless Updates" on devices that support A/B partitions. The vast majority of existing Android devices (excluding the new Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL) did not have A/B partitions at the time and thus couldn't take advantage of seamless updates. The basic premise of this feature is that the device has a second set of the system, boot, vendor, and other important partitions, and when you get an OTA update the update happens in the background while the second set of partitions are patched which lets you reboot into an updated software build seamlessly. If an update fails, you'll be kicked back to a working build, meaning companies will have fewer headaches to deal with and consumers are better protected.
While the iPhone gets 5 years of support, my Galaxy S9+ still can't get timely Security Patches
My Samsung Galaxy S9 is currently four months behind on Android security patches. OEMs need to do better to compete with Apple in this regard.
Apple’s WWDC took place this week, not long after Google’s I/O conference. Each company spent time announcing their planned new features as well as new APIs, new apps, and new ideas. It isn’t a stretch to say that both Android and iOS have become advanced operating systems with complete and competitive feature sets. I’ve been running Android P on my Google Pixel 2 XL, and love it or hate it, a lot has changed in small but key areas of the user experience. On the contrary, iOS 12 looks nearly identical to the previous release but it comes with some “under the hood” changes and some quality-of-life improvements. Apple has mostly promised faster performance, AR improvements, grouped notifications like Android (FINALLY), and built-in Tasker-like Siri functionality that seems quite practical.
The History of Printing on Android and how the Mopria Alliance made it better
Printing documents from Android devices hasn't always been a cakewalk, but it has come a long way. That's thanks in large part to the Mopria Alliance, which worked with Google to implement core printing technologies in Android 8.0 Oreo.
Prior to the debut of Android 8.0 Oreo's Default Print Service, printing documents on Android was easier said than done. Google's mobile operating system didn't gain native printer support until Android 4.4 KitKat, and with the exception of third-party solutions from the likes of Samsung, setting up a printer required vendor-specific plugins and drivers. But thanks to the Mopria Alliance, a consortium of smartphone and printer manufacturers, Android's compatibility with printers has improved by leaps and bounds. Android Oreo supports an astounding 97 percent of the printers on the market—over 100 million—plus features such as duplex printing, Wi-Fi Direct printing, orientation, and paper size adjustment.
It is time for Google to fix its Android Security Update Problem
Android users deserve fast, secure phones, but even Samsung still cannot get their act together when it comes to Android security updates, highlighting an industry-wide problem and it is time for Google to finally step in on the situation.
If the largest, richest OEM does a terrible job and gets away with it, how can we expect any better of the rest of them?
Linux apps on Chrome OS - an overview of its biggest feature since Android apps
Linux apps will soon be available on Chrome OS, starting with the Google Pixelbook, thanks to Project Crostini. What is Crostini and why is it so important? We dive into the biggest change to Chrome OS since Android app integration.
Here's all you need to know about Google's year-long secretive development of Linux app functionality in Chrome OS, also known as Project Crostini.
OnePlus 5T Long-Term Review: A Reliable Phone that shows Attention to Detail
This is XDA's long-term review of the OnePlus 5T. It consists of camera quality analysis, real-world performance evaluation, and observations about software user experience.
The OnePlus 5T is the company's first phone to have a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It has the same internal specifications as its predecessor, the OnePlus 5, but the differences in the display and camera setup are profound. It’s one of the most popular devices in our forums and has been a go-to pick for enthusiast users who need an affordable flagship.
Motorola Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, Moto E5 Play, and Moto E5 Plus First Impressions
Lenovo's back again with four new budget smartphones for 2018: the Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, Moto E5 Plus, and Moto E5 Play. What's changed? Here are our first impressions of the cameras, performance, battery life, software, and more.
Motorola, the Chicago-based subsidiary of Lenovo, stumbled upon a winning strategy with the Moto E and Moto G series. The mid-to-low-tier smartphones remain incredibly popular in developing markets such as India, where the company has shipped more than six million units to date. But they're also a top seller in the U.S., where they're subsidized by prepaid carriers and retailers such as Amazon (for example, as part of Prime Exclusive Smartphones). In a sense, Motorola's merely keeping the wheels in motion with the Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, Moto G6 Plus, Moto E5 Plus, and Moto E5 Play, its 2018 lineup of wallet-friendly devices.
Xiaomi aims to release Kernel Source Code for new devices within 3 months after launch
Xiaomi has long failed to release kernel sources in a timely manner, but now the company is committing to releasing kernel source code within 3 months of launch for any new device.
