Motorola One Fusion+, Motorola Edge, and Moto G7 Power Android 10 kernel source code are now available

Motorola has a fantastic track record when it comes to publishing the kernel source code for the smartphones they sell. The Lenovo-owned brand also regularly refreshes its official GitHub repository with updated kernel source code packages corresponding to new Android software builds alongside the relevant commit history. The kernel sources of two recently launched Motorola phones, the Motorola One Fusion+ and the Motorola Edge, are now up for grabs. The company has also released the kernel source code for the Moto G7 Power’s Android 10 update.

Motorola One Fusion+

The Motorola One Fusion+ (code-name “liber”) packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chip and a 6.5-inch Total Vision display with full HD+ resolution and HDR10 support. This mid-range Moto phone runs Android 10 out of the box, and it features a 64MP primary camera, a massive 5,000mAh battery, and a dedicated Google Assistant button. The latest software version for this phone is QPI30.73-16-5-2, while the initial version of the kernel source is based on a slightly older build (QPI30.73-16-5).

Motorola One Fusion+ Kernel Sources ||| Motorola One Fusion+ XDA Forums

Motorola Edge

Unlike the One Fusion+, the Motorola Edge is a 5G capable device, thanks to the Snapdragon 765 SoC. The kernel source code for the “Plus” variant of the Motorola Edge (code-name “burton”) was released about a month ago, and now we have the package ready for the regular model (code-name “racer”) as well.

Motorola Edge Kernel Sources ||| Motorola Edge XDA Forums

Moto G7 Power

Alongside these releases, Motorola has also published updated kernel sources for the Moto G7 Power (code-name “ocean”). The company originally released the Android Pie-based kernel source code for this phone back in February of 2019. The new release, on the other hand, corresponds to the Android 10 update for the Moto G7 Power that came out a few months ago.

Moto G7 Power Android 10 Kernel Sources ||| Moto G7 Power XDA Forums

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Unofficial LineageOS 17.1 brings Android 10 to the 2018 Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon’s Fire series of tablets may provide a lot of value, but the company cut a lot of corners to achieve those price tags. Take for example the Amazon Fire HD 8 – the 2018 edition was launched with Fire OS 6 (based on Android Nougat!), but the tablet has yet to receive a single major OS update. While you can sideload Google Play Services as well as Google Play Store onto the device and disable a bunch of software-imposed limitations, Amazon’s custom Android software falls short in numerous instances that are simply not possible to patch. Luckily, you can unlock the bootloader of the Fire HD 8 (2018) using an exploit and subsequently install TWRP, which means the Fire OS can be replaced with a close-to-stock version of Android.

Amazon Fire HD 8 XDA Forums

XDA Recognized Developer Kaijones23 has been compiling unofficial LineageOS builds for the 2018’s Fire HD 8 for a while, and now he has come up with the first Android 10-based LineageOS 17.1 ROM for this tablet. Keep in mind that the MediaTek MT8163 chip inside the Fire HD 8 is no powerhouse and hardware-backed decoding is currently broken in the ROM, so you might face occasional lags. Despite the SoC being 64-bit capable, the Android OS on this model is running in 32-bit mode. As a result, you have to opt for ARM variants of Google apps packages after flashing the ROM.

According to the developer, the current iteration of LineageOS 17.1 for the tablet should be treated as beta builds. While most of the features are working, the ROM still needs to be polished a bit before it’s recommended for use as a daily driver. The kernel source code and the device tree used to build this ROM are hosted on GitHub so other developers can submit patches and fix existing bugs. Nevertheless, if you still want to try out Android 10 on the 2018 Fire HD 8, you can head over to the XDA thread linked below to find the installation instructions and download links.

Unofficial LineageOS 17.1 for the 2018 Amazon Fire HD 8 — XDA Thread

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“Red Velvet Cake” is Android 11’s internal dessert name

Last year, with the launch of Android 10, Google’s tradition of giving major Android releases a dessert nickname came to an end. Up until that point we had feasted on cupcakes, donuts, eclairs, froyo, gingerbread, honeycomb, ice cream sandwiches, jelly beans, KitKats, lollipops, marshmallows, Oreos, and Pie. But what dessert could have been used for Android 11? Red Velvet Cake.

Last year, Android’s vice-president of engineering, Dave Burke, revealed that their internal nickname for Android 10 was “Quince Tart.” While the dessert names stopped being used for public releases, Google was still internally using them. Dave Burke has once again revealed an internal dessert nickname. Google is referring too Android 11 as “RVC” or “Red Velvet Cake.”

Don’t get your hopes up and expect to see “Red Velvet Cake” in any public branding, though. Burke says they’ve officially moved to numbers only, but “RVC” and “Red Velvet Cake” have become the nickname for Android 11 among his team of engineers. A cake nickname would be perfect right now as the internet is obsessed with hyper-realistic cake memes. Missed opportunity.

