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Nokia delays Android 11 for most of its phones
You might be waiting a while for a new software update
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- Nokia has now officially revealed the Android 11 update timeline, and it appears to be identical to the previous leak. The Nokia 8.3, 2.2, 5.3, and 8.1 will be first in line for the upgrade, and the rest of the company's supported lineup will have to wait until 2021.
HMD Global's Nokia phones come with some of the cleanest Android builds around, but that still doesn't make the company the fastest to update its devices. Despite a roadmap shared with users last year, some of the phones slated for Android 11 still haven't received new software versions. To better reflect when updates might actually be ready, Nokia has expanded its roadmap up to Q3 and added a couple of new devices onto its list.
Nokia 2.2 updated to Android 11 as HMD continues its hot streak
Following the Nokia 8.1 and Nokia 2.3 earlier this month
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The Nokia 3.2 was blessed with an Android 11 update in March, and earlier this month, the previous flagship 8.1 and the budget 2.3 could join the party. Now the Nokia 2.2 is also in for the Android 11 update, as reported by TechMesto. The new firmware is rolling out to 24 countries, predominantly in Europe and Asia, while people living in other areas will still have to wait a while.
Google's been working on a call recording feature for its Phone app for some time, and it looks like the wait is almost over. As previously anticipated, the feature has started rolling out in India, seemingly beginning with Nokia's Android One phones, according to an announcement from the company today.
Nokia adds 3 more devices to its Android 10 upgrade plans (Updated)
Some late releases hop onto the list
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- With Android 10 Go edition made official, Juho Sarvikas has clarified Nokia's plans for its Go devices. The newer 1 Plus will get it first in Q1 2020, while the older 2.1 and 1 will receive their updates in Q2 2020.
Quick to promise software upgrades when Android 10 was announced, HMD Global has since revised its update roadmap for its Nokia smartphones with more of them expected to make the jump than initially claimed last fall.
Nokia 9 PureView gets its Android 10 update, 7.1 to follow next week (Update: Available for 7.1 now)
Earlier this week, Nokia held its anticipated Nokia Mobile Live event in Cairo, Egypt to discuss its hardware and software efforts for the immediate future. In addition to unveiling the new Nokia 2.3 smartphone, the once-prolific phone manufacturer officially released Android 10 for the 9 PureView and provided an update on the OS roadmap for its newest devices.
True to its promise of updating some of its devices to Android 10 before the end of 2019, HMD today begun the official roll out with the Nokia 8.1. Since this device was part of the Android 10 betas, it only makes sense that it's the first one to receive the stable update.
Participating in the latest betas is always a fun, but not risk-free endeavor. You get to try out things before anyone else and observe how a software evolves before it's released to the public. Android Q's gestures, for example, have seen several iterations across beta versions and now the most recent gestures are making their way to the Nokia 8.1 with the latest Beta 5.
If you don't have a Pixel phone to get into that sweet, sweet Android Q Beta business, you've got more than a dozen third-party phones that can help you get there. But with each phone comes its own catches, so we'll patch you through to the resources you need from the OEMs.
Given the amount of devices that run on Android, it's no surprise that Google is always busy updating its ARCore support list. This week, the main additions consist of the Moto One, and Moto One Power, as well as four "Touch Computers" from a company called Zebra also joining the club. The Nokia 8.1, which was removed from the list at some point, has now returned.
Covering a topic as massive as Android, and trying to do a comprehensive job of that, often requires tracking down information from multiple sources and doing a heck of a lot of cross-checking. Sometimes we'll hear one thing from a manufacturer statement, get other details from an app teardown, and finally maybe see Google step up to make its official proclamation. Just a few hours back we popped the hood off the latest ARCore release to see what was changing inside, and now Google's updating its own list of ARCore-supporting hardware.
Huawei, Honor, Motorola, Samsung, and a few other companies are working on 'hole-punch' phones — where a small area inside the screen is removed for the front-facing camera. It looks like Nokia is now joining the party, if renders from a leaked CAD file are to be believed.
The recently released Nokia 8.1 (also called Nokia X7 in China) is one of the more powerful Android One devices you can currently buy. HMD Global launched the phone last month with Android Pie and has now published the kernel source code.
Nokia announced the X7 for the Chinese market in October. At a hardware event in Dubai today, the company revealed its identity for the rest of the world: the Nokia 8.1. It's the same phone as was announced a few weeks ago — dual rear cameras, Snapdragon 710, and a competitive price tag — just with a new name.