Over the last year, Realme has launched a vast array of phones in different price brackets. Phones from the company have found tremendous popularity in the Indian market and for good reason. The devices offer great hardware specifications at a very competitive price, making them an absolute no-brainer for anyone looking to buy a decent phone on the cheap. While the devices do pack in great hardware, they’re always lacking in terms of software. Realme still relies on Oppo’s ColorOS and has officially shelved plans to develop its own Android skin. Nonetheless, the company has been doing a great job of providing software updates for its devices and it recently started rolling out an OTA update for the Realme 3 Pro and the Realme X.
The latest OTA updates, version RMX1901EX_11.A.09 for the Realme X and version RMX1851EX_11_A.20 for the Realme 3 Pro, include a new system-wide dark mode and the Android security patch for October 2019. Along with these common features, there are a couple of device-specific optimizations and improvements. The OTA update is being rolled out in a staged fashion, which means that only a handful of users will receive it during the initial rollout. Once the company confirms that there are no major bugs, the update will be pushed to the remaining users. The good thing about this approach is that Realme can be sure that the update won’t brick devices and that’s already proving to be useful. A recent update on the Realme’s original announcement reveals that the company has discovered a critical bug in the Realme X OTA update. Therefore, the update has been put off temporarily. If you’ve already received the update notification, it would be best to wait till the company fixes the issue before you install it on your device.
Update changelog
Realme X OTA version RMX1901EX_11.A.09:
Security
Android security patch: October 2019
System
Updated charging animation
Added font feature to Theme store
Settings
Added Realme Laboratory
Added Dark Mode
Added option for notification dots for updates
Quickly enter hidden applications list with fingerprints
Notification Center and Status Bar
Added option to swipe down on the home screen for global search or notification center
Added fast switch toggle between SIMs in the notification center
Removed the reminder after the hotspot is enabled
Removed the prompt when the phone is rooted
Touch
Improved touch experience when gaming
Known issues fixed
Fixed some applications’ behavior
Realme 3 Pro OTA version RMX1851EX_11_A.20:
Security:
Android security patch: October 2019
System
Added Dark Mode
Updated charging animation
Added fast switch toggle between SIM in the notification center
Notification Center and Status Bar
Removed the reminder when the hotspot is enabled
Removed the prompt when the phone is rooted
Added option to swipe down on the home screen for global search or notification center.
Settings
Added Realme Laboratory
Added option for notification dots for updates
Touch
Updated firmware version to optimize the gaming experience
Just a couple of weeks ago, Korean smartphone manufacturer LG launched an Android 10 preview for its flagship LG G8 ThinQ. As part of the preview, the company shipped Android 10 exclusive features to the device, along with a couple of its own UI changes. However, LG’s flagships from just a couple of years ago don’t get the same treatment. The LG V20, which was considered the last true V series device from the company thanks to its secondary display, has been way behind on software updates. The device launched with Android 7 Nougat out of the box and it received the Android 8 Oreo stable build back in September last year. Now, over a year after its initial rollout, LG is offering an Android 9 Pie update for the device.
As per a recent post from the company, the Android 9 Pie update for the LG V20 is now rolling out in Korea. Here’s the changelog for the latest stable update for the V20:
Upgraded system to Android 9 Pie
Gesture navigation support added
Added setting to adjust media volume when pressing the volume button
Screenshot preview moved to the bottom right of the screen
Added Google Digital Wellbeing features
New battery savings feature included
Individual controls for background applications
Screen rotation button added to the navigation bar
New security measure to prevent the device from being powered off when locked
Added lock icon display setting for security. Users will be able to press and hold the power button to stop Smart Lock, biometric, and lock screen notifications when unlocking the device.
