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LineageOS ends Android 9 Pie support, cutting off 24 phones and tablets
Lineage is clearing the way for Android 11 support
LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, not only because it brings a stock-like experience to phones and tablets, but also because it has kept many devices supported long after the manufacturer dropped support. The project has offered builds based on Android 9 Pie since early 2019, and now that many devices have been updated to LineageOS 17.1 (and with Android 11 support coming soon), support for Pie is ending.
It has been a little while since we've checked in on LineageOS, the super-popular custom ROM that brings new versions of Android to old phones. Last time we covered the project, it fixed an issue that prevented Xiaomi device support, and LineageOS hasn't skipped a beat since then.
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- ASUS is now pushing the update to model ZS570KL as well. Here are the release notes:
The ASUS ZenFone 3.0 Deluxe is getting Android 8.0 Oreo starting today, ASUS confirmed in a forum post. One of our tipsters gave us the heads-up that his device was downloading the update earlier this morning. The post specifically calls out model number ZS550KL, which is the 5.5-inch variant available from ASUS's US store.
Back in August, ASUS announced that the entire lineup of ZenFone 3 and 4 devices would receive updates to Android 8.0 Oreo. However, the company's only promise was that every phone would have Oreo by the second half of 2018. The ZenFone 4 received the update last month, and now the ZenFone 3 is getting it.
Like many manufacturers, ASUS has its own Android skin - ZenUI. Version 4.0 of the skin was introduced alongside the company's ZenFone 4 lineup, but ASUS also promised to bring the new version to the existing ZF3 series. The update process has now begun, with the ZF3 Zoom becoming the first device to be updated.
ASUS isn't always the best with updates. The company often releases phones with already-outdated software, like the ZenFone 3 Zoom that came with Marshmallow. In a similar vein, the ZenWatch 2 and 3 were some of the last watches to get Android Wear 2.0. But at the ZenFone 4 launch event, ASUS promised that the entire ZenFone 3 and 4 lineup would get Android O.
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- Nougat is also rolling out to the ZS570KL model of the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe. It also removes Share Link and PC Suite, and improves NFC performance.
Asus sort of missed the boat with the ZenFone 3 line, which took ages to come out in the US and then wasn't very competitive with other devices. The ZenFone 3 Deluxe was priced similarly to the OnePlus 3, but it wasn't as good. Asus isn't pretending the phone never happened, though. This phone is getting an Android 7.0 update, the first wide rollout of Nougat for Asus.
We're finally getting to the point where Nougat software updates are coming at a steady clip from manufacturers. ASUS is getting in a few for its midrange phone hardware - just last week we saw the ZenFone 3 Deluxe get its software update (that really should have come out in December at the latest). Now it's the non-deluxe model's turn, specifically the ZE520KL and ZE552KL variants. Those are the 5.2- and 5.5-inch versions of the unlocked GSM phone, if you haven't memorized the alphabet soup of those model numbers.
Budget flagships are all the rage these days. After all, why would anyone pay $769 for something like a Google Pixel XL when similar or only marginally worse performance can be had from a $439 OnePlus 3T? The category has come a seriously long way since the Nexus 4 first pioneered it, largely thanks to loads of new entrants in the past few years from both new and storied nameplates.
Drop test videos have been pretty popular for a while, but after the iPhone 6 Plus's "bendgate," durability videos really took off. It's easy to understand why; existing owners want to be confident in their devices' build quality, and prospective buyers don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that can be scratched by a penny (ahem, Jet Black iPhone 7). In the latest JerryRigEverything video, Zack (not Jerry) takes a look at the ZenFone 3 Deluxe, one of ASUS's higher-end models.
Asus announced the ZenWatch 3 several weeks ago, but neglected to provide information on when you could buy one. Irksome, but nothing compared to the Zenfone 3 that was available in some markets over the summer. Well, now you can finally plan to pick up both, if that's something you want to do. The ZenWatch 3 and all Zenfone 3 variants will be available in the coming weeks, but pricing on the Zenfone 3 is a little higher than expected.
We first heard about the newest additions to the ZenFone lineup back in late May, but ASUS didn't elaborate on availability for the United States. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenFone 3 Laser are now available to buy on Amazon for $530.48 and $206.95, respectively. However, they still won't ship for at least two weeks (if Amazon's information is correct).It's been a while since these phones officially launched, so let's recap their specs. The ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the top-of-the-line model; for the US, it sports a 5.7-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 (or 820, both chipsets are mentioned on the Amazon page so it's unclear) (update: seems to be the 820, as the 821 variant includes 256GB of internal storage), a whopping 6GB of RAM, 64GB of microSD-expandable storage, a 23MP camera, and a solid 1-year US warranty with accidental damage protection. It's listed for $530.48.
The ZenFone 3 Laser is a lower-end model; it's packing a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display, a Snapdragon 430, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with a microSD slot, a 13MP camera, and the same comprehensive warranty that the Deluxe has. $206.95 will get you one of these.Both devices have metal bodies, fingerprint sensors, and dual SIM capabilities. There doesn't appear to be a listing for the standard Snapdragon 625-equipped ZenFone 3; it's possible that ASUS isn't planning on selling that model in America.If you're interested, you can head on over to the source links to check them out. Both devices will be shipped and sold by Amazon.com with Prime shipping, so you won't have to deal with third-party sellers.
The original ZenFone would be two years old this month, but I doubt many of them are still in use. It was highly anticipated before release, and widely panned shortly thereafter. I have friends who bought the first generation ZenFone, and the issues were obvious right from the start: the battery couldn't last half a day, the UI was clumsy and unresponsive, it got so hot you could barely hold it, and the build quality and design really weren't up to par.
Asus already has three different versions of the ZenFone 3 planned in fast food-style denominations: vanilla, Deluxe, and Ultra. The Deluxe is the highest-specced version ("Ultra" is about a bigger screen, not better specs), as it's equipped with the latest and greatest Snapdragon 820 processor. Of course that's no longer the latest and greatest: Qualcomm announced the even faster Snapdragon 821 just yesterday. Not to be outdone, a new version of the ZF3 Deluxe has been announced via a Taiwanese press release.
Johnny Shih, ASUS's enthusiastic chairman, today introduced the ZenFone 3 to the world (even though we reported on the ZenFone 4, 5, and 6 two years ago). Alongside the standard ZenFone 3, there are two other variants; the Deluxe and the Ultra.
Asus scored a big win with its high-end but relatively inexpensive Zenfone 2 design. It looks like the Taiwanese manufacturer is hoping to leverage that into a larger series of handsets, very much as Samsung has done with the Galaxy S. In fact, that's not the only thing the next Zenfone will have in common with the Galaxy S series. Red Dot 21, a a sort of product design showcase organized by the same people behind the Red Dot design awards, has new profiles for the as-yet unseen Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 3 Deluxe. (Note that this isn't an actual award, it just means that someone - presumably Asus itself - posted the profile pages.)