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Back in November, we found out that a good chunk of websites using Let's Encrypt certificates would stop working on older Android devices next year. The cause was an expiring partnership with IdenTrust, who cross-signed the company's keys for older platforms. Thankfully, a solution has been established, and sites using Let's Encrypt certificates don't have to worry about issues with older Android devices next year anymore.
Motorola's flagship devices still get updates relatively quickly, but its budget phones lag behind quite a bit. For example, the Verizon Moto G4 Play was just updated from Android 6.0 to 7.1.1 earlier this month, shortly after the international variants received it. Now Motorola has released the kernel source code for the G4 Play's Nougat update.
Confused nostalgia. It's hard to find another way to describe my feeling right now as I sit down to write this Nokia 8 review. For those who don't know my history, my career covering mobile devices started with a personal blog in 2006 and a Nokia 3250 XpressMusic. For several years, I was Dotsisx (.sisx), a nickname that evokes how much I was involved with the Symbian OS. I reviewed phones, I covered events, I spent hours daily looking for the best apps and games. Even when the first iPhone launched and Android started making waves, I was a Symbian user through and through. It wasn't until late 2010 when, along with my Symbian-Guru.com partner Ricky Cadden, we foresaw the demise of Symbian and Nokia that I moved on to Android. It was an ugly breakup, the kind where dirty laundry gets aired in public and covered by Engadget but where you have so much love left that you're walking away bitter, knowing you've given it your absolute best and that there's nothing left there for you. The future lies elsewhere.
Sony first showed off its touchscreen projector concept at Mobile World Congress 2016, and it was released in Europe earlier this year as the 'Xperia Touch.' It finally came to the United States earlier this month, but with a price tag of $1,699.99, it was a pretty hard sell.
Motorola isn't the best at updating its devices these days. Custom ROMs can often be helpful for devices without speedy official updates, but the lack of a recent kernel source code can make ROMs less stable/functional. Thankfully Motorola has released the kernel code for the original Moto Z Play's Android 7.1.1 update.
It might not be available in the US just yet, but HMD Global is already preparing to update the entry-level Nokia 3 to Android 7.1.1. The phone launched with Android 7.0 Nougat, which isn't too shabby, but 7.1.1 will bring with it a few new features. If this is a predictor of future software support, customers that pick up one of the new Nokia Android phones may have a lot to look forward to.
The Nexus 6 was the launch device for Android 5.0 Lollipop back in 2014, and it's been getting updates ever since. The problem, however, is not all those updates have been good. After deploying some bugged OTA updates earlier this year, Google is finally sending out Android 7.1.1 to the Nexus 6.
The ZTE Maven 2 is one of many phones offered on AT&T PREPAID (previously AT&T GoPhone), and currently goes for $39.99 from the carrier. It has the specifications to match - a 480x854 display, a Snapdragon 210 processor, and 1GB of RAM. Still, this super cheap phone has one thing the Galaxy S8 doesn't have - Android 7.1.1.
Motorola started sending out the Android 7.1.1 update to Moto Z Play devices in the US last month, and now it's also doing the same in Brazil, for that device plus the regular Moto Z model. After carrying out soak tests in the region, the final builds are starting to slowly make their way to users of both phones.
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- According to the ASUS ZenTalk forums, another ZenFone 3 Max variant, the ZC520TL, began receiving an update to Android Nougat a few days ago. However, unlike the ZC553KL above, the ZC520TL seems to only be getting Android 7.0. We don't have a ZC520TL to confirm, so we hope this is a typo as it's a little weird to see only 7.0 come to the device when 7.1.1 is already available for another variant.
Asus didn't pop up much on our radar until a few years ago when the ZenFone 2 came in at a competitive price. The ZenFone 3 family hasn't been as popular, but there certainly are more of them. One variant of the ZenFone is the lucky winner of "first Nougat update," the ZenFone 3 Max (model ZC553KL).
When it comes to software updates, Sony is on the job. The company is always one of the first to release updates for its recent flagship devices and is great at updating even relatively older-generation devices quickly too. Take the Xperia Z3 Plus, Z4 Tablet, and Z5 family which were announced sometime between May 2015 and September 2015, making them nearly 2 years old. They got the update to Android Nougat 7.0 back in February and they're now following the footsteps of the XZ and X Performance and getting upped to the more recent Android 7.1.1.
The ZTE Axon 7 has had fairly speedy updates - it received Android 7.0 in February, and 7.1.1 in March. The Axon 7 Mini, on the other hand, has been stuck on 6.0.1 Marshmallow this whole time. ZTE started previewing the Mini's Nougat update in March, and it's finally being rolled out to the masses.
Now that Android O is on the horizon, it seems like many phone manufacturers have opted to completely ignore Android 7.1. A few devices have been updated, such as the OnePlus 3/3T and Nextbit Robin, but not many. Now it seems the Moto Z Play has become Motorola's first phone (in the US, at least) to get Android 7.1.
The Nextbit Robin was a good value when it was released, and an even greater value for those who have bought it on sale recently. Many, including myself, didn't expect to see major software updates once Nextbit was purchased by Razer, but the phone is surprisingly now receiving an update to Android 7.1.1.
The KEYone, the latest in the BlackBerry Ltd/TCL collaboration, is a phone that returns to the Canadian brand's iconic roots, for better or for worse. With Nougat and a strong focus on security, the KEYone is aimed at enterprise users and long-time fanatics.
You can still spend nearly $1000 on a phone if you want, but there are vastly cheaper options that aren't terrible. ZTE has been making great strides in the "cheap but not bad" space lately, and it has just announced a new device called the MAX XL. As the name suggests, it's a big phone. The price isn't big, though. This device is live on Boost Mobile today for $129.99, and it's on sale for $28 off.
Sony has been pretty quick with Android updates recently, at least for its highest profile handsets. The Xperia XZ and X Performance were the first Sony phones to see an update to Android 7.0 Nougat, and that was just 3 months after Google's Pixel and Nexus devices received it. Now, Sony is building on this good work by bringing the Android 7.1.1 update to both its flagships.
ZTE managed to get Android 7.1.1 rolled out to the Azon 7 a few weeks ago, making it one of the few phones to have the latest build of Android. Now, it's the Axon 7 Mini's turn. Well... sort of. ZTE is starting up a preview program for the Nougat update, but not everyone will get access.
OnePlus is on a roll with these updates for its 2016 flagships. Just earlier this month, the OnePlus 3 and 3T received Android 7.1.1 via the Open Beta program, but now the new OS version is rolling out to the stable channel users via an OTA. That was quick.
ZTE isn't having its best days lately after pleading guilty to violating US sanctions against Iran and the failure of its Kickstarter campaign for the Hawkeye, but that hasn't stopped the company from still forging on with its quick and laudable support for the Axon 7.