News

LG jumps ahead in Android Nougat rollout race

Published

November 8, 2016

Marvin Velasco

Android Nougat is the most mature and well-designed operating system to ever come out of Google’s labs. Too bad less than a percent of the population has it.

In the latest distribution data from the Android development team, the seventh version of the OS holds a total of 0.3 percent of the entire market. It would be dead last in the rankings if not for the 0.1 percent distribution of Android 2.2 Froyo.

Android distribution chart November 2016

Android’s version distribution as of November 7, 2016

We’re not surprised. Google’s mobile OS is experiencing the worst fragmentation of any active platform; every new version rolls out at a snail’s pace because of poor adaptation from third-party device manufacturers and heavy aftermarket modifications from brands and mobile network operators.

Fortunately, we have LG coming to the rescue.

The Korean electronics giant was the first to announce a smartphone with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Even though it was overshadowed by the newer 7.1 version built into Google’s recently launched Pixel phones, LG’s V20 can claim better software integration than its rivals.

And now, the G5 will be the first non-Google phone to be updated to Nougat. The 5.3-inch flagship of LG was announced in February this year, and came with partial modularity in the form of “Friends.”

Although only South Korean users will get a taste of the latest flavor beginning today, consumers in other parts of the world will experience it too in the coming weeks.

This development puts LG at the forefront of Nougat distribution — way ahead of the likes of Samsung, Sony, HTC, and rival Chinese brands.

With the exception of the LG flagships and Google’s lineup (Pixel, Nexus, and Android One), there are no official means of enjoying Android’s latest variant at the moment, which is a real shame. The beta preview of 7.1 Nougat is already available on Nexus devices, and that’ll worsen the distribution percentage even more.

As mentioned in our Android Nougat article last August, you must consider yourself lucky if you’re part of the minority, because Marshmallow users and older are definitely missing out on some useful productivity features.

[irp posts=”4025″ name=”Nougat is Android’s best, but there’s still room for improvement”]

Sources: Android Developers, GSMArena

News

OnePlus Open and OPPO Find N3 are the exact same phone

OnePlus confirmed it

Published

October 3, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

If you’re shopping for a foldable phone in the future, you can cross one device off your list — when considering only specs, at least. OnePlus has confirmed that its upcoming foldable smartphone is the exact same device as OPPO’s upcoming foldable.

In an announcement emailed today, OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau stated that OnePlus and OPPO have co-developed a foldable device in tandem. Despite being only one device, it will be released as two smartphones, released under both OnePlus’s and OPPO’s banner. To differentiate between the two brands, each device will cater to two different markets.

Lau has not confirmed what these smartphones are. However, given the teases we’ve received from both brands so far, it’s fair to assume what they are. OnePlus, for example, teased a OnePlus Open back in July. OPPO, on the other hand, is set to launch the OPPO Find N3 soon. There is also no confirmation as to which markets will receive the phones. If anything, the Find N3 will likely be a China exclusive when it launches.

In previous rumors from months ago, the foldable device will likely carry a 7.82-inch screen. The secondary screen might extend to 6.31 inches. Inside, it will reportedly have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, complemented by 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It might also have a triple rear camera combination comprised of a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens.

News

The iPhone 15 is overheating, and Apple knows about it

A fix is coming soon

Published

October 3, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

If you couldn’t wait for Christmas and got yourself a new iPhone 15 already, you might have noticed a flaw with your new phone. While using it in certain ways, the smartphone reportedly heats up to uncomfortable levels. Apple has now confirmed that the problem is real. The company is now working on a solution for the issue.

Since the iPhone 15 series launched late last month, several users have reported that the devices in the series can get uncomfortably hot in certain situations. At the time, Apple didn’t know what was causing the issue.

Over the weekend, Apple figured it out. According to Forbes, the company has linked the heating issue with three things: increased background activity, an iOS 17 bug, and some third-party apps.

The first cause is not an issue. During device set-up, the smartphone usually loads up a lot of background processes at once. Naturally, it goes on overdrive, causing the increased temperature.

On the other hand, the next two reasons are noted issues. “We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out,” Apple said.

The iOS 17 update should be coming soon. However, the third-party fixes will be dependent on the developer. Asphalt 9, Instagram, and Uber are already confirmed for the flaw, but only Instagram has received a fix so far.

At the very least, Apple confirms that it’s not a hardware issue. If you’re worried about the potential for hardware failure, you can rest assured that it’s just a software issue.

Apps

UAAP Season 86 is FREE on Smart LiveStream App

Available on the App Store and Google Play

Published

October 2, 2023

GadgetMatch

Want to keep up with the UAAP Season 86 games? You can do so with the Smart LiveStream App.

Much like what SMART did with FIBA World Cup 2023, the telecommunication company is giving its subscribers free access to watch UAAP Season 86 games through the Smart LiveStream App. The games are available both live and on-demand.

Smart subscribers can stream all the UAAP Season 86 games on the Smart LiveStream App using their smartphones or tablets while connected to Smart mobile Internet or their PLDT Home WiFi. Smart subscribers are able to stream for free — no subscription needed.

The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Stream on TV?

Yes, you can do so. The Smart LiveStream TV App is available on Google-certified Android TV Android 8.0 version. It’s downloadable from the Android TV Google Play Store and linking their Android TV to the app. To do this, subscribers simply need to open the Smart LiveStream Mobile App, go to Menu, click Link Device, and enable the camera to scan the QR code displayed on the Android TV.

Alternatively, Android TV users may go to www.smart.com.ph/livestream to sign into their account, then go to Menu, click Device Management to add their Android TV by entering the code displayed on the TV and activate their Smart LiveStream TV App.