Monday, December 31, 2018

Android 9 Pie update tracker: When will your phone get it? (Updated January 1)

samsung galaxy s9 one ui review android pie logo easter egg

Google announced Android 9.0 Pie on August 6, 2018, and began rolling it out to Pixel phones the same day. These include the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL.

But what about other devices? Which ones have already received Android Pie and which ones are expected to get it in the near future? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Android 9.0 Pie update schedule, along with how to install Android Pie updates and much more.

Android 9.0 Pie review: Closing the gap

How to install Android 9.0 Pie on your phone right now

Download: Android 9.0 Pie factory images and OTA files for Pixel devices

Digital Wellbeing hands-on: Prepare to be scared of your phone forever


Key Android Pie update features

We have a complete overview of all the new features in our Android 9 Pie review. We'd suggest checking out that article to see what's new in Android Pie, what new features it brings, all the design tweaks, and more.

  • Gesture navigation
  • Redesigned app overview screen
  • New look for quick settings
  • Optional dark/light themes
  • Digital Wellbeing
  • Adaptive Brightness
  • Adaptive Battery
  • App Actions and Slices
  • Improved notifications
  • Improved Do Not Disturb mode

Android Go Pie edition

A week after the official launch of Android 9.0 Pie, Google announced the Pie version of Android Go. The company claims it's even smaller, faster, and more secure than the Oreo version. The OS will free up even more space on smartphones, as shown in the image below:

Google

The Pie version of Android Go also offers faster boot times, security features like verified boot, and a dashboard for tracking data consumption.

Android Pie factory images and OTA files

Android Pie factory images and OTA files are available on Google's website. You can also download them via the links below. If you need help sideloading the update manually, check out our handy how to install Android Pie article.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Factory images

OTA files

Google Pixel 2

Factory images

OTA files

Google Pixel XL

Factory images

OTA files

Google Pixel

Factory images

OTA files

What about other Android manufacturers?

This year, the Android Pie rollout was a bit different from other major OS releases. Thanks to Google's efforts with Project Treble, seven other phone makers — Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Essential — were able to enroll their smartphones in the Android Beta program alongside Pixels. A lot of these companies have already released Android Pie for a few of their phones.

You'll find an overview of the devices that have (or will) receive Android Pie below. We're constantly updating this post as new updates are launched, so make sure you visit it frequently to stay up to date with all the latest.

Essential Pie update

August 6, 2018 — Essential has always been extremely fast at issuing Android updates, and this release is no different. Minutes after Google announced Pie, Essential already started rolling out the update to the Essential Phone. Some of us actually received the update on our Essential Phones quicker than our Pixels. Not bad!

August 13, 2018 — Essential has announced via Twitter that the Android Pie update has been released for Sprint customers.

August 27, 2018 — The company took to Twitter to announce that the Android Pie update started rolling out to Telus variants of the Essential Phone.

OnePlus Pie update

August 6, 2018 — The company said in a statement that it looks forward to bringing Android Pie to the OnePlus 6, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3, but stopped short of offering any details:

OnePlus is driven by the idea of giving people the best possible hardware and software experience and that's why we've been excited about Android P for some time now, having worked closely with the Android Beta Program. We're looking forward to bringing Android P to OnePlus 6, as well as updating OnePlus 5/5T, and OnePlus 3/3T, ensuring OnePlus users all over the world can continue to enjoy new features.

August 16, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, unofficial AOSP ports of the latest Android version are already available for some OnePlus devices. These include the OnePlus 3 and 3T, as well as the older OnePlus X and OnePlus 2.

September 3, 2018 — The company has released the Open Beta 1 for the OnePlus 6, which brings Android 9.0 Pie to the device. To try it out, click here to read instructions and get links to download the software. But before you do, keep in mind that as this is a beta update, some things — including Google Pay — won't work properly. And if you don't like the software and want to go back to the stable Oreo version of Android, you'll have to wipe your OnePlus 6 and then reinstall the OS — which means you'll lose all the data that's not backed up.

September 7, 2018 — The manufacturer has released the Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 6. The update brings Wi-Fi stability improvements, optimized background power consumption control, optimized multitasking UI, and more — see the entire changelog here.

