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Lineage OS the premiere custom Android ROM, and one of the best things about it is that it's constantly expanding. Over the last few weeks the distributed team has added no less than sixteen new phones and tablets from a handful of vendors.
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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.
Sony is having a hard time in the smartphone business amidst declining sales and shrinking market share, but its users are likely more distressed right now. Many existing Sony users found that the recent Android 10 update broke their 2018 flagships almost universally, with no official communication from the company. In what appears to be a widespread issue, the affected Xperia XZ3 and XZ2 owners rallied on community platforms like Reddit complaining about a long list of bugs, including terrible RAM management, high battery consumption, app fails, and a generally sluggish UI.
Sony promised to update quite a few of its Xperia devices to Android 10 "early 2020 onwards," and as it turns out, the company is staying true to its word. The Xperia XZ3, XZ2, XZ2 Premium, and XZ2 Compact are currently receiving the latest Android version.
Sony details Android 10 update timeline for its Xperia phones
More devices are to pick up Android 10, but some older devices will hit the dust.
December
Sony's mobile division is a major money drain, having lost the company a billion dollars last year. Part of that can be attributed to pricing; for instance, it's hard to justify an Xperia XZ3 at its $799.99 MSRP when there are so many good offerings at that number. However, the XZ3 is now 7.27 on Amazon, making it a lot more appealing.The XZ3 is pretty well-equipped in the specs department. It has a 6.0" 1440p OLED display, a Snapdragon 845, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,300mAh battery. The rear camera is a 19MP "Motion Eye" unit capable of 960fps slow-motion capture, and the front-facing unit is 13MP. Our own Scott reviewed the XZ3 back in September and found it to be much improved over the previous XZ2, though he expected more from the camera and battery life.
Sitting at about the six-month mark, Sony's late-2018 flagship XZ3 just got a nice discount over on Amazon. You pick up the incredibly capable phone for yourself for $585.22, a good $215 and change off the MSRP.Sporting a large 6" 1440p OLED display, a Snapdragon 845, 64GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM, the XZ3 is one heck of a powerhouse. Its quirky design certainly stands out, but the 3,300mAh battery is a bit on the small end. You can check out our review here, but Scott liked the phone even though he thought he cost too much from the outset.
Now you can get yours for $585, though savvy phone buyers may want to wait for the OnePlus 7 announcement before making a decision. But if you like Sony phones, or need a 2018 flagship device right now, this isn't a bad deal at all. This price is only good on the gorgeous green colorway, black and silver are both $599.99.Buy: Amazon
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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.
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.
Winter sucks for shopping. At least, it does if you're doing it in the traditional sense: driving out in the snow, fighting for parking, and watching the sun set before you're even half done. It's enough to drive someone to ditch the brick-and-mortar life and commit to an online retail existence. As luck would have it, we've spotted a bunch of good deals from some of our favorite online stores, ready to save you a buck or two on mobile tech.
Sony's phones have been on sale all over the place lately. Last week, we reported that there were price drops on a number of Xperia devices at several retailers. At the time, the premium Xperia XZ3 was $100 off its $900 MSRP. Now, it's fallen even further at B&H, currently going for $730.
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.
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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- Sony has now updated its blog post to add the Xperia XZ2 Compact, so good news for anyone hoping support for that would also come.
For developers wishing to tinker with Sony phones, the Open Devices program is a welcome official point of entry. The Japanese company adds most of its high-profile Android handsets to the list of supported devices after a little while, and the Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 are the latest to join the ranks.
Depending on your perspective, it's either a smart move or extremely unfortunate that Sony is reducing the amount of proprietary software it puts on its phones. But whether you love Sony's mobile skin or you're more of a stock Android fan, the stripping down continues with the loss of Xperia Themes on the Xperia XZ3 devices due to "low usage."
Netflix HDR support kicked off with the LG G6 back in May 2017, but quite a few devices have been added since then. Most recently, the Sony Xperia XZ2, the Huawei Mate 10, and the Huawei P20 were added. Three more phones have just joined the roster: the LG G7 One, the Sony Xperia XZ3, and the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium.
For several years now, Sony fans and critics have been calling for the Japanese company to move away from its boxy, dated hardware design language and join its rivals in releasing a modern Android smartphone. When the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact arrived at MWC 2018 in February, we hailed them as a small step in the right direction. Curved glass and greatly reduced bezels around an 18:9 screen combined with high-end internals and a relatively stock treatment of Android — a recipe that was also followed for the overpriced XZ2 Premium that came in the summer.It’s somewhat surprising that we’re talking about another flagship Sony phone so soon, yet the Xperia XZ3 stole the show at IFA 2018 and goes on sale at the beginning of October, just six months after the XZ2 was released and three months after the XZ2 Premium. The big question, then, is whether there are enough new features here to warrant a brand new product. At first glance, it may appear as though that’s not the case, but with Sony’s first smartphone OLED display, an upgrade to Android 9 Pie, and another refinement to the design, I think the Xperia XZ3 is worth a closer look.
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- The Sony Xperia XZ3 is now available to purchase at Best Buy too — Black, Forest Green, White Silver — but there's no free Xperia Ear Duo if you get it there. The $899.99 price is the same as Amazon.
We reviewed the Sony Xperia XZ3 last month and we were pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Now, the Japanese company's latest flagship phone has hit Amazon, and those who pre-order can get a pair of Xperia Ear Duo wireless earphones thrown in free of charge.
Sony still refreshes its flagship phones every few months, but the design doesn't usually change much from one generation to the next. The new Xperia XZ3 does indeed have a very "Sony" look, but the phone is more different than you'd expect from the press renders. Don't get me wrong—this is still a Sony phone with all the questionable hardware and software decisions that come with it. However, it's the most modern-looking Sony phone I've used.
Sony Xperia XZ3 is an incremental improvement over the XZ2, shipping in September with Android 9 Pie
Like clockwork, Sony introduces a new flagship twice a year. No sooner is one phone announced than we start hearing rumors of its successor, and the cycle never ends. At its IFA conference today, Sony introduced the XZ3 and, just like expected, it looks quite similar to the XZ2 series.