Do you think “Red Velvet Cake” would have been a good nickname for Android 11?

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Source: All About Android | Via: Android Authority

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Corning announces Gorilla Glass Victus with 2m drop protection and twice the scratch resistance

Smartphone design has gone through several major trends. Plastic was a common choice for back covers for a while (and still is widely used). Metal became popular in “premium” smartphones for a short time, but due to a variety of reasons, glass is now the top choice. The vast majority of high-end (and even many mid-range) phones feature glass on the front and back. It’s important that this glass is durable, which is where Corning’s Gorilla Glass comes in.

Gorilla Glass is a very popular choice for smartphone displays and back covers. Corning has released a number of different versions of Gorilla Glass, each with its own unique benefits and weaknesses. The latest version is Gorilla Glass 6 and it’s been in use since late 2018. Corning has announced a new version, called Gorilla Glass Victus, that it claims double the scratch resistance of GG6 and has 2-meter drop protection.

Before we get to Victus, let’s talk about Gorilla Glass 7. If you’ve been following the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 leaks, you’ve heard that the Ultra model will feature Gorilla Glass 7. It appears that Victus is the successor to Gorilla Glass 6, though the “Gorilla Glass 7” name could still be used. Corning felt the advances of Victus warranted a brand new name.

So let’s talk about those advances. If you’re a glass nerd you know that Corning’s scratch protection has stagnated for several years, but that’s finally changing with Gorilla Glass Victus. It scratches between 7-10 Newtons. That unit may not mean much to you, but what’s important is previous generations and competitors scratch between 2-4 Newtons.

In terms of drop protection, Gorilla Glass 6 can survive multiple drops from 1.6-meters. Victus can withstand multiple drops from 2-meters. That’s not a huge improvement, but it is something. Considering most Gorilla Glass releases focus on either drop protection or scratch resistance, it’s great to see Victus improves on both.

As mentioned, Gorilla Glass 7 has been mentioned alongside the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Corning says manufacturers will deliver devices with Victus in the second half of 2020. Samsung will be the first manufacturer to ship a device with Victus, which is highly likely to be the Note 20 Ultra. Other manufacturers will be announced soon. We should see Victus in plenty of smartphones and wearables later this year and next year.

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Source: Corning | Via: Android Authority

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MediaTek announces the Dimensity 720, another mid-range SoC with integrated 5G

MediaTek launched the Dimensity 1000, its first SoC in the 5G Dimensity SoC series, back in November 2019. The Dimensity 1000 in its original form interestingly hasn’t made its way to any shipping device yet, but the Dimensity 1000L—a lower binned version of the chip—did make its way to the Chinese OPPO Reno3. The Dimensity 1000’s announcement was followed by the announcements of the mid-range Dimensity 800 and the Dimensity 820 at CES 2020 and in May 2020 respectively, while the Dimensity 1000 received a refresh in the form of the 144Hz-supporting Dimensity 1000 Plus, which made its way into the iQOO Z1. Now, MediaTek has extended the Dimensity series by launching the first SoC in the Dimensity 700 in the form of the Dimensity 720. This is another mid-range SoC with an integrated 5G modem, but as expected, it cuts down on its core specifications compared to the Dimensity 800 series.

CPU, GPU, and Memory

The Dimensity 720 is manufactured on a 7nm process. It has two ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2GHz and six ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2GHz. The 2+6 CPU core configuration here is a step downward from the Dimensity 800, which had a 4+4 core configuration. The Dimensity 720 skips out on two big cores and opts to go with six little cores instead. The SoC doesn’t feature ARM’s Cortex-A77 core, which is disappointing to see considering that Qualcomm’s newly announced Snapdragon 690 does feature the newer, faster Cortex-A77.

In terms of the GPU, MediaTek is going with ARM’s Mali-G57MC3. The Mali-G57 is a narrower variant of the flagship Mali-G77. The three GPU cores here means that GPU performance will be serviceable, but it won’t challenge flagship SoCs anytime soon. The Dimensity 1000L, for example, has the Mali-G77MC9 GPU, 3x the amount of GPU cores. The chip supports 2133MHz LPDDR4X memory (with up to 12GB of RAM) and UFS 2.2-class storage, skipping out on UFS 3.0 and above.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, MediaTek says the Dimensity 720 is integrated with the “most power-efficient 5G modem in its class”. It’s built with MediaTek 5G Ultrasave technology that uses both network and content awareness intelligence to manage the modem’s operating mode in real-time to extend battery life. It supports 2CC CA, Voice over New Radio (VoNR), 5G and 4G dual SIM, dual standby (DSDS). It also supports both NSA (non-standalone) and SA (standalone) sub-6GHz 5G networks.