New ‘Sunset to sunrise’ setting added to the comfort mode
Manage folder access and WiFi control permissions for each app
SD card encryption removes limitation that screen lock can only be set by PIN or password
Fixed placement of the home screen so that apps and widgets don’t move around regardless of orientation
Added new dual app feature to allow users to use multiple accounts on the same app
Along with the Android 9 Pie update for the LG V20, the company has also confirmed that it will be rolling out the Android 10 update for the LG G8 ThinQ later this year. While there still isn’t a fixed timeline, we expect the update to roll out sometime in the following weeks. If you wish to take part in the Android 10 beta program for the G8 ThinQ, you can register from within the Quick Help app on your device. Following your registration, you should receive the Android 10 beta OTA update on your phone. As of now, the company has released no information on the global release for the Android 9 update for the LG V20 or the Android 10 update for the LG G8.
One of the most popular budget devices from Asus — the ZenFone Max Pro M2 — has now received a build of SuperiorOS Phoenix based on Android 10. The AOSP-based custom ROM offers a near-stock Android experience with just the essential customization options. The ROM seems to be a stable release, however, some users have reported network issues, so I wouldn’t recommend it using on your daily driver.
HMD Global’s Nokia is known for offering a clean stock Android experience on its devices and the stock ROM on the Nokia 6.1 is no different. But if you want to experience Android like you would on a Pixel device, you can now flash the unofficial Pixel experience ROM on your phone. The Android 10 based custom ROM includes all Google apps and Pixel goodies like the Pixel launcher, wallpapers, icons, fonts, and boot animation.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus, or the Nokia X6 in some markets, has also received an unofficial build of the Pixel Experience ROM. Much like the build for the Nokia 6.1, this Android 10 build features all Google apps and Pixel exclusive features. While the custom ROM had some issues on its initial release, the developer has already gone ahead and addressed these issues. Flash the Pixel Experience ROM on your device by following the link below.
Much like the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus, the Nokia 7 Plus has received its first taste of Android 10 with the Pixel Experience ROM. As with the other two builds, this AOSP based custom ROM packs in all Google apps and Pixel exclusive features, including the launcher, wallpapers, icons, fonts, and boot animation. But before you go ahead and flash it on your phone, do note that you might encounter issues using Bluetooth headsets with this build.
The Moto G5 Plus, which is arguably the most popular device in the Moto G series, has also been upgraded to Android 10. If you still have a G5 Plus lying around, you can now flash the ArrowOS official beta based on Android 10 on your phone. The AOSP/CAF based ROM offers a clean stock Android experience, but it still has a couple of bugs that need to be ironed out. Try it out on your Moto G5 Plus by following the link below.
It’s great to see that development for the HTC One M9, which was released back in 2015, is still on full swing. The device has now received an unofficial build of LineageOS 17.0, adding on to the vast number of devices to receive LineageOS builds based on Android 10. The current release works wonderfully, for the most part, but you won’t be able to use the FM radio if you flash it in its current state. Give your HTC One M9 a new lease of life with LineageOS 17.0 by following the link below.
Smartphones are essential drivers of innovation in today’s world. But at the end of the day, smartphones are still business, and OEMs innovate in this field to make money. Smartphone OEMs like Google, Samsung, Huawei, LG, and Sony have posted their Earnings Reports for Q3 2019, giving us insight on how profitably and comfortably the companies stand in the smartphone business. Other OEMs like Xiaomi and Realme have also witnessed good growth, according to separate reports.
Samsung
Starting off with the most prolific Android OEM over the years, Samsung’s IT and Mobile Communications Business posted consolidated revenue of KRW 29.25 trillion ($25 billion) and operating profit of KRW 2.92 trillion ($2.5 billion) for Q3 2019. These figures are impressive as revenue for Q3 2018 was KRW 24.91 trillion ($21.3 billion) while operating profits last year were at KRW 2.22 trillion ($1.9 billion), indicating a good 31% increase in profits. This improvement in earnings were thanks to robust shipments of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, a better product mix and higher profitability in the mass-market segment. The Galaxy Note 10 specifically exceeded the performance of the Note 9, presenting double-digit growth in volume. Samsung also reduced its costs by completing the A-series lineup transition, which further improved profitability.
