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The year was 2010, and Apple made good on the rumor mill's predictions when it unveiled the iPad. This device was, essentially, a bigger iPhone without the phone part. It turns out that consumers were into that sort of thing, and the first modern tablet sold in huge numbers. Not to be outdone, Android OEMs began launching Android-powered slates. For a time, it seemed like Android tablets would be a thing, but sales slumped, and most current Android tablets are ultra-low-cost junk. With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to see how we got here.
The month of October has just begun, which means Pumpkin Spice lattes, leaves falling off trees, and marathons of The Nightmare Before Christmas on TV. It also means Google has released another Android security bulletin, just like the company does at the start of every month. As usual, OTA zips and factory images with the fixes are already available for Pixel and Nexus devices.
When we last covered the LineageOS project, support for the Nexus 9 was added along with a few phones from Xiaomi. Since then, more devices have been added to the official builds, and there are a wealth of new features in the ROM. Without any further ado, let's take a look.
I find myself constantly impressed with the LineageOS community. Formed from the remains of CyanogenMod, the project has continued to add support for new devices and maintain most of CM's library. Since our last post, Lineage has added support for a handful of Xiaomi phones and updated the Wi-Fi Nexus 9 to LOS 14.1.
It's the first day of May, and Google is wasting no time releasing the May 2017 factory images and OTAs for Nexus and Pixel devices. Just like last month, the security update has reached the Pixel/Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9.
Like the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 LTE didn't receive Nougat when most other Google devices did; however, since the Nexus 9 LTE sold significantly fewer units than the Nexus 6, there wasn't much outcry. Not too long after that, Google told us that updates for both devices would be arriving "in the coming weeks." Two days ago, the Nexus 6 finally got the update to Android 7.0 Nougat, and now, the LTE-equipped Nexus 9 is also receiving it.
When the Pixel C was first released, there was a lot of speculation that it was originally intended to run a tablet version of Chrome OS instead of the Marshmallow build it eventually shipped with. There's still no easy way to get Chrome OS running on it, but today you can try the next best thing: the desktop-flavored version of Android developed by Jide. Remix OS, which was just recently upgraded to add code based on Android 6.0, is now available for the Pixel C. The Nexus 9, HTC and Google's 2014 offering, gets the same treatment.
The latest factory images and OTA ZIPs bringing July's security patches to Nexus devices are ready for download. Thing is, those files are beefy, and they can take a while to download. Want to take a quicker route? Try downloading an incremental OTA ZIP instead.
Right on schedule on the first Monday of the month, Google's latest security updates for Nexus devices have arrived. Both factory images and OTA update zips for June 2016 are available for the following devices, Android version 6.0.1, listed below with build numbers for your convenience.
The Nexus 9 never really clicked - not as an Android tablet, not as a Nexus device, and certainly not as the premium, segment-leading gadget that Google and HTC wanted it to be. Between a host of bugs, inconsistent build quality, and general apathy from the buying public, the N9 isn't nearly as well-regarded as its predecessors (both versions of the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10, many of which are still in use) and its successor (the Pixel C). Today Google seems to have finally written off the ill-fated tablet, as it's gone from the Google Store.
Jide Technology wants to give as many users the option to try out its own flavor of Android. This involved rolling out the 2.0 Beta to PC devices about a month ago with plenty of features that were missing from the alpha when we tested it a couple of months prior. But you don't have to have a PC to test Remix now as the OS has been released in beta for the Nexus 9 and Nexus 10. (Jide had previously released Remix OS 1.5 to these tablets, so this isn't the first time its software becomes available for them.)
Good news for HTC and Nexus fans, your favorite Taiwanese manufacturer is having another big sale. With the launch of the M10 eminent, HTC has temporarily dropped the price of the M9, as well as a few other devices – including the Nexus 9. Here's the full list of devices that are currently on sale.
When I was in my 20s, I was all about tinkering with things. I strived to always be at maximum geekiness. I built my own computers, it was Windows and Linux all the way, it was all about how much I could squeeze out of my tech. Then I got older. I'm 36 now, and as time has gone on, I've moved away from all that. These days, I prefer my tech to just work and actually allow me to get stuff done. I don't really care about the inner workings of things as much as I used to, or how much geek cred a particular piece of tech gives me.
HTC's Hot Deals change weekly, some weeks featuring discounts on accessories, others going all in with some cool hardware offers. This week's deal is mostly about the Nexus 9 which is seeing its price slashed by 40%. This isn't the first time HTC has discounted the Nexus 9 by that much, but they often sell out of units fast. This time also comes with an added perk, but only if you're interested in the 32GB LTE version of the tablet.
In 2012, we started a series called "What We Use," where we, the AP staff, talked about the stuff that we can't live without. It started off as something where we just discussed our Android devices and computers, but last year we took that a step further (at Artem's request, no less) and discussed a lot more than that, basically covering everything that we love in our lives. The most important stuff to us, as people.It's been over a year since my last WWU post, and you probably know what that means: time for a new one. I actually really enjoy writing these posts, and I hope you enjoy reading it. As always, if you have any questions about my gear, feel free to ask 'em below.
Android 6.0.1's headline feature is a new set of emoji, but did you know it also adds a handy new camera launch mode to older Nexus devices? The Nexus 5X and 6P have had the double-tap power camera launch shortcut since they went on sale (and dropped a twist-to-launch gesture), but now the feature has trickled down to older Nexus models. Specifically, the Nexus 5, 6, 7 (2013) and 9 now all support it as of Android 6.0.1.
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- The 40% discount on the Nexus 9 is now live. The prices are:
HTC's US web store is gearing up for some big sales this holiday shopping season, and as with most things of this sort, it's kicking off on Black Friday. There are some steep discounts happening, but the offerings will change every few days during "Cyber Week," which I guess is a thing now. First up, a killer deal on the Nexus 9.
Google is getting into the annual celebration of the American consumer, known as Black Friday, with a plethora of deep discounts. I'd love to apply my normal flair and lame jokes to this article, but this is Black Friday and I ain't got no time for that!