September 15, 2018 — OnePlus has released the Open Beta 3 for the OnePlus 6. The update adds the ability to launch Google Assistant or any other third-party assistant by pressing and holding the power button for 0.5 seconds. It also adds new functionality to Parallel Apps: the feature now supports Telegram, Discord, IMO, Uber, and OLA. Additionally, the beta update brings with it stability fixes for the fingerprint sensor, face unlock, and ambient display.

September 21, 2018 — OnePlus has released the stable version of the Android 9.0 Pie update for the OnePlus 6. It's a staged rollout, which means the update will be available for a limited number of users at first and will make its way to all OnePlus 6 device over the next few weeks. The rollout isn't based on regions — the update is instead randomly shipped out to a limited number of handsets.

October 16, 2018 — The stable version of Android 9.0 Pie is now rolling out to OnePlus 6 devices in the U.K. The update weighs about 1.5GB.

October 14, 2018 — Pete Lau, one of the founders of OnePlus, revealed on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo that the upcoming OnePlus 6T will launch with Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. However, the OnePlus 6T's software will be different from the current version of Pie on the OnePlus 6. It will have some new gestures as well as "a whole new UI, "according to the OxygenOS development team.

Pete Lau also mentioned that while the OnePlus 3, 3T, 5, and 5T will still receive Android 9.0 Pie, the update is taking longer than expected. Unfortunately, he didn't share specific details on when it will be available.

November 14, 2018 — OnePlus is rolling out the Android Pie beta for the OnePlus 5 and 5T to some users in China. The update is expected to make its way to more markets soon, although there's no word on when exactly that may happen.

November 23, 2018 — OnePlus has announced on its forum that the Android Pie Open Beta for the OnePlus 5 and 5T is "almost out." That means it should be released soon, although a specific date was not mentioned.

December 12, 2018 — The beta version of Android Pie is now available for the OnePlus 5 and 5T. If you're already part of the Open Beta program, you should receive the update over-the-air shortly. Otherwise, you'll have to flash the new build yourself.

December 25, 2018 — The stable version of Android 9.0 Pie has started rolling out to the OnePlus 5 and 5T. The update includes a new UI, new navigation gestures (only on the OnePlus 5T), gaming mode 3.0, a new Do Not Disturb mode, integrated Google Lens in the camera app, and the December 2018 security patches, among other things.

Oppo Pie update

August 6, 2018 — Oppo reached out to Android Authority to say that it does not yet have a target release date for Android Pie.

Vivo Pie update

August 8, 2018 — Vivo told Android Authority that it plans to release Android Pie in Q4 2018:

Designing for consumers' needs continues to be Vivo's top priority. Upgrading to the latest Android Pie operating system to deliver better mobile experience is therefore an area Vivo is working on bringing to consumers as soon as possible. Consumers can expect this update to come out in Q4 this year. We will keep you updated once we have more details to share.

December 24, 2018 — Vivo has kicked off the Android Pie closed beta program for fours of its smartphones: the X21, X21 UD, Nex A, and Nex S. However, the program is only available in China for now. There's no word on when the stable versions of the updates will be released, but we do expect to see them sometime in the first quarter of 2019.

Sony Pie update

August 16, 2018 — Sony published a blog post detailing the nine devices in its roster that will get Android 9.0 Pie. They are:

The update process will kick off in November for the XZ devices and then start in early 2019 for the XA2 line.

October 12, 2018 — Sony is rolling out the stable version of Android 9.0 Pie to the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. The update comes in just over 1GB in size and includes the latest October 2018 security patch. Also arriving in U.K.

October 18, 2018 — Sony has revealed detailed info regarding its Android Pie update schedule. The company said the XZ Premium, XZ1, and XZ1 Compact will get the update sooner than expected — the rollout will begin on October 26 as opposed to in November. The other handsets will get the update as per original schedule. Sony will begin to roll out the update for the XZ2 Premium from November 7, while the Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and XA2 Plus will get the update from March 4 next year.

November 10, 2018 — According to Xperia Blog, Sony is rolling out Android Pie to the Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ1, and Xperia XZ1 Compact. The update includes the October security patch and is only available in select markets for now.

HTC Pie update

August 10, 2018 — HTC took to Twitter to announce that it's bringing Android Pie to four of its smartphones: U12 Plus, U11 Plus, U11, and the Android One variant of the U11 Life. Unfortunately, there's no word on when the updates will be available. HTC said this will be announced in "due course."

