Xiaomi Mi A3 receives official Android 11 update, but you should wait

Xiaomi has begun rolling out a stable Android 11 update to the Mi A3. The update weighs in at 1.4GB in size and brings along a jump to Android 11, among other improvements. XDA Member maciej.mackiewicz received the Android 11 update notification on his Mi A3 earlier today, and it should be rolling out to more devices in the coming days. However, early reports suggest that all may not entirely be well with the update, so we suggest you wait for a few more days.

The update packs in all the standard Andriod 11 goodies, including support for Chat Bubbles, smart device controls, new media controls, one-time permissions, wireless Android Auto support, conversation notifications, and a whole lot more.  To learn about everything that’s new in Android 11, check out this article.

The changelog for Mi A3’s Android 11 update:

• Improved Notification shade
• Conversation bubbles
• Better permissions management
• Improved DND

The Android 11 update has started seeding to Mi A3 users; however, as it’s usually the case with staged OTA rollouts, it might take some time before it’s available for all devices. If you haven’t received the update notification yet, you can head to Settings > System > System update and click on “Check for update” to see if it’s available for you to download (though we advise not doing so at this stage).

According to early reports from several users, the Android 11 update is hard bricking devices.

@XiaomiIndia Today received A11 update to my Mi A3 and after installing it and restarting the device, phone is completely dead. Neither it is charging nor switching on. What the hell is this? My phone is completely dead on new year eve.@XiaomiSupport @manukumarjain

— Mohammad Mahefooz (@Mahefooz) December 31, 2020

Users who have accepted the update now find themselves in the unfortunate situation where their phone is not responding at all. Since the update is fresh, there’s not a whole lot of information on what exactly has happened, nor any solution available for users who are stuck in this situation.

This isn’t the first time that the Mi A3’s update has had issues. Earlier this year, one update broke dual-SIM functionality on the phone. Xiaomi went on to roll a bug fix later on. In this case, since the apparent damage appears to be a dead phone prima facie, we advise users to wait for a few days.

Xiaomi Mi A3 XDA Forums

The Mi A3 was launched with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box and was eventually updated to Android 10 earlier this year in February. The Android 11 update will most likely be the last update to the device. However, it should continue to receive security updates for one more year. As an Android One device, the Mi A3 offers a near-stock Android experience, standing in stark contrast to Xiaomi’s other product lineups running a highly customized MIUI skin.

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Realme opens up Android 11 betas for Realme X2 Pro, Realme 7, Realme Narzo 20 Pro, and Realme 6 Pro

The Android 11 rollout is in full swing, with the likes of Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi rolling out the latest version of Android to their mid-range and budget smartphones. Now just as we say goodbye to 2020, Realme is joining the Android 11 party with Realme UI 2.0 betas for four smartphones. The company has announced the Android 11 beta program for the Realme 6 Pro, Realme 7, Realme X2 Pro, and Realme Narzo 20 Pro.

This is in line with Realme’s update roadmap, according to which all four devices were slated to receive a Realme UI 2.0 beta with Android 11 in December 2020. If you own a Realme 7, Realme X2 Pro, or Narzo 20 Pro, you can participate in the beta program by filling in a Google form. At the time of writing this article, the beta program was no longer accepting new applicants. But you can still go ahead and visit the link below for your respective device to see if more seats have opened up in the meantime.

Realme 7 Android 11 Beta || Realme X2 Pro Android 11 Beta || Realme Narzo Android 11 Beta

The Realme 6 Pro users, on the other hand, can apply for the early access program right from their phone; go to Settings > Software update > tap on the gear icon in the top right corner > select Trial Version > fill in your details and tap Apply Now. After successful submission, you will receive the beta software via an OTA.

Do note that this beta software is not meant for average users as it will likely contain bugs and instabilities. If, at any point, you wish to leave the beta program, you can return to the stable channel by flashing the rollback package for your device.

Realme 6 Pro Android 11 Beta

The early access program is currently limited to the Indian variants only. Realme hasn’t revealed any timeframe regarding the stable release of Android 11 for these devices yet. But now that the update is already under beta testing, the final public release shouldn’t be too far.