Other contributors to the good quarterly results were the expansion of its 5G smartphone lineup, the launch of the Galaxy Fold which represented the launch of a new form factor,
For the fourth quarter, Samsung expects mobile demands to decline YoY because of seasonal effects and “global economic uncertainties”. Still, mass-market smartphones like the A-series are expected to maintain their solid sales momentum. Profitability will be taking a dip though, as marketing costs are expected to increase for the next quarter. For 2020, Samsung forecasts increased consumer demand for 5G devices, while foldable products will also see new additions.
Alphabet/Google
Google’s parent company Alphabet announced revenues of $40.5 billion for Q3 2019, up 20% from the $33.7 billion reported for Q3 2018. Operating income for the parent company is $9.17 billion, up 23% from $8.62 billion last year, while net income stood at $7.06 billion, which is 30% lower from the $9.19 billion from last year.
“I am extremely pleased with the progress we made across the board in the third quarter, from our recent advancements in search and quantum computing to our strong revenue growth driven by mobile search, YouTube and Cloud. We’re focused on providing the most helpful services to our users and partners, and we see many opportunities ahead.”
Huawei
Huawei’s Q3 2019 business report does not contain as many figures, so we need to rely on other reports to figure out how the company is performing. According to Counterpoint Research’s latest report pertaining only to the Chinese market, Huawei sold 41.5 million smartphones in Q3 2019 in China alone, representing a whopping 63% YoY growth from the 25.5 million units sold last year in the same quarter. All other major smartphone players in China ended up with lower sales, indicating the confidence the Chinese market has in Huawei.
According to Canalys’s report with respect to the global smartphone market, Huawei’s growth momentum in China was echoed on the global level too, despite the trade ban. Huawei shipped 66.8 million smartphones in Q3 2019, a 29% growth over the 51.9 million smartphones shipped in Q2 2018.
The trade ban has a lot of repercussions for Huawei globally, but at least in its home market, the company continues to reign supreme. One can only wonder how everyone else’s financial results would look like if Huawei had been allowed to march forward without any impediments.
LG
LG recorded “record-breaking” third quarter revenues and operating profit, but those pertain to the entire gamut of LG’s business. On the mobile front, LG reported sales of KRW 1.52 trillion ($1.27 Billion), and an operating loss of KRW 161.2 billion ($135 million). The operating loss actually has come down YoY because of production efficiencies and cost improvements.
To provide some scale, LG’s smartphone division’s total revenues are lower than Samsung’s smartphone divisions’s operating profits.
Sony
Sony’s mobile division is struggling, which is a fact that does not surprise a lot of people. The mobile division posted operating revenue of JPY 78 billion ($719 Million) for Q3 2019, down from Q3 2018’s JPY 115 billion ($1.06 billion). We were unable to spot the figures for operating profit/loss for the mobile division by itself, but it’s everyone’s guess that the picture will not be rosy.
Xiaomi
We can adjudge Xiaomi’s performance thanks to Counterpoint Research’s latest report on the Indian market. While of course, this does not compare to the business earnings reports that we presented for other smartphone OEMs, it does give a fair idea of the position of the company in one of its key markets.
Xiaomi managed to record its highest ever shipments in Q3 2019 in terms of numbers, even though it’s market share came down YoY. This is because India as a market witnessed an expansion of 10% YoY. Xiaomi ended up selling more than 8.5 million smartphones in the Diwali sale period in India itself, with mass-market devices like the Redmi 7A, Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi Note 7S being the best performing smartphones for the brand in the context of sales.
Realme
If you see Xiaomi’s share in the Indian market declining, credit for the same goes to Realme as it continued to eat into Xiaomi’s business. Realme’s share in the Indian market grew from just 3% in Q3 2018 to 16% in Q3 2019, coming in at the cost of dipping shares of Samsung and other smaller players.
According to a separate report from Counterpoint, Realme has registered over 800% growth YoY in the global smartphone market, jumping from the 47th spot in Q3 2018 to becoming the 7th largest brand in terms of global shipment in Q3 2019. India and Indonesia form the most important markets for Realme as they contribute to more than 80% of its global shipments. The brand has expanded rapidly across more than 20 countries, and is looking to expand further in other South East Asian markets.
