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Developers port Android 10 to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Redmi 6 Pro, OnePlus 5/5T, LG V30, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
Android 10 custom ROMs are now available for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Redmi 6 Pro, OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T, LG V30 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e! Check it out
Android 10 updates are now underway for several devices, either officially or unofficially. The latest version of Android was officially released early this month, and if you have a recent Pixel, OnePlus or Xiaomi device, then you may already be running the latest and greatest from Google. If you haven't yet, then an update may be underway and is set to come to your phone in the near future. Of course, custom ROMs are also an option, especially if you have a relatively older device. And custom ROMs based on Android 10 have started to pop up all across our forums. Now, the latest devices receiving unofficial Android 10 updates include the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Redmi 6 Pro, the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 5T, the LG V30, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e.
LG V30 is now getting the Android 9 Pie update
The LG V30 is now getting an Android 9 Pie update, and it's likely to be the last major update that this particular device will receive.
Despite LG pushed the fact that they had launched a software update center early last year, with many getting excited to finally receive quick updates for their LG devices. That didn't happen though, as devices have still consistently been slow to get updates to Android Pie. LG's mobile division has been losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The only reason why LG is able to continue manufacturing smartphones is thanks to the profits from its display (TV) and appliance divisions. Still, the two-year-old LG V30 is finally getting an update to Android 9 Pie according to users on both Reddit and our own forums, not too long before Android Q is scheduled to release.
[Update: US unlocked] An early Android 9 Pie beta also leaks for the LG V30
We don't have an official rollout announcement just yet, but an early Android Pie beta build recently leaked for the LG V30.
We've been focusing a lot on the many new features that are making their way to Android 10, but there are millions of devices that have yet to receive an update to Android 9 Pie yet. Back in April of this year, it was reported that the LG V30, LG V35, and LG V40 would all be receiving the update to Android Pie within the next three months. We don't have an official rollout announcement just yet, but an early beta build recently leaked for the LG V30.
LG V30, V35, and V40 are expected to get Android Pie within 3 months
LG's latest software update schedule includes the LG V30, LG V35 and LG V40 for Android Pie within Q2 2019. Kernel sources for the V35 also released.
Android Pie was publicly released all the way back in August of 2018 (exactly 242 days ago). Most major Android OEMs have since treated their flagships and mid-range devices with Android Pie, and some have even rolled out the updates to even cheaper devices. LG has been abysmal in this regard as their update plans for Android 9 only featured the LG G7 for Q1 2019. Most LG G7 ThinQ owners are still waiting for the update and only the LG G7 One (Android One) and the LG G8 (launched with Android Pie) are on the latest public version of Android. LG has finally posted their update plans for Q2 2019, and thankfully, some more flagships like the LG V30, LG V35, and the LG V40 have been listed for this period.
Chrome OS Instant Tethering now supports 15 more Chromebooks and 30 more Android smartphones
Chrome OS has a feature called Instant Tethering, but it has been limited to Google's own Chromebooks and phones. Now Google is bringing it to more devices.
Chromebooks are known for being lightweight and easy to use. This makes Chrome OS devices perfect for on-the-go computing. While we already carry smartphones that can connect to the internet at all times, most people don't want a separate data plan for their laptop. Chrome OS has made this easy with a feature called Instant Tethering, but it has been limited to Google's own Chromebooks and phones. Now, Google is bringing the feature to more devices.
This Magisk Module offers a lot of LG UX tweaks for the LG V30
"AnxiousV30" from XDA Senior Member TotallyAnxious is a Magisk Module that includes a lot of various tweaks and mods for LG V30 owners.
Magisk Modules are a simple way to apply system-level mods to your device without having to get your hands dirty and make changes to your system files manually. All you have to do is download the module, activate it through the Magisk Manager application, and then reboot your device for the changes to go into effect. Most modules focus on adding one feature or changing one thing on your device but there are some that include a collection of mods for a specific device or firmware.
Enable DTS 3D Stereo sound on all LG V30 variants [Root]
The LG V30 update that was rolled out in November mentioned the addition of DTS 3D Stereo. This mod enabled it on all variants of the device.