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LG Wing update brings much-needed improvements to the Second Screen experience

The release of the LG Wing has been nothing short of a spectacle for LG. LG’s smartphone business needed some changes, and we’re seeing that in the complete revamp of their lineup throughout 2020 with phones like the LG Velvet. But it’s not enough to just make decent phones — they need to innovate if they want to stay relevant. The LG Wing shows that the company is not afraid to still innovate even if those innovations end up being treated like gimmicks. The device is part of LG’s Explorer project, an initiative the South Korean tech giant is undertaking to design devices that offer distinctive experiences. The Wing has two screens: A main 6.8″ screen with a pretty standard rectangular aspect ratio and a second 3.9″ screen with a nearly square aspect ratio. And if you have one on Verizon in the U.S., we have good news: an OTA update is coming to your device!

The device’s slide-out display provides for a very weird, yet interesting form factor, as this secondary display can be useful for a number of things like multitasking and providing additional functionality to an app. The Snapdragon 765G behind the scenes should provide plenty of power, even when taking into account the price point compared to other devices in this range (LG is not providing amazing value here, for what it’s worth, but it’s not bad considering the innovative form factor). Since this is not a form factor we usually see on Android phones (as a matter of fact, it’s the only Android phone designed in such a way), we weren’t surprised to see a few quirks that need some post-release tweaking to address. So the newest software update that’s rolling out now adds a few new features to address these quirks.

One of these little quirks with the LG Wing’s software has been the inability to swap apps between screens. LG’s previous dual-screen phones, such as the LG Velvet, offered a swap button to do just that, but the LG Wing didn’t. At least, that is, until now. The latest software update adds a Fetch/Send button and a 3 finger gesture to move an app from one screen to another. Another new useful enhancement is the ability to see app/widget/folder names on the home screen of the Second Screen — this will make it easier to pick what apps you want to launch on the Second Screen. Lastly, the Wing will now show media controls on the second screen when you don’t have an app already opened, so you can control playback without interrupting your viewing experience.

LG Wing Forums

This update, with version number F100VM10d, is now rolling out in waves to LG Wing users on Verizon, and we expect it to hit devices very soon. As of publication, we haven’t received the update on our own LG Wing unit. This update also comes with a couple of other tweaks, including the ability to scan QR codes in the camera app, a new 5G icon, a new wallpaper, a quick preview bubble guide in the camera app, and more, so play around with the new features and let us know what you think!

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Some ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 owners are having issues with HD playback in Netflix

Some owners of the ASUS ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7/7 Pro have discovered that their devices have lost Widevine L1 status. As a result, they’re unable to play Netflix content in HD.

Users have taken to ASUS’ forums to voice their complaints. Seems the issue has persisted over several weeks now with no signs of going away.

Widevine is a DRM technology used by many streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to ensure that these services are being used by devices with unmodified and secure firmware.

Without Widevine L1 status, users are unable to stream videos from Netflix above 540p quality. Unfortunately, due to a bug in the SoC firmware of the ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 (both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865), the Widevine DRM level is being downgraded from L1 to L3 for a handful of users. The only way to fix this, according to ASUS, is for the affected users to ship their devices to ASUS so they can re-provision them.

ASUS released a statement regarding the issue:

“Asus is aware of this issue which affect a small number of users and is caused by a bug from our SOC vendor Qualcomm,” ASUS said. “If this has happened we urge you to contact Asus customer service in your region.”

Some users in the forums have stated that after getting their phone fixed, the issue has reared its head again.

“I have this issue happened to me after that service center resolved my issue but the issue happened to me AGAIN today,” user yashpandya295 said in the ASUS forums. “So I have to visit service center again.”

For what it’s worth, we checked our ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 review units and our Widevine level hasn’t been downgraded. To check your own Widevine DRM level, download the DRM Info app.

DRM Info (Free, Google Play) →

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The OnePlus 8 Pro is $200 off again, so don’t miss out on this hefty discount a second time

That’s right, November’s great sale on the OnePlus 8 Pro is available again! A part of OnePlus’s year-end sales event, save $200 on the powerful flagship phone at OnePlus, getting the phone for just $800. While the phone’s price dipped slightly lower on Black Friday weekend, the $799 price point is one of the best we’ve seen for the smartphone.

You don’t have long to take advantage of this sale, either! OnePlus’s latest sale ends tomorrow night, so when it’s 2021, this discount is done. It’s hard to tell when OnePlus will put the OnePlus 8 Pro on that kind of sale again next, either. While rumors have been afoot for the OnePlus 9 Pro since last month, there’s no telling when the phone will launch, and it’s unclear whether the 9 series upgrade will be worth it over the 8 series, particularly the 8T and the 8 Pro.