November 29, 2018 — HTC has started rolling out the Pie update to the Android One variant of the HTC U11 Life. This is the first HTC device to get the latest version of the OS. Flagships like the HTC U12 Plus are still running Oreo with no date set for a Pie upgrade.

Huawei/Honor Pie update

August 9, 2018 — Huawei revealed on Weibo that it's conducting internal testing of the Android 9.0 Pie update for the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei P20, Honor 10, and Honor V10.

August 21, 2018 — A Huawei South Africa spokesperson told MyBroadband that the manufacturer will release its EMUI 9.0 skin based on Android Pie at the IFA trade show in Berlin, which kicks off August 31. The spokesperson also said the company will roll out Android Pie to the Huawei P20 series in September, followed by the Mate series shortly after. We expect loads of other Huawei devices to get the update as well, although the company didn't mention which ones and when.

September 1, 2018 — Huawei announced EMUI 9.0 at IFA, which is based on Android Pie. It also kicked off its beta program, allowing users of select Huawei devices to try out the software before it is officially released. These devices include:

To sign up for the program, go to Huawei's Friendly User Test page, download the Huawei Beta app, go to Personal > Join project, select the EMUI 9 beta program, and tap "Sign Up." Keep in mind that Huawei may choose to limit the number of users it accepts in the program — learn more here.

September 30, 2018 — Huawei is rolling out the beta Android Pie update based on EMUI 9.0 to the Mate 10 Pro.

October 2, 2018 — Get Droid Tips reports that Huawei has released the beta Android Pie update for the Honor View 10. However, the update is only available to users in Europe for now.

November 6, 2018 — The company has announced it will roll out EMUI 9.0, based on Android Pie, to nine Huawei and Honor devices starting November 10. The phones that will get the update are:

  • Huawei P20
  • Huawei P20 Pro
  • Huawei Mate 10
  • Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  • Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design
  • Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design
  • Honor 10
  • Honor View 10
  • Honor Play

However, Huawei has yet to confirm in which regions the update will be released first. We've reached out to the company regarding this and will update this post when we get a response.

December 3, 2018 — Huawei is apparently rolling out EMUI 9.0 based on Android Pie to the P20 and P20 Pro, but only in China (via BGR). The update is expected to go global soon, probably before the end of the year.

December 18, 2018 — Huawei took to Twitter to announce it will start rolling out Android Pie with EMUI 9.0 on top to a slew of devices in the next few days — globally. These include:

  • Huawei Mate 10/Mate 10 Pro/Mate 10 Porsche Design
  • Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design
  • Huawei P20/P20 Pro/P20 Lite
  • Honor Play
  • Honor 10
  • Honor View 10

The list of supported devices may grow over time. Devices like the Honor 8X, Huawei Mate 20 Lite, Honor 8C, and similarly-new Huawei and Honor devices are also expected to get Android Pie somewhere down the line.

Motorola Pie update

August 15, 2018 — Motorola revealed which devices would receive the Android Pie update. Starting this fall, Android Pie will make its way to these phones:

It's worth noting that the Moto E5 lineup isn't on that list (despite being announced only months ago), and the entire Moto G5 lineup isn't on the list either.

November 16, 2018 — Good news for all you Motorola One Power owners in India. The company is rolling out the stable version of Android 9.0 Pie to the device.

November 16, 2018 — According to a user on the XDA-Developers forum, the Motorola One has received Android 9.0 Pie in Mexico. The update is expected to be released in other markets soon.

November 28, 2018 — The Motorola One is now receiving the Android Pie update globally. As usual, this is a staged rollout, which means it might take a week or so for the update to make its way to every device.

November 28, 2018 — As reported by XDA-Developers, the Moto X4 has been bumped up to Android Pie in Brazil. The update is expected to make its way to other markets soon.

December 12, 2018 — Motorola is rolling out Android 9.0 Pie to the Moto X4 in the U.S. It's a phased rollout, but the update is said to make its way to all phones by January 10, 2019.

December 19, 2018 — XDA-Developers reports that Motorola has kicked off an Android Pie soak test for the Moto G6 and G6 Plus in Brazil. The Moto G6's beta build was leaked online, so you can download it and try it out if that's your thing.

December 31, 2018 — Motorola is now rolling out Android 9.0 Pie to the Moto G6 Plus devices in India. The update should make its way to other markets soon.

