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Out with the old, in with the new: LineageOS cut support for Android 9 Pie earlier this year, and to make up for the loss, the open-source project has just released version 18.1 based on Android 11. It comes with official support for about 60 phones and tablets.
LineageOS ROM releases first builds based on Android 10 (Update: Builds are back)
LineageOS 17.1 is here
LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM in existence, and the project prides itself on bringing newer versions of Android to unsupported devices. However, Lineage has been a bit slow to roll out a version based on Android 10 — the Pie-based ROM was already available by this time last year. Thankfully, the next major version of LineageOS seems to be just around the corner.
Sony's Xperia XA2 family of devices got its first taste of Android 9 Pie in February, but it didn't go as planned. The update bricked some units. The phones would reboot to a screen showing black and white lines, becoming inoperable. The rollout was quickly halted. Sony has evidently worked out the kinks, though, as Pie is once again landing on XA2 phones.
LineageOS is one of the most popular custom Android ROMs available, with over two million active installations. The project officially ended support for the 14.1 (Android 7.1) branch a few days ago, in preparation for LineageOS 16. The 16.0 branch is finally rolling out, and it's bringing Android 9 Pie to dozens of phones and tablets.
Sony began rolling out its long-awaited Android 9 Pie update for the Xperia XA2, XA2 Plus, and XA2 Ultra a couple of days ago, but only devices in Russia received it. That's probably because Sony discovered the update was bricking many devices, rendering them completely unusable.
We've seen some great sales on Sony phones lately, but if you missed out on those, here's another opportunity. Four of Sony's 2018 phones are currently discounted, including the XA2 ($100 off), XA2 Ultra ($150 off), XZ2 ($200 off), and XZ3 ($100 off).The Xperia XA2, a budget phone that Sony launched earlier this year, is $199.99 right now ($100 off). It has a Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage (with microSD card support), a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, and a headphone jack. The rear camera is 23MP, and the front camera is 8MP. All told, $200 is a decent price for what you get, especially since the phone will receive Android 9 Pie.Next is the XA2 Ultra, which is $249.99 ($150 off). It's almost identical to the normal XA2, with the same Snapdragon 630 processor and camera setup, but the RAM is upgraded to 4GB and the screen is slightly larger (6"). The XA2 Ultra is also expected to receive Pie at some point.The flagship XZ2 is also on sale for $499.99, a $200 reduction from the original price. It has a Snapdragon 845 processor, a 5.7-inch 18:9 1080p display, 4GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and no headphone jack. The rear camera can capture 4K video or slow-motion 960FPS video, and the front camera is 5MP. Android 9 Pie has already rolled out to the XZ2.Finally, the Xperia XZ3 is discounted to $799.99 ($100 off). The XZ3 has a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, a 6-inch 1440p display, no headphone jack, and Android 9 Pie out of the box. The rear camera is 19MP, with the same 4K or 960FPS slow-motion capabilities as the XZ2, and the front camera is a wide-angle 13MP lens. You can find our full review here.
LineageOS is the most popular custom Android ROM, with around two million active installations worldwide. The project recently dropped support for 30 unmaintained phones and tablets, but more devices have now been added in their place. Some of the latest additions and upgrades include the Mi Note 3, Xperia XA2 Ultra, LeEco Le 2, and Xperia Z.
Pricing aside, Sony phones are generally well-liked. That means that an event such as Black Friday could be the perfect time to pick one up. Currently, we're seeing some decent sales on the last-gen Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra, with a $50 discount on the Xperia XZ3 as well, from multiple retailers.Most retailers on this list are running the same sales, but for whatever reason, B&H is tacking on additional $70 and $60 clip coupons to the XZ2 and XA2 Ultra, respectively. Here's the list, with the best deals highlighted:
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Google has rolled out Android Pie to Pixel devices, and Essential managed to get an update out on the same day. A few OEMs like Moto and HTC have offered some insight on what they're updating. Today, you can add Sony to the list. It says updates are coming to devices in XZ2, XZ1, and XA2 families. Some of them might be here sooner than you expect.
Sony announced the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra a few months ago, but both are already seeing discounts. B&H is currently offering the XA2 for 9.99, $30 off its regular price and $50 off its MSRP, as well as the XA2 Ultra for 9.99, $50 off regular price and $70 off MSRP.
When it comes to security, Android devices are a mixed bag - to say the least. Few manufacturers make promises about long-term support, and timely security updates are rare. This is understandably a concern for large businesses, which often don't want to worry about security flaws or constantly deploy new devices. For many enterprise customers, the question of which Android phones should be used is difficult to answer.
Sony is pretty good about letting the open-source community have a field day with its devices thanks to the company's Open Devices Program. Two new phones just got added: Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra. That means that they are open to flashing custom versions of Oreo.
Sony seems serious about improving its smartphone game. The Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra, despite having interesting camera setups and not-terrible pricing, were let down by the lacks of a Snapdragon processor and a fingerprint sensor. The XA2 and XA2 Ultra, which were leaked a few days ago, fix that with a Snapdragon 630 and a rear-mounted scanner. Also announced was the budget-oriented Xperia L2, which sports a rear fingerprint sensor as well.
Rumors about Sony's 2018 smartphone lineup have been circulating for a few weeks now. Earlier this week, 3D renders appeared of the XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2. The phones represent Sony's mid-range and low-end lineup, and now VentureBeat has released more details about them.