The Google Pixel 4 may not be the first Android smartphone with secure facial recognition hardware (it’s preceded by the OPPO Find X and Huawei Mate 20 Pro), but it is the first Android device with a face unlock implementation that’s recognized secure under Android’s BiometricPrompt API. That means the Pixel 4 is the first Android smartphone that lets you use your face to not only unlock the phone but also authenticate apps or payments. However, app developers have to update their apps to use BiometricPrompt, so it’s going to take some time for every banking and password manager app to support the new Face Unlock. Since the Pixel 4 doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, apps that use the old API will simply fall back to asking you for manual password entry. Fortunately, there’s a way around that, provided you’re willing to root your Pixel 4 with Magisk and install the Xposed Framework.
XDA Junior Member SemonCat developed an Xposed Module called “Fingerface” that proxies the old fingerprint API to instead call the new BiometricPrompt API. That means that whenever an app using the old fingerprint API requests you to scan your fingerprint, the new BiometricPrompt dialog will appear to let you scan your face instead. It’s a simple, albeit crude, workaround, but it beats having to manually type your long passwords into all of your apps.
Here’s a quick screen recording from the developer that shows an app (in this case, Magisk Manager) asking for fingerprint authentication, but instead receiving facial authentication:
In my view, this is a great demonstration of the power of the Xposed Framework. Xposed lets Modules hook into the methods of other apps to execute their own methods before, during, or in place of the original methods. That’s exactly what this Module is doing; FingerFaces always returns “true” when PackageManager checks to see if the device supports fingerprint hardware, and it also hooks into the (now deprecated) FingerprintManager API used by apps to instead call BiometricPrompt in its authenticate method. It won’t be easy to translate this hack into a Magisk Module because it’ll involve per-device and per-build modules that replace the framework, but the developer says he’s working on it.
I should note that installing this mod on the Google Pixel 4 currently isn’t easy. First of all, there’s no TWRP support for the Pixel 4 just yet, so you’ll have to manually install Magisk. That means you have to download the factory image, extract the boot image, patch the boot image using the latest Magisk Manager, and then fastboot flash the patched boot image. To install Xposed, you’ll then have to install the Riru Core Magisk Module and then EdXposed, the unofficial successor to the Xposed Framework. Instructions on how to do that can be found here. Finally, you can then install the Fingerface module.
Some might scoff at this mod over security concerns, but the Module is open source and from a quick glance, it seems to only do what it’s supposed to do. Furthermore, the existence of this mod has no implication on the security of Android 10 or the Pixel 4 itself since it requires the user to manually gain root access after unlocking the bootloader. Lastly, this mod, like most other mods on our forum, is intended to be used by those who value convenience and more features despite the added risk of having an unlocked bootloader and root access.
If you’re interested in this mod, you can download it from the Google Play Store link embedded below. It costs $0.99 if you get it from the Play Store, but since the app is open source, you can also just compile it yourself. Visit the XDA forum thread if you have any questions or feedback about this app. For any app developers that read this, Google published a blog post on implementing the Biometric API through the AndroidX Biometric Library. Update your apps so users won’t have to use this dirty hack!
Launcher is a commonly used phrase within the Android community that refers to the Home Screen and the application that lets us launch the other apps and games we have installed. Custom launchers are available in the Play Store that can replace your current launcher and offer unique features, customization options, and more. Zone Launcher from XDA Junior Member BialyApps, is a bit different in that it is there to supplement your current Home Screen solution and give you an additional way to quickly launch certain applications.
Right off the bat, we can see how this works with Zone Launcher. The typical way to open an application is to exit your current one and find it from the Home Screen or the Application Drawer. Zone Launcher works like Pie Controls or Samsung Edge and gives you quick access to applications and games from any application and any screen within Android. The developer describes the user experience as a “one swipe launcher” as you can bring up the UI with a swipe in from the side and then slide your finger/thumb over to an icon.
Once you lift your finger or thumb up from the screen after this gesture it will launch the application of the icon you were launch touching. There’s a lot more here though, including. . .
Single swipe gesture for all app interactions.
Launch any app from a customized hidden spot.
Arrange your favorite apps and shortcuts into different colored Zones.