Nokia Pie update

August 21, 2018 — HMD Global promised back in May that all Android-running Nokia phones will be updated to Android Pie. Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas now shared more details on the topic, confirming at a New Dehli event that the Nokia 7 Plus will be the first of its devices to be updated to Android 9.0 this September. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise as the Nokia 7 Plus was part of the Android P beta scheme.

August 31, 2018 — Responding to a user on Twitter, HMD Global executive Juho Sarvikas said that a camera-related update with "new experiences" is coming to the Nokia 8 with Android Pie. The update will also bring ARCore to the device. Unfortunately, Sarvikas didn't mention when the update will be available.

September 12, 2018 — The Nokia 7 Plus has received another beta Android Pie update. The changes in the latest version appear to be minimal. The update apparently brings the September security patch, a non-removable "At a Glance" widget on the home screen, data arrows inside the Wi-Fi icon in the status bar, and support for the aptX Bluetooth codec to the device. The stable version of Pie is expected to hit the device sometime this month.

September 28, 2018 — Nokia has released the stable version of Android 9.0 Pie for the Nokia 7 Plus. The update comes in at around 1.4GB.

October 4, 2018 — The recently announced Nokia 7.1 will get the Android 9.0 Pie update by the end of November. HMD Global has also confirmed to Android Authority that it plans on rolling out Android Pie to the Nokia 6.1 and 6.1 Plus in the same month, followed by the Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco by the end of 2018.

October 9, 2018 — Juho Sarvikas, Nokia's CPO, took to Twitter to announce that the beta version of Android 9.0 Pie is available for the Nokia 6.1 Plus.

October 11, 2018 — Looks like Nokia plans on speeding things up a bit. The company shared more detailed info on its Pie update schedule (via Android Central), saying that the Nokia 7.1, 6.1 Plus, and 6.1 will get the stable version of Android Pie before the end of October. The previous plan was to release the update sometime in November. The Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco will follow soon after, with the stable version of the OS expected to roll out to the devices in November.

October 30, 2018 — Android 9.0 Pie has started rolling out to the Nokia 6.1, making it the second Nokia device to get the stable version of the OS.

October 31, 2018 — Only a day after upgrading Nokia 6.1 to Android 9.0 Pie, the company started rolling out the update to the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The next devices in line to get the latest version of Android are the Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco.

November 27, 2018 — Nokia's CPO Juho Sarvikas has announced on Twitter that Android Pie is now rolling out to the Nokia 7.1. He also said it's a staged rollout, with some markets getting the update sooner than others.

November 30, 2018 — The Android Pie update for the Nokia 8 has been delayed for a couple of days. The original plan was to release it by the end of November. The news was announced by Nokia's CPO Juho Sarvikas on Twitter, who said there are a "few issues to address" before the update can go live.

December 11, 2018 — Android Pie beta is now available for the Nokia 8. The stable version should be released soon, although a specific date was not announced.

December 19, 2018 — The stable version of Android Pie is now available for the Nokia 8. However, some users note that the update is lacking features like Digital Wellbeing, Adaptive Battery, and App Actions. There's no word on when these will be added to the device.

Nokia's CPO Juho Sarvikas said the next phone in line to get the update is the Nokia 8 Sirocco. He didn't mention when we can expect to see it, though.

December 27, 2018 — Nokia has kicked off the Android 9.0 Pie rollout for the Nokia 5.1 Plus. The update comes in at around 1.2GB and includes new system navigation functionality, Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness, and "predictive application actions" — which sounds like a fancy name for Android Pie's App Actions feature.

Xiaomi Pie update

September 12, 2018 — MIUI 10 Open Beta firmware based on Android Pie is available for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S and Xiaomi Mi 8. The Mi Mix 2S beta can be flashed using recovery or fastboot methods, while the Mi 8 firmware (via XDA-Developers) is currently only available via recovery — so you'll need to unlock your phone's bootloader to install it using TWRP. You can find the download links for both ROMs in our dedicated post at the link.

October 16, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, the stable version of Android 9.0 Pie with MIUI 10 on top is now available for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.

October 26, 2018 — Xiaomi has revealed the phones that will soon receive the Pie update. These include the Mi 8 Screen Fingerprint Edition (known as the Pro model outside China), the Mi 8 SE, and the Mi Max 3, all of which are expected to get the latest version of Android by the end of the year.