And, frankly, the OnePlus 8 Pro is a powerful phone. I picked the smartphone up for myself in November to place my aging LG V40, and I’m continually impressed by how good the 8 Pro is. It’s blazingly fast with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and hasn’t had difficulty running even the most intense games. Also, I’m not sure if it’s the connectivity technology or the upgrade to 5G, but I’m finally able to get cell signal in my bedroom, virtually the house’s dreaded ‘dead zone’. I no longer need to leave the house to make a phone call! Oh, and of course, I can take beautiful pictures of my cat. You need to focus on the important things in life, right?

Not to mention that XDA gave the OnePlus 8 Pro a glowing review earlier in the year too. Give it a read if you’re not convinced! If you are, though, don’t sleep on this deal and pick up your 8 Pro now!

OnePlus 8 Pro

Available in Onyx Black, Ultramarine Blue, and Glacial Green, the OnePlus 8 Pro is currently on sale for $799! Head over to OnePlus's page for the smartphone and grab yourself the flagship before the sale ends tomorrow night.

$799 at OnePlus

Make sure to check OnePlus’s main page to see what else they have on offer!

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ASUS begins global rollout of Android 11 update for ZenFone 6

A few months ago, ASUS began testing a beta version of Android 11 for the ZenFone 6. Now, the company has begun the rollout for a stable version of Android 11 to ZenFone 6 owners around the world.

Today’s rollout follows the recent release of Android 11 for the ZenFone 6 in Taiwan. The update is filled with plenty of new features that come with Android 11, plus some of ASUS’ own ideas.

Here’s the full changelog:

1. Upgraded system to Android 11 on ZenFone 6
2. Please back up your data before upgrading to Android 11. If you need to go back Android 10,please refer to the official website that remeber it will erase all data from your device.
3. Some 3rd party apps are not compatible with Android 11.
4. Removed Private Listening, ZenUI Help, and one hand mode
5. Integrated PowerMaster features into Battery Settings. Removed Avast scanning engine.
6. Removed Smart group, Icon alignment and Icon packs functions in Launcher. Allowed to organize app icons across screens after tapping empty area
7. Implement new ZenUI design and features
8. Improvement of the Quick Settings panel design, and support media control. Removed Multi-window tile and added Nearby Share tile (Need to add manually)
9. “Auto-download and install via Wi-Fi” is always on in System when upgraded.
10. Support navigation gestures for 3rd-party launcher.

Many of the new features on the ZenFone 6 are related to design, including a new ZenUI design and the removal of Smart group functionality in Launcher. The Quick Settings panel has also been tweaked, providing users with a better experience.

According to ASUS, the software is rolling out in batches, so it may take a few days for you to see the update. To check if Android 11 is available for your ZenFone 6, head to Settings > System > System Update.

If you own the ZenFone 6 on T-Mobile in the U.S., a recent update enabled VoLTE on the device. ASUS recommends you back up your device before updating to Android 11.

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Chainfire’s LiveBoot app is now open source and works on Android 11

We’ve talked about LiveBoot in the past and how it tweaks the default boot animation of your Android device by adding logcat and dmesg logging (bringing the good old Matrix digital rain vibe). Made by none other than XDA legend Chainfire, the creator of SuperSU, this incredibly innovative app has now received a new update after a brief hiatus. The update bumps the app version to 1.84 and finally makes it compatible with Android 11.

Apart from adding Android 11 support, Chainfire has also made LiveBoot fully open source, including the low-level library named libCFSurface that it makes use of. The library allows direct SurfaceFlinger access as root, which could be useful to get anything on-screen when Android itself isn’t fully loaded.

If you’re interested in trying out the app on your device, you can download the updated version from the Google Play Store or grab the APK from the application thread linked below for manually sideloading. In case you want to take a look at the codebase and play with it, you can visit the project’s GitHub repository.

LiveBoot XDA Thread

[root] LiveBoot (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Another one of Chainfire’s popular applications is called CF.lumen, and it too just received a new update with version number 3.74 to add support for Android 11. For those not familiar with CF.lumen, it adapts the colors on your Android device based on the position of the sun or based on your custom configuration. However, according to the developer, only the compatibility mode driver of CF.lumen currently works under Android 11, and that too with the root-only mode.

Here’s the official changelog for CF.lumen v3.74:

• (c) 2020
• Remove references to G+
• Android 11 support
• Android 10+: Show warning about notification options not working
• Android 10+: Disable rootless mode
• Android 10+: Disable advanced/injection/anti-flicker/performance driver (needs further investigation to make work)
• Add foreground service permission
• Built for API 29
• Fix notification spam issue
• Fix maps crashing

CF.lumen XDA Thread

CF.lumen (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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