Xiaomi is a company that's largely renowned for their devices that offer excellent specifications relative to price. Smartphones is just one of their many ventures, but it's how the company has made its name known globally. The company's rapid expansion in markets like India has brought millions of new users onto smartphones running Android, which has resulted in a wave of new users on our forums looking to customize their devices. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has a poor history of complying with open source licenses as they have shown time and time and time again that they are willing to violate the General Public License v2 (GPLv2) by failing to release kernel source code for their devices. The GPL is what makes the developer community on our forums possible, as all Android phones run on the Linux kernel and without access to the source code it would have been nearly impossible for custom AOSP-based ROMs to take off the way they've done on our forums.
The Journey of F2FS and why File Systems Matter: Interview with Stan Dmitriev from Tuxera
XDA interviews Stan Dmitriev from Tuxera, a Finnish company that specializes in file systems. Stan discusses file systems and the future of F2FS.
File systems aren't discussed on XDA or any other forum all too often. The topic involves a lot of low-level development, so developers prefer to focus on applications, ROMs, or kernels. Nevertheless, the file system is a vital part of every storage. It's the technology that outlines how data in your device's storage is stored and retrieved. There are many different kinds of file systems—each with their own pros and cons—and picking one over another can make a huge difference in stability and performance. So how do OEMs make that choice? I had the pleasure to talk with Stan Dimitriev, the PR & Communications Manager at Tuxera, a Finnish company that provides file system solutions to many big OEMs.
How Dirac Enhances the Sound Quality of OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Huawei devices
We spoke with Erik Rudolphi, General Manager of Mobile at Swedish Audio firm Dirac, to find out how the company enhances the sound quality of smartphone from Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and Huawei.
You might not have ever heard of Dirac, but if you've used a Xiaomi, OPPO, Huawei, or OnePlus phone in recent years, chances are you've heard their software in action. The Swedish audio firm works with an increasing number of device makers to optimize the sound quality of smartphone loudspeakers and headphone outputs.
Xiaomi Redmi 5A XDA Mini-Review: Budget Smartphone Done Right
Follow along as we take a look at the Xiaomi Redmi 5A, the entry level Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 totting smartphone from Xiaomi for India that costs just $80!
The year 2017 saw flagships push boundaries of both hardware and price. New releases from OEMs got better, but they also became much more expensive. What if you can’t afford to spend upwards of $800 on a smartphone, though, and don’t need the processing power and features that come at those prices? What if you just want a smartphone that works reliably, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Enter Xiaomi, the not-so-little OEM that can.
How Samsung's Continuous Improvements Reinforce Their Promising 2018 Prospects
In this editorial, we explore how Samsung's recent improvements hint at a promising set 2018 flagship releases for the company.
Samsung is likely going to have an excellent 2018 -- or so they say. That's a sentiment I've seen echoed across all corners of the Android community, and it's not an unjustified expectation. Some point to the fact that they outspend most other OEMs in advertising, that they are supported by their ever-improving chip and display divisions, that the typical Samsung user might be as sheepish as an iPhone user. They might even point to Huawei's recent failure to challenge Samsung's uncontested reign over the highly-profitable and influential US market. While none of these reasons are particularly wrong, and while they most definitely add to Samsung's success, they don’t quite tell the whole picture.
Conversations is an Open Source & Secure Jabber/XMPP Client for Android
Conversations is an open source and secure Jabber/XMPP client for Android. A convenient instant messaging app without sacrificing your privacy.
Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat are the top three instant messaging apps currently dominating the market. Their continued dominance is easily explained by their inclusion of a simple to use interface along with a user base of millions of people. However, each of these IM apps share one flaw: they are owned by Social Media giants. If someone signs up for a WhatsApp account, they also have to agree to Facebook's user license agreement. It's generally understood that you trade in your privacy to use these convenient services. Although WhatsApp developers implemented end-to-end encryption as a standard feature, the app itself isn't fully open source so it comes down to blind trust whether you believe that Whatsapp can't collect data on you.
Why Glass is Replacing Aluminium and Plastic in Flagship Smartphones, and Why it Shouldn't
In this editorial we explore why glass is a poorer choice than aluminium and plastic for the construction of flagship smartphones.
Smartphone design trends come and go, but one trend which has been persistent for the past few years has been the transition to premium materials used in the construction of smartphones. While there was a time when it seemed like every single Android phone was made of plastic, design paradigms have slowly but steadily changed since 2013.
Cameras in Custom ROMs: How Developers Make Hardware Work without Source Code
Without source code, how do developers get hardware components such as cameras working in custom ROMs? The answer is a BLOB, shim, and lots of debugging.
With the release of Android Oreo and many devices such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Google Nexus 5 and others unofficially receiving it, it's probably fair to wonder why the same features (mostly the camera) tend to be broken when developers port an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) based ROM. You’ve probably seen XDA forum threads of ROMs with a long list of broken features up top. “What works” followed by a list of working features, then down below that the iconic “What doesn’t work? You tell me!” are two popular refrains on our forums that have practically become a meme on places like Reddit and Twitter.