October 30, 2018 — Xiaomi has apparently released a closed beta build of Android Pie with MIUI 10 on top for the Pocophone F1 (via XDA-Developers). The open beta is expected to be released by the end of November, while the stable version of the OS should start hitting devices before the year comes to an end.

November 10, 2018 — Xiaomi has released the beta version of Android Pie for the Mi A2 smartphone, which is part of the Android One family — you can download it here. There's no word on when exactly the stable version will be available.

November 16, 2018 — That was fast. Only six days after it released the beta Android Pie update for the Mi A2, Xiaomi started rolling out the stable version of the OS to the smartphone.

November 18, 2018 — As expected, Xiaomi has released the open beta version of Android Pie for the Pocophone F1. The software comes with the company's MIUI 10 skin on top — check out how to install it by reading our dedicated post.

November 27, 2018 — According to users on Google+ and the XDA-Developers forum, the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite has received the Android Pie update.

December 5, 2018 — According to a Google+ user, Xiaomi is rolling out the Android Pie beta update to the Mi A1 smartphone. If true, it's possible that the stable rollout will begin by the end of the year, or very early 2019 at the latest.

December 5, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, Xiaomi is rolling out the stable version of Android Pie to the Mi 8 smartphone.

December 10, 2018 — Xiaomi is rolling out the stable version of Android Pie with MIUI 10 on top to the Pocophone F1. The update comes with the November security patch.

December 10, 2018 — According to multiple reports, Xiaomi is rolling out the stable version of Android Pie to the Mi A1 smartphone — less than a week after the beta version was released.

December 13, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, the global version of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is now getting the Android Pie beta update.

December 21, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, the MIUI 10 Global ROM based on Android Pie is now available for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3. You can download it here.

December 20, 2018 — Xiaomi is pushing another Android 9.0 Pie build to the Mi A1 phones. The stable version released on December 10 apparently caused quite a few issues regarding LTE connectivity for some users, and this update should hopefully fix that. However, some Reddit users are already complaining about missing LTE bands, while others report receiving the update with no issues.

Samsung Pie update

October 20, 2018 — Thanks to a teaser the company posted in the Samsung+ app (via Pocketnow), we have a better idea on when the Android Pie update will be available for devices such as the Galaxy S9. The teaser revealed that the latest version of the OS will start rolling out "early next year." Unfortunately, a more specific time frame was not given.

November 6, 2018 — Samsung has confirmed it will reveal the Android Pie beta software at its developer conference, which starts tomorrow (November 7) and ends a day later. The company is likely to launch the beta program for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus users shortly after.

November 8, 2018 — Samsung will kick off the beta program for the newest iteration of its Android skin called One UI — based on Android Pie — this November in the U.S., Germany, and Korea, followed by more countries in Europe and Asia in the future. The stable version of the software is expected to roll out to the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and Note 9 in January.

November 9, 2018 — Samsung has confirmed to Android Authority that its new One UI Android skin — based on Android Pie — will also come to the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8. These three devices are expected to get the update shortly after it hits the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and Note 9, which is expected to happen in January.

November 15, 2018 — It's official! Samsung has kicked off the One UI beta program for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus owners. The program is currently available in the U.S., South Korea, and potentially a few other countries. You can check out how to sign up at the link.

November 28, 2018 — Samsung has apparently opened up Android Pie beta registrations for the Galaxy Note 9 in the U.S. through the Samsung+ app. However, the company then quickly pulled them. There's no word on why, but there's a chance the Pie beta registration notification in the app appeared by mistake — learn more here.

December 4, 2018 — Samsung has informed Android Authority that Android 9 Pie One UI beta registrations for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 are now open via the Samsung+ app. However, they are only available for the unlocked variant of the device (SM-N960U1). Registrations are limited, so you'll have to hurry up if you want to join the beta program.

December 11, 2018 — Samsung is pushing out a new update to all Samsung Galaxy Note 9 owners beta testing Android 9 Pie. The update has the December 2018 security patch on board along with bug fixes related to things like Night Mode and Samsung Pass — learn more here.

December 24, 2018 — Samsung decided to speed things up and is now rolling out the stable version of Android Pie with One UI on top to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. The update is currently available in Germany, but it should make its way to other markets soon. It comes in at around 1.7GB.

