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LineageOS is the most-used custom Android ROM around, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for others. Paranoid Android was a popular choice back in the KitKat days, and while the ROM returned in full force with Nougat builds in 2017, there hasn't been much news since. Now the project is back (again), touting Android 10 builds for nine phones so far.
LineageOS 17.1 arrives on the Essential Phone, Moto X 2014, and more phones
The Android 10 custom ROM keeps on chugging
LineageOS 17.1 is the latest release of the popular custom ROM, based on Android 10. The LineageOS project was already providing daily builds for over 60 phones and tablets, but in the time since we last covered the ROM, a handful of additional phones have been granted official support.
Essential will let you flash Android 11 on the PH-1 thanks to generic system images
The dead don't die?
The Essential Phone was one of a few devices that managed to keep up with Google's Pixel handsets when it comes to system updates, but with the company behind shut down after issues with its quirky GEM phone and the sexual harassment allegations surrounding its founder, we assumed development was completely halted. That doesn't seem to be the case just yet, though — Essential has published a Github repository aimed at making the phone fully compatible with Google's Android 11 generic system images (GSI).
Essential is in a strange place right now as a company. Its latest phone is still its first model, the 2017 PH-1, with no direct replacement in sight. Still, Essential is keeping its remaining users happy, as it has once again rolled out monthly security patches at the same time as Google's Pixel phones receive the OTA.
The Essential Phone is among the first devices outside Google's Pixels to pick up Android 10. We can confirm the OTA is rolling out as we speak for devices running both the previous Android Q betas and the last stable release of Android 9 Pie.
Essential might not have a new phone to sell you, but it does have a free OTA update today. Google has started rolling out the latest Android patches, and Essential has them ready for the Essential Phone, as tradition dictates. Don't expect new features, but security is pretty important, too.
For a company that laid a third of its staff off last year and whose future in smartphones seems uncertain, Essential is doing incredibly well with updates. Even though the Essential Phone has been officially discontinued, Andy Rubin & co continue to pump out security patches the same day as Google, and nothing's changed in that department for July.
The Essential Phone has been around since 2017, but surprisingly, it has never officially been supported by the popular LineageOS custom ROM. The phone is still receiving updates from Essential at a rapid pace, so there hasn't been much of a need to replace the stock software, but now you can install official LineageOS builds if you so desire.
By all accounts, Essential doesn't have a whole lot going on right now. It launched one phone about 18 months ago and has been cutting staff ever since. If Essential is working on another phone, it hasn't seen fit to talk about that. So, what is there to do other than keep the Essential Phone updated? Another month, another instant update for Essential Phone owners.
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- We can confirm that the OTA update for those in the Beta Program is now rolling out. If you don't see the update now, you should very soon. Downloads, at the time of writing, are pretty slow, though.
Following our previous expectations and just in time for developers in attendance at the ongoing I/O developer conference, Google has just pushed out downloads for Android Q Beta 3. OTAs don't seem to be pushing out via the traditional means just yet, but you can start sideloading the update on your Pixel now. Beta 3 also adds support for 15 other partner devices from 12 OEMs.
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.
Following the Pixels getting theirs today, Essential has pushed out the May security patch to the Essential Phone, right on time. This is quite typical for the company to be the first third-party OEM to update their phones, and unlike others, these patches are applied for everyone, not just those who opt into beta programs.
No, this is not an April Fool—Essential is still updating the Essential Phone with remarkable speed. The phone, which launched in 2017, is getting its April OTA update at the same time as Google's phones. There are some minor tweaks to functionality, but this is mostly about security patches.
Things have slowed down for Essential, which launched its only phone about 18 months ago. The company is at least doing a good job of keeping that phone up to date. After a shockingly quick Pie update, Essential has stayed on top of monthly patches. In the latest OTA, the Essential Phone is getting Google's Digital Wellbeing.
Essential's January update to the PH-1 was a bit delayed compared to the company's usual standards. Instead of the typical near-simultaneous release, we had to wait just over an hour for the Essential Phone to get this months' patches. For fans of the house of Rubin, that's nearly an eternity.
Earlier today, Droid Life remarked that the Essential Phone was now sold out on Amazon, speculating that this might be "the end" for the PH-1. This was after the company's own storefront appeared to run out of stock last week and Best Buy's unlocked listing has the phone as "no longer available." Curious, we reached out to Essential for more info and were told the company "won't be adding any new inventory," while it focuses on its next mobile device.The full statement provided to us by an Essential spokesperson is below:
Essential's PH-1 was criticized at launch for some valid reasons, like a mediocre camera, high price tag, and lack of a headphone jack. But great software and a falling price have earned it a small but impassioned cult following. Now the high-end niche phone from 2017 has a high-end niche audio accessory to go with it: the Audio Adapter HD. But a single-device, $150 external DAC/amp might be a bit too niche.
Essential has a habit of beating even Google when it comes to rolling out updates, and that trend continues today. An OTA including the December security patches for Android is rolling out to PH-1's everywhere as we speak, download at your leisure.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are as much a way to clear out old stock as they are about big door-buster deals. Shocker: Essential still has some phones to unload. We've seen this device go on mega-sale a few times, but the Cyber Monday bundle is still rather compelling. You can get the phone, 360 camera, and more for $329.
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Essential's Audio Adapter HD has finally been announced. The company has been talking about the existence of this new external headphone jack/DAC since June, and this month's security update indicated we'd see it soon. But there are a few twists: It's 0, and a limited edition.