Launch any of the installed apps (not only favorites) using a custom alphabetical index with the same single swipe gesture.
One of the most talked-about features prior to the release of Android 10 was desktop mode. When we first heard that Google’s next major Android OS would natively support desktop mode, we were hoping it would be something akin to Samsung DeX or Huawei Easy Projection. Sadly, it was anything but. Google built a barebones launcher for external displays so developers can test what their apps might look like on large displays, but they didn’t even bother adding display out support on the Pixel 4. Sadly, this means that Android 10’s hidden desktop mode is unusable on the latest Pixel smartphone, but if you have the Essential Phone, OnePlus 7/7 Pro, OnePlus 7T/7T Pro, or any other phone with video output over USB-C, then there’s a way to make it more useful.
First, here are some requirements that you have to meet:
Requirements:
Your Android smartphone must be running Android 10.
Your Android smartphone needs to support DisplayPort Alt Mode. Here’s a partial list of phones with support. If you have a smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and a USB 3.1 Type-C port, then your smartphone should support DisplayPort Alt Mode unless the phone vendor deliberately disabled it. Google disabled it on the Pixel 4, for example.
You need a USB 3.1 Type-C to HDMI adapter. I bought this one off of Amazon. You’ll also need a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard if you want a more pleasant experience.
Next, here’s how to set it up:
Enable Developer Options on your phone. Go to Settings > About phone and tap on “build number” 7 times.
Go to Settings > Developer options and scroll down until you reach the “APPS” section. Turn on “enable freeform windows” and “force desktop mode.”
Reboot your phone.
Install this APK. It’s a customized version of the popular Lawnchair launcher with TaskBar integrated into it. This APK was made by XDA Senior Member farmerbb as a proof-of-concept to show custom launcher developers how they can add desktop mode support*.
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps and set Lawnchair as the default launcher.
Plug your phone into your monitor/TV using the adapter.
In a few seconds, you should see the custom Android 10 desktop interface appear on the screen. You’ll have to grant TaskBar permission to “display over other apps” as requested in order to show the bottom bar. If you also want TaskBar to show your recent apps in the bottom bar, you should also grant it the “usage access” permission as requested.
I would wager that everything looks way too big on your monitor/TV right now. That’s because the default DPI for desktop mode in Android 10 is 320, which makes everything look huge. Also, the navigation bar/Android 10 gestural navigation pill probably looks unsightly on your display. There’s a way to fix this, but it requires a one-time trick that isn’t user-friendly to do.
Disconnect your phone from your monitor/TV and connect it to your PC.
Once you have ADB access wirelessly, it’s time to re-connect your phone to your monitor/TV.
On your PC, run the following ADB shell command:
adb shell dumpsys display
In your terminal/command prompt window, you should see a huge wall of text. Scroll up until you see the part of the output that lists the “Logical Displays.” This will list the display information for all currently detected displays, including the built-in one on your phone as well as the externally connected one. For example, “Display 0” is the built-in display on my OnePlus 7 Pro while “Display 3” is the Vizio TV that I connected the OnePlus 7 Pro to. You’ll want the display ID value for your external display, which in my case is ‘3’. Note that this value can change when you re-connect your smartphone to a particular monitor/TV, but any display UI changes we’re going to make in the next step(s) will be remembered!
On your PC, you’ll want to run the following ADB shell commands:
where [DENSITY] is a positive integer value, [OVERSCAN] is a negative integer value, [RESOLUTION] is the display resolution in widthxheight format, and [ID] is the display ID for your external monitor/TV. For example, I used the following commands to achieve the UI seen above:
We’re using the WindowManagerShellCommand to tweak the density to make UI elements appear smaller, overscan to hide the navigation bar, and/or resolution to match that of the external display. Play around with these values until you get something you’re comfortable with.
That’s it! Enjoy desktop mode on your Android 10 smartphone. We’re not sure why Google disabled DisplayPort Alt Mode functionality on the Pixel 4, so we reached out for comment and will update you if we hear back.
If you’re a custom launcher developer interested in integrating TaskBar into your launcher, you can find the instructions here.