December 24, 2018 — Samsung has updated the Members app with its Android 9 Pie update roadmap, revealing which devices will get the latest version of the OS and when. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will receive Android 9 Pie in January 2019. Even though the update is rolling out to the phones starting today, the carrier variants might not see it for another month. The next phone on the list is the Galaxy Note 9, which looks to receive the Android 9 Pie update in February 2019. It will be followed by the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8, all of which will get bumped up to Android 9 Pie — along with One UI — in March 2019.

The update roadmap also reveals that the Android 9 Pie rollout is expected to go from April 2019 with Samsung's Galaxy A7, A8, A8 Plus, and A9 (2018) through October 2019 with the Galaxy Tab A 10.5. A slew of devices will also get the update between April and October, such as the Galaxy Tab S4 and Galaxy A8 Star — learn more here.

LG Pie update

November 16, 2018 — According to XDA-Developers, LG has released the Android 9.0 Pie update for the G7 One in Canada. The update could also be available in a number of other countries — or will be soon.

November 20, 2018 — LG has kicked off the Android Pie preview program for the G7 ThinQ, but only in South Korea. The company didn't share any details about an international release for the program or when the stable version of the OS will be available.

December 30, 2018 — LG has revealed its update roadmap for the first quarter of 2019 (January – March). The company plans to roll out the latest version of Android to the G7 ThinQ in that time frame, while the V40 ThinQ is only expected to get a performance update. That means the V40 likely won't get Android Pie before Q2 2019.

Asus Pie update

November 20, 2018 — Asus has announced that it will roll out Android Pie to the ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL) at the end of January 2019.

December 9, 2018 — According to an Asus customer service representative, Android 9 Pie for the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is expected to be released by the end of February 2019.

December 18, 2018 — The Android Pie update for the Asus Zenfone 5 is now available (via XDA-Developers). You can download it from the company's website.

December 27, 2018 — It looks like Asus has decided to speed things up. The company is apparently rolling out Android 9.0 Pie to the Asus 5Z, but only in Taiwan. We expect the update to be released globally by the end of January 2019, as originally planned.

Nubia Pie update

November 30, 2018 — Unfortunately, the company has announced that the Nubia Z17 will not be upgraded to Android Pie. Nubia will instead focus its efforts on other devices in its lineup.

Looking back at the Android P beta rollout

Android 9 Pie review app overview recent apps

Google released the first Android P developer preview on March 7, 2018. Following that alpha release, Google revealed the first Android P beta build (developer preview 2) at Google I/O 2018 on May 8, also announcing other non-Pixel devices would be compatible with the Android P beta.

The third Android P preview (beta 2) released June 6, 2018. This build featured the final APIs and official SDK. Following that, the fourth Android P preview launched on July 2, 2018. It included the latest Android security patches as well as some bug fixes and minor tweaks.

Google released the fifth Android P developer preview (beta 4) on July 25. This release candidate build includes final APIs and system behaviors. Google released the final, public version of Android 9.0 Pie on August 6.

You can see an overview of what each build featured:

The Android P beta was available for the following devices:

Additionally, Nokia brought the Android P update (beta) to three of its other phones: the Nokia 6.1, Nokia 7, and Nokia 8 Sirocco, though only in China.


Android 9.0 Pie recent news:

That's everything we know about the Android 9.0 Pie update so far. Did we miss anything? Sound off in the comments!



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Report: Android apps like Trip Advisor, Kayak, and Indeed shared data with Facebook without explicit consent

Facebook doesn't exactly have a pristine reputation, but on a certain level it's surprising nonetheless when a new scandal concerning the social media giant breaks out - after all, just how many more surprises can it manage? The answer, it turns out, is many. A new report put out by campaign group Privacy International found that 20 out of 34 popular Android apps send data to Facebook without asking for permission.

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Report: Android apps like Trip Advisor, Kayak, and Indeed shared data with Facebook without explicit consent was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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T-Mobile offering BOGO deal on Samsung Galaxy Watch starting January 2nd

As we inch closer to 2019, you might be one of the many looking to ring in the new year with some new fitness goals. T-Mobile might be able to help with that. The carrier will start a buy one get one (BOGO) deal on the Samsung Galaxy Watch on January 2nd. You have to sign up for LTE service on the watches, but free is free.