There are a number of cases where an OEM is using hardware in their device but then goes in and uses the software to limit its capabilities. The enthusiast community here at XDA is well known for bypassing these restrictions, but then there's a case like LG. They have added (and even mentioned the addition of a feature in an OTA changelog) but ended up messing up the initial implementation of a feature. This seems to have happened with the LG V30 variants and their DTS 3D Stereo sound.
Enable all lockscreen weather effects on the LG G7 and LG V30 [Root]
XDA Senior Member pittvandewitt found a different way to enable all the lockscreen weather effects on the LG G7 and LG V30.
LG phones have a unique feature that displays weather effects on the lock screen of their smartphone. Most OEMs will just use a small icon next to the time or date, but LG takes things a step further and actually adds full visual effects to whatever lock screen image you have chosen. Over the years there have been mods that let you add more weather effects to their device (by modding their LGKeyguardEffect.apk), but XDA Senior Member pittvandewitt found a different way of doing things on the LG G7 ThinQ and LG V30.
Google Camera with Night Sight ported to the LG G6, V20, V30, and V35
We now have a Google Camera port (which includes support for Night Sight) for the LG G6, LG V20 LG V30, and the LG V35 ThinQ.
At the tail end of last month, we announced a dedicated forum for all of the Google Camera ports we had been seeing from the generous developer community. The forum has only been open for a couple of weeks so it looks a bit bare right now, but activity is picking up and some LG smartphone owners are having their chance in the spotlight. The Google Camera has made massive improvements to a lot of smartphones and now we have a port (which includes support for Night Sight) for the LG G6, LG V20 LG V30, and the LG V35 ThinQ.
Enable Call Recording on the LG V30 running Android 8.0 Oreo [Root]
The LG V30 has a hidden call recording feature in the stock dialer app that can only be activated if you're rooted and on Android 8.0 Oreo.
Call recording is a big feature for many people who routinely place calls for business purposes. It might be illegal in some places or require both parties to consent, which is why the feature isn't available on all devices. Luckily, some great devs were able to enable it for the LG V30 running Android 8.0 Oreo.
T-Mobile LG V30 has been rooted, but the procedure is risky
One developer community member has worked hard to keep this possible and their latest work shows us how to gain root access to the T-Mobile LG V30.
LG Mobile has been losing millions of dollars every year and the way they are locking down certain carrier devices isn't helping them when it comes to the enthusiast crowd. Older LG devices sold at wireless carriers in the United States were locked down like normal, but the T-Mobile variants had bootloaders that were easy to unlock. This stopped with the T-Mobile LG G5. While you could unlock the bootloader and boot into fastboot mode, none of the commands worked that let you install TWRP for root and custom ROM purposes. One developer community member has worked hard to keep this possible and their latest work shows us how to gain root access to the T-Mobile LG V30.
Testing Fortnite Mobile on Android's performance: Can your device handle Fortnite?
Fortnite Mobile on Android is here for devices with the Snapdragon 820/821, 835, 845, & Kirin 970. We tested the game's performance!
Just as Epic Games promised would happen, the free-to-play battle royale game 'Fortnite' finally became available last week. For the first 3 days of its release, the game was limited the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab S3, and Galaxy Tab S4. We expected a much longer exclusivity period, possibly limited to just the Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4, but it turns out the exclusive content is just a free skin and 15,000 V-Bucks (the in-game currency.) Now that the game is officially available for non-Samsung devices, we decided to do some quick gameplay tests on as many supported devices as we could and capture the performance data thanks to help from our friends at GameBench. We tested several devices with most of the supported chipsets—that being the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Snapdragon 835, Snapdragon 845, Kirin 970, and Exynos 8895—just to get a feel for how well Fortnite Mobile on Android performs on most current Android smartphones.
OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8, Galaxy Note 9, & more are YouTube Signature Devices
YouTube has launched the YouTube Signature program. The Galaxy Note 9, OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8, and more YouTube Signature Devices for the best experience.
Earlier today, Samsung stated that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a YouTube Signature Device at the Unpacked event. YouTube has now launched a new Device Report website, where the company lists phones that have a best-in-class YouTube experience. The company states that its teams conducts "rigorous testing," and it also works with manufacturers to improve video playback performance.