Display

The Dimensity 720 supports Full HD+ (2520×1080) 90Hz high frame-rate displays (HFR), which is fast becoming a popular feature even in the lower mid-range segment. Unfortunately, 120Hz displays aren’t supported. In terms of video streaming capabilities, the SoC supports MiraVision HDR10+ video playback.

Cameras and AI

The chip supports up to 64MP cameras at 22fps, or 20MP+16MP dual cameras at 30fps. It has a range of AI camera enhancements that are powered by the integrated AI Processing Unit (APU), which is MediaTek’s term for NPU. It also features Integrated Voice Wakeup (VoW) to minimize power consumption of always-on voice assistants as well as dual mic noise suppression so that voice assistants can hear users more clearly in noisy environments.

The Dimensity 720 will probably show up in lower mid-range phones and act as a competitor to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690. It has a disadvantage in CPU core architecture, while the GPU may be closely matched. Qualcomm has another advantage of being able to get more design wins, as with half of 2020 completed, we have seen few phones adopt MediaTek’s Dimensity SoCs, even those that are promising on paper. The Redmi 10X with the Dimensity 820 SoC has a great value proposition, for instance, but it’s available only in China. Let’s see how MediaTek’s SoCs are adopted in the latter half of the year. To learn more about the SoC, readers can visit MediaTek’s website.

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Source: MediaTek

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The Samsung Galaxy S20 will support storing German national ID cards later this year

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled earlier this year in February, is the first smartphone series from the company to feature an embedded Secure Element (eSE). The devices use the eSE to store critical information like crypto-currency data, fingerprints, face scans, login credentials, etc. and it also includes extra countermeasures to protect against hackers, malware, and viruses. Adding on to the eSE’s capabilities, Samsung has now announced that the Galaxy S20 series will soon offer an innovative electronic ID (eID) solution to help German users store their National ID cards on their phone for easier access.

Samsung worked with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Bundesdruckerei (bdr), and Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH to develop a holistic security architecture for the new eID solution. The eID solution is part of the German government’s OPTIMOS 2.0 project which seeks to develop an open ecosystem that provides technologies and infrastructure for secure online authentication using mobile devices.

Once the eID solution rolls out, Galaxy S20 users will be able to easily digitize their government ID via a multi-party registration process that is designed to protect against identity theft. The registration process will require an eID app which will be available for download on the Google Play Store later this year. The app, which will be distributed by Bundesdruckerei, will let users tap their NFC-enabled National ID card on the back of their device to verify their identity. Once verified, the mobile eID will be stored securely on their smartphone and can be used to open bank accounts, use eGovernment services, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series is the first line of mobile devices to offer such capabilities. However, since Samsung has revealed that it will be selling its first and second-gen Secure Element chips to other OEMs, we expect to see more devices get support for the eID solution in the near future.

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Source: Samsung Mobile Press (1,2)

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Amazon Alexa will soon be able to open Android apps with voice commands

In a bid to improve the Alexa experience on mobile, Amazon recently enabled a new hands-free experience on the Alexa app for iOS and Android. But even with the new feature, Amazon Alexa isn’t nearly as well integrated with mobile operating systems as the Google Assistant or Siri. For instance, the hands-free experience released recently isn’t entirely hands-free, as it requires you to unlock your phone and open the Alexa app before you can issue a voice command. Another shortcoming you might face while using Alexa on mobile is that it can’t open apps using voice commands. But that might change soon.

According to a recent report from The Verge, Amazon is currently working on a new feature for the Alexa app which will allow users to open both Android and iOS apps using voice commands. A preview of the feature, called Alexa for Apps, has already started rolling out and the company is working with select app developers to further improve its capabilities.

The app integration will allow Amazon Alexa to perform complex tasks like opening Twitter and searching for a hashtag with just a voice command. The results will then show up on your device, instead of being read out loud. According to Amazon, it will also let users do things like record a hands-free video by asking Alexa to launch TikTok and start a hands-free video recording.

Amazon hopes that such app integrations could help Alexa get on par with the Google Assistant and Siri on mobile devices, however, there’s a major hurdle in the way. App integrations like these will require Amazon to work with app developers to enable support for the new feature on their app or reorient existing Alexa skills to work with the new app launching format. This is exactly why Amazon is currently rolling out the new feature in preview form, before releasing it more widely as a beta.

Along with the new app integration, Amazon has also announced a beta for a more capable conversational AI model for Alexa, which will allow users to talk more naturally to the assistant, and updates to the technology used to build Alexa experiences, which are expected to enable improved audio apps and offer better browser-based Alexa games. Furthermore, Amazon is launching a skill resumption feature that will let users pause and resume a task, and also check with Alexa on the task’s progress. And lastly, the company has showcased a beta feature called quick links, which will let developers launch Alexa skills from mobile apps, websites, and ads.

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Source: Amazon

Via: The Verge

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