The Galaxy Watch is a Tizen-based wearable that we found to be pretty solid.

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T-Mobile offering BOGO deal on Samsung Galaxy Watch starting January 2nd was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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Google Express picks up over 150 new store partners in December

The holiday shopping season itself may be over, but between returns, gift cards, and spending the cash you got in that card from grandma, it seems that we just can't fully shake the pull of retail. If your end-of-year shopping has you headed online, Google Express is ready with a pile of new storefronts, adding 157 retailers over the course of the past month.

When we last checked in with Google Express, it was adding new partners like Eastern Mountain Sports and Anker.

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Google Express picks up over 150 new store partners in December was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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Amazon Fire TV Cube is $60 (half off) on Woot, today only

If you're heavily invested into Amazon's Alexa-based ecosystem, odds are you eschew a Chromecast in favor of a Fire TV device. So if you'be been looking into picking up one of the more advanced Fire TV Cubes, you're in luck. Woot is slinging them today for a mere $60, which is half-off the original $120 price tag.

Based on Woot's listing, the version being sold isn't the latest model, so it skips out on the redesigned Alexa Voice Remote, but it should otherwise be the same.

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Amazon Fire TV Cube is $60 (half off) on Woot, today only was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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Phones we caught cheating benchmarks in 2018

Smartphone companies cheating benchmarks is a story as old as smartphones themselves. Ever since phones started crunching through Geekbench, AnTuTu, or any other test, manufacturers have been trying to win by any method possible.

We had Gary Sims from Gary Explains walk through why and how OEMs cheat back in February last year, and it appears the process described then is the same today, generously called "benchmark optimization."

So what's happening? Certain companies appear to hardcode their devices to offer maximum possible performance when a benchmark app test is detected.

How is a benchmark identified? Android Authority understands that both app names and detection of performance demands are important — so an app called "Geekbench" that is demanding maximum performance is enough for the smartphone to put aside normal battery life conservation and heat dissipation techniques. It's a complicated area, but what's clear is that there's a difference that can be tested.

This isn't the real life behavior that you get day-in, day-out.

Everything running flat out and pushing past normal limitations isn't the real life behavior that you get day-in, day-out. What's real, and what's not? We worked hard to find out.

What we did to find the number benders

In our Best of Android 2018 testing, we worked with our friends at Geekbench to configure a stealth Geekbench app. We don't know the exact details as to what changed, but we trust Geekbench when they say they cloaked the app. And the results shown in our performance testing prove it.

It might surprise you to know this method caught out at least six different phones, including devices made by Huawei, Honor, Oppo, HTC, and Xiaomi. Not all devices on the list showed cheating behavior during both single-core and multi-core tests; the HTC U12 Plus and Xiaomi Mi 8 only show significant decreases during the multi-core test.

We found up to a 21% discrepancy between the normal benchmark result and the stealth version.

The lowest result identified beyond signal noise was a three percent jump in scores, but we found up to a 21 percent leap in two devices: the Huawei P20 Pro and Honor Play. Hmm!

Here are graphs of the results, showing regular Geekbench scores versus the stealth Geekbench scores from the phones that detected the app and modified their behavior. For reference, we included in the chart below a phone that doesn't appear to be cheating, to give you an idea of what the difference between runs should look like. We picked the Mate 20 from Huawei.

These results are the averages of five benchmark runs, all of which had slight percentage differences, as you see in the Mate 20 detail. Cheaters do best in the regular score (in yellow), and drop back when they don't recognize benchmarking (blue is the stealth result).

First the single core result:


Then the multi-core results:

Look at those drops! Remember, you want the same performance when running any graphics-intensive game, any performance-demanding app, and not just the benchmark app one with the trademark name.

Huawei shows significant discrepancies on the list, but not with the latest Mate 20.

There are some big opportunists on display, along with some smaller discrepancies by the likes of the HTC U12 Plus and the Xiaomi Mi 8.

We also see the Huawei Mate 20 (our reference device) results are fine, despite Huawei/Honor's obvious push to show the best possible benchmark performance on the P20, P20 Pro, and Honor Play. That's likely because Huawei added a setting called Performance Mode on the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. When this setting is toggled on, the phone runs at its full capacity, without any constraints to keep the device cool or save battery life. In other words, the phone treats all apps as benchmark apps. By default, Performance Mode is disabled on the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, and most users will want to keep it disabled in order to get the best experience. Huawei added the option after some of its devices were delisted from the 3DMark benchmark database, following a report from AnandTech.