How to check if your Android phone is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile
Are you wondering if your Android smartphone or tablet is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile? We have the detailed hardware compatibility list to check!
Fortnite, the massively popular free-to-play battle royale game, is coming soon to Android. Epic Games said the game would launch this summer but we now know that the game will likely launch as an exclusive on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. It won't be on the Google Play Store (but possibly on Samsung Galaxy Apps) as the game will be distributed from Epic Games' website. If you're wondering whether your Android smartphone or tablet is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile on Android, we have put together a comprehensive list of software and hardware requirements based on a configuration file we obtained from a leaked build of the Android app.
Mysterious new LG flagship with POLED notched display, Google Assistant button, and Snapdragon 845 appears online
A new LG flagship device with a POLED display, notch, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 appears online. Could it be the LG V40?
While much of the attention is centered around the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch and the long-awaited Fortnite Mobile on Android unveiling, the other Korean technology giant, LG, is quietly working on their own flagship smartphone—the LG V40 ThinQ. The upcoming flagship smartphone will reportedly have a total of five cameras—three on the rear and two on the front—and will launch a month after the Galaxy Note 9. Now, another mysterious new LG smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip has appeared. We're not 100% sure what this flagship device will be released as, but we've put together as much information as we can on it to try and figure that out.
Download the best Google Camera port for your Android device
The Google Camera Port Hub is a centralized location where you can go to find a working port for your device. Currently, the hub has over 40 devices listed.
One of the best developments in the Android community in recent years has been Google Camera ports. The Google Pixel's picture-taking ability is spectacular, even though the camera hardware may be better on other devices. A lot of the Google Pixel's photo magic comes from the Google Camera app. Features like HDR+ and portrait mode make the camera really shine. A vibrant community of developers and users has sprung up to bring these features to as many devices as possible.
These smartphones will support Fortnite Mobile on Android
Fortnite Mobile on Android launches soon. Epic Games' website confirms that 40 devices will be supported at launch. Here are the devices it'll support.
Fortnite Mobile on Android is a long-awaited upcoming release of an already massively popular game. Since launching on Apple iOS, users of Android smartphones and tablets have been wondering when Fortnite would launch on their devices too. The Android release has apparently been delayed as we recently reported that it will be launching as an exclusive with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. This exclusivity will supposedly last 30 days. After 30 days, Fortnite Mobile on Android will become available for all supported Android devices. If you're wondering if your device will be supported, we've got the list of supported Android devices taken straight from Epic Games' own website.
LG G7 ThinQ Mini Review: A Great Camera and Beautiful Design Still Can't Help LG Stand Out
The LG G7 ThinQ is the company’s first big flagship phone for 2018. Let's take a look at the device's camera, design, and software.
The LG G7 ThinQ is the company’s first big flagship phone for 2018. In theory, the G series is supposed to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S9, but LG hasn’t had much luck in recent years. The company even talked about slowing down their phone release cycle. Despite the doom and gloom, the LG G7 ThinQ is here. The device is more of the same from LG: a solid phone that takes some chances, but ultimately will suffer the same fate as previous LG phones.
The AT&T LG V35 ThinQ is an LG G7 with an OLED screen but no notch
The LG V35 ThinQ has popped up on our radar a few times in the last couple of months. Today, LG has made the device official.
The LG V35 ThinQ has popped up on our radar a few times in the last couple of months. Today, LG has made the device official. The previous reports were all true: it has an OLED display without a display notch and it's exclusive to AT&T. This is the third V Series phone LG has launched in less than a year, and they all look basically the same.
Android Oreo update for the LG V30/V30+ accidentally allows unsupported models to unlock the bootloader
The Android Oreo update for the LG V30/V30+ accidentally allows for unsupported models to have their bootloaders unlocked.
The community had mixed feelings about the LG V30 as many were hoping the company would stick with the secondary screen the series had become known for. Others were also upset that LG went with a design style that makes the device look so similar to others on the market. That being said, the LG V30 is regarded by some in the community to be the best smartphone of 2017 with its only drawback being LG's bootloader unlock process. However, XDA Member TxanMoe stumbled on a method that allows us to unlock the bootloader of unsupported LG V30 models such as some U.S. carrier versions.