[Update] Ultra Pixel - Google's Premium phone?

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 28, 2017       

The entire world is looking for next Google flagship smartphones the 2017 Pixel(s) to release at the earliest, but one has to wait until October to get hands on it. And leaks about the phone are keeping you at bay.

We have already seen our first potential look at what to expect from the Pixel XL 2 and Pixel 2. Now another device named "Ultra Pixel" has been leaked online by YouTube Channel "MrWhoseTheBoss". As you can see in the below Image (Slide), the Ultra Pixel looks like a giant Smartphone with 18:9 Display. The Image also says "Ultra Pixel - Phone by Google".
Just like the Pixel 2 XL, the Ultra Pixel could feature a 2:1 Full vision display while the Standard Pixel 2 will feature huge chin to the top and the bottom, just like the 2016 Pixel phones.

Here's another Image revealing the Ultra Pixel with almost no side bezels just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8. The Image also says "The future at Android is Fluid".

Google plans to launch the 2017 Pixel Smartphones on October 4th with Snapdragon 835 SoC. The HTC-made Pixel 2 will be available in Kinda Blue, Just Black, and Clearly White. It will be available starting $649 for 64GB of storage while the 128GB variant would cost $749 while the LG-made Pixel 2 XL will come in a Black White and Just Black color options. It will be available with 64GB or 128GB storage. The 64GB model will cost $849, while the 128GB model will jump to $949.

That said, Google might release the Ultra Pixel alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Thoughts?

Update: According to the latest information we got, the leak is likely fake.

HMD wants your Nokia Smartphone Bootloader Locked!!!

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 28, 2017       

In a move that disappoints Nokia Android users, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, Juho Sarvikas on his twitter handle just announced that you'll not be able to Unlock Bootloader of your Nokia Android Smartphone including the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3, and Nokia 8.

While most of the brands offer a consumer-friendly bootloader unlock option and tools, Nokia want their devices to be locked forever.

When asked about support for Unlocking Bootloader, Juho Sarvikas Chief Product Officer at HMD Global replies "Sorry, we wont unlock it due to security however we will share our kernel modifications back to the open source community, wip".

Seriously? In other words he's saying "You can have kernel source so you can develop Custom ROM but we wont let you unlock the Bootloader to flash them". Hope this changes in the future as it's really disappointing for those of us who may have wanted to Root, flash a custom ROM or kernel onto the device.

Moto G4 Plus September security patch OTA captured and available for download

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 28, 2017       

A few days ago, we reported that Motorola has started rolling out September Security update with BlueBorne patch for the Moto G4 Plus. Well, if you can't wait for the official OTA, then this recent development might be of interest to you.

A XDA user "Johann0109" has managed to capture the Moto G4 Plus September (2017) OTA update, meaning that owners of the Moto G4 Plus codename Athene can install the update right now if they wish to (link to XDA post at the bottom of the page). But before you do, there are a few things to consider-

XDA developer echo92 has stated that this update can only be flashed on Moto G4 Plus with build NPJS25.93-14-8 (Download link available) and Security patch of 1 June 2017. Note that this OTA file is for the Moto G4 Plus, so do not attempt to flash it on other devices.

We recommend you to wait for the official OTA, as Motorola is about to push the update. Motorola earlier confirmed that they will update the Moto G4 Plus to Android Oreo. But due to the recently discovered BlueBorne vulnerability, the company is first rolling out September patch with fixes.

Also Read: Moto G4 Plus gets Android Oreo via LineageOS

The BlueBorne vulnerability was discovered only recently. It’s a Bluetooth vulnerability that leaves Android devices open to a potential takeover by hackers. The vulnerability is also present in Windows, Linux and some iterations of iOS.

Download: OTA (September Patch for G4 Plus)

Download: NPJS25.93-14-8 (Firmware)

XDA Link

LG K7i is the World's First Mosquito Repellent Phone

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 27, 2017       

LG India today announced World's first Mosquito Repellent Smartphone during the ongoing Indian Mobile Congress in New Delhi. 

LG K7i features a new 'mosquito away technology' that only uses the sound wave to keep mosquitoes at bay. LG says mosquito away is a silent, odourless, invisible, and a perfectly user-friendly technology. Additionally, LG also assures that its new K7i smartphone does not emit any harmful radiation and its selected ultrasonic frequency is safe for humans.

Specs wise, the K7i sports a 5-inch FWVGA display, 8MP rear and 5MP selfie shooter, Unknown quad-core processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage and microSD card support. The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and is backed by a 2500mAh battery.

You also get normal back cover, Mosquito Away cover along with Mosquito Away Stand. The LG K7i will be available in a brown color variant across retail stores at Rs 7,990.

Motorola Pushes the Kernel Sources of Moto E4 to Github

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 27, 2017       

After delaying for more than two month, Motorola finally released the kernel source of its budget-friendly Moto E4, allowing developers to start the development of custom ROMs for the device.

Motorola usually releases the kernel sources in just two weeks of the phone's launch, but this time around, the Lenovo-owned company took a little bit more time than the usual. Nevertheless, the company has released the code and developers can start working.

The kernel sources are available in the tar.gz file extension and also in the form of a .zip file. If you're interested in developing a custom ROM for Moto E4, the go ahead to Github and download the kernel sources and set it up in the Android Kitchen.

The Moto G5 Plus is the latest budget smartphone from the company packing decent specifications such as the Mediatek SoC, 2800mAh battery, Android Nougat, and a 8MP Rear Camera.