Moving on, let's take a look at a chart showing which benchmarks results were more heavily inflated, percentage-wise:

As you can see, HTC and Xiaomi played around with small, less than five percent boosts. The P20 range, the Honor Play, and the notably ambitious Oppo R17 Pro (packing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710) put their thumb on the scale much more heavily. Oppo really went for it with the single-core scores.

Cheating is as old as time

These sorts of tests have caught out most manufacturers over the years, or at least brought accusations of cheating, from the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the LG G2 back in 2013, to more recent naughtiness from OnePlus and Meizu. Oppo even spoke with us about why its benchmark results were so artificial in November:

When we detect the user is running applications like games or running 3DMark benchmarks that require high performance, we allow the SoC to run at full speed for the smoothest experience. For unknown applications, the system will adopt the default power optimization strategy.

Oppo's explanation suggests it can detect apps that "require high performance," but when the app isn't given a benchmark-related name and is given some stealth updates, those same apps no longer appear to require the same special treatment. That means you better hope Oppo can detect the game you want to play at maximum performance, or you'll get a drop in grunt of up to 25 percent on the Oppo R17 Pro, at least.

But not everyone cheats

During Best of Android 2018, we tested 30 of the most powerful and modern Android devices. The devices we talked about above cheated, but that still leaves 24 devices that fought fair and square. Besides our reference device, the Mate 20 (and the Mate 20 Pro), the list includes the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Sony Xperia XZ2, Vivo X21, LG G7 ThinQ, Google Pixel 3 XL, OnePlus 6T, and the Xiaomi Mi A2, to name a few.

The inclusion of the OnePlus 6T on the "nice list" is worth highlighting — last year, the company was caught gaming Geekbench and other benchmark apps. Fortunately, OnePlus seems to have abandoned the practice. Along with Huawei's addition of Performance Mode as a user-accessible toggle, this makes us hopeful that fewer and fewer OEMs will resort to shady tactics when it comes to benchmarks.

Benchmarks are getting smarter: Speed Test G

We've known for some time that benchmarks don't tell us the full story, and that's where "real-world" tests come in. These followed the idea you could start smartphones, run through the same apps, load in and load out, and test which ones would do best over a given set of app runs and loops through a controlled process. The problem with these kinds of tests is that they are fundamentally flawed, as Gary Sims has pointed out in great detail.

Speed Test G, featuring the 2018 OnePlus phones.

Speed Test G getting to work with Gary Sims

That's why our own Gary Sims created Speed Test G, a specially crafted Android app that offers a more genuine and realistic real-world set of problems and tests that importantly cannot be gamed. It's already showing amazing results and clearing up lots of confusion about what makes a phone "fast" or "powerful" — for example, the OnePlus 6, 6T and 6T McLaren Edition (with more RAM than the rest) all returned the exact same Speed Test G result.

That's because all three devices fundamentally have the same internals, except for the additional RAM. While extra RAM might sound nice, it doesn't actually solve many performance problems. Gary's test doesn't perform the traditional app reload cycle (where more RAM typically shows its value) because the Linux kernel's RAM management algorithm is complex, which means it hard to measure reliably.

You have to wonder: how many apps does the average user need to keep in RAM, and for how long? Of course, that won't stop Lenovo from bringing out a phone in less than a month with 12GB of RAM. Save some for the rest of us!

In any case, we're greatly appreciative of our friends at Geekbench for helping us with a stealth benchmark app to ensure we found the truest results possible.



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Louis Vuitton's Tambour Horizon watch receives a Snapdragon Wear 3100 and an upgraded screen

It seems like every luxury brand has a Wear OS watch offering these days, and Louis Vuitton is one of them. According to Engadget, the designer has updated its Tambour Horizon watch with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Wear 3100, as well as a handful of other improvements for the new year.

The highlight here is the Wear 3100, which puts battery life as its number-one priority. Louis Vuitton claims that the watch can now last for a full day (wow!) and six days in total if it's just being used to show time.

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Louis Vuitton's Tambour Horizon watch receives a Snapdragon Wear 3100 and an upgraded screen was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



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