Nokia shares Android 10 update roadmap for all smartphones including Nokia 1, Nokia 8 Sirocco

HMD Global, which makes and sells Nokia-branded smartphones, has revealed the timeline for the Android 10 update for all its smartphones. On Thursday, the company in a press statement noted that all eligible Nokia smartphones, including Nokia 1, will receive the stable Android 10. Starting in Q4 2019, Nokia smartphone users will get their hands on the very latest Android 10 software upgrade. The announcement has come right after Google’s official Android 10 name unveiling on Thursday.
“With a proven track record in delivering software updates fast, Nokia smartphones were the first whole portfolio to benefit from a 2-letter upgrade from Android Nougat to Android Oreo and then Android Pie. We were the fastest manufacturer to upgrade from Android Oreo to Android Pie across the range,” Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, said in a statement.

“With today’s roll-out plan, we look set to do it even faster for Android Pie to Android 10 upgrades. We are the only manufacturer 100 percent committed to having the latest Android across the entire portfolio,” Sarvikas added.

The firm’s Android One approach with Google promise that Nokia smartphone owners will get benefit of two years of Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates. Currently, Nokia has 17 eligible smartphones in total, which will get Android 10, though dates will vary. HMD in a press note has shared that all the devices including Nokia 1, Nokia 8 Sirocco will get Android 10 by Q2, 2020.

Xiaomi Mi A-series models are the top-selling Android One phones globally and New Mi A3 launch in race of mobile industry.

Xiaomi took an important step towards cementing its place in the global market when it launched the Mi A1 in 2017. What made the new A-series stand out was the pure Android operating system that it had onboard. Since then, Xiaomi has gone on to launch the Mi A2 and A3, all under Google’s Android One project. It has now emerged that the Mi branded models are an important part of the Android One project. In two years after its launch, the A series has achieved outstanding results.



During the Mi A3 launch, the company shared some data on the progress of the A-series. Data by market research firm Canalys shows that the sales volume of the Mi A1 in 2017 was 2.4 times more than those of other Android One handsets. In the same light, the Mi A2 sales when it was launched in 2018 was still far ahead of other Android One phones like the Nokia 3.1, Nokia 6.2 and Motorola One series. On the whole, the company says it has sold over 10 million units of the Mi A series.



We expect the Mi A3 to equally be a successful Android One phone even though it packs a disappointing HD+ display.  Apart from delivering a native Android operating system, Googe’s Android One project also brings the latest software update and on time.

The Mi A1 and the Mi A2 were smart-looking devices but on the plainer side. They were not meant to make heads turn. The Mi A3 now is a very different kettle of fish. With its glass (Gorilla Glass 5) front and back, and especially the back reflecting light in different colors and patterns, it will definitely turn heads. What the heads do after turning to look at it, however, is a different matter altogether. We have shown the Mi A3 – we got the Not Just Blue variant (there’s also More Than White and Kind of Grey – someone give the person who came up the names a prize please) and while many were struck by just how dazzling the play of colors on its back was, many others felt it was just a little too blingy for comfort (they might prefer the white and grey variants). It is splash resistant incidentally – a feature that we are glad seems to be finally coming to most of Xiaomi’s phones.

Another point to note about the phone is how compact it is compared to many others. At 153.48 mm and its rounded edges, it can fit most palms easily, although, like most phones in this day and age, it will need two hands to use it quite often. Yes, it is a little on the heavy side at 174 grams, but we think the weight gives it some welcome heft. This perhaps can be attributed to its 6.08-inch display, which of course, brings us to perhaps the most debated aspect of the device…



The Mi A3’s display ticks off a couple of important boxes – it is an AMOLED one (Xiaomi’s first below Rs 15,000 in India.) and comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and thanks to a drop notch, has relatively small bezels around it (the chin has a prominent one, though). It is a vivid display and in best AMOLED tradition, renders colors brightly. The problem is that it does so at a resolution that is definitely low by Xiaomi’s own standards- the Mi A3 is the first device in the Mi A series to not sport a full HD display. The Mi A3’s display is an HD+ one.

The big question, of course, is if this is a deal-breaker. In terms of performance, well, it isn’t. It is bright and handles colors beautifully, as we already pointed out, making games and videos an absolute joy to behold. The display being a little on the smaller side by current standards also means that the pixel density on it is greater than on something like the 6.5-inch display sporting Realme 5 (yes, a comparison is coming up). However, that cannot hide the fact that it is not as sharp as a full HD display, and sometimes one sees lesser content on a page than one would on a full HD display. It is also telling that Xiaomi itself has full HD display phones at lower prices than the Mi A3 – the Note 7S being the most noteworthy (pun totally unintended).

The display might be a bit of a disappointment to some, but the rest of the specs of the Mi A3 are unlikely to be. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, which is below the 675 found on the (slightly more expensive) Note 7 Pro, but is capable of some reasonably heavy lifting, combined with 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM, depending on the variant you choose (you have options of 4 GB/ 64 GB and 6 GB/ 128 GB). You will spot the odd lag and stutter if you push it in PUBG and Asphalt, but in casual gaming and multitasking, it passes with flying colors.

Xiaomi also deserves credit for bringing back two features that were missing in the Mi A2 – the expandable memory card slot (you will have to forsake one of the two SIM slots for it, though) and the 3.5mm audio jack. Other connectivity options include 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Sound too has been improved, and while not being the best we have heard at this price point, it is decent enough for those who want to watch videos and play games minus headphones. The in-display fingerprint sensor is a little on the sluggish side, though.



The cameras, of course, have been the stars of the Mi A series. And that does not change with the Mi A3. There is a triple camera set up on the rear, comprising a 48 megapixel Sony IMX586 primary sensor with f/1.79 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel depth-sensing camera. And then there is a 32-megapixel front-facing camera, similar to the one on the selfie centered Redmi Y3. There is some serious camera hardware muscle here. And Xiaomi has fortunately accompanied it with its own camera software than the default, rather limited, Android app.

New Android Version Will Just Be Called ‘Android 10’

Android 10 (or Q as it was referred to previously) is the upcoming major release and is in beta testing. The final release is expected later this year

Google, which named its operating system versions after tasty treats like Lollipop and KitKat, has announced that it will just use the version number going forward, and the latest edition is to be called ‘Android 10‘. In a blog post, Google said its engineering team always used internal code names for each version, based on desserts in alphabetical order. “This naming tradition has become a fun part of the release each year externally, too. But, we’ve heard feedback over the years that the names weren’t always understood by everyone in the global community,” it said.

The blog cited examples like ‘L’ and ‘R’ not being distinguishable when spoken in some languages.

“So, when some people heard us say Android Lollipop out loud, it wasn’t intuitively clear that it referred to the version after KitKat. It’s even harder for new Android users, who are unfamiliar with the naming convention, to understand if their phone is running the latest version,” it explained.

The blog also pointed out that ‘pies’ are not a dessert in some places, and that ‘marshmallows’ are not a popular treat in many parts of the world.

“As a global operating system, it’s important that these names are clear and relatable for everyone in the world. So, this next release of Android will simply use the version number and be called Android 10,” it said.

The versions included Cupcake (Android 1.5) that was launched in April 2009, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Icecream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat and Oreo. Android P or Pie was released publicly in August last year

Interestingly, a campaign was run in India before the release of Android L to name the version ‘Ladoo’ after the popular Indian sweet.

Android 10 (or Q as it was referred to previously) is the upcoming major release and is in beta testing. The final release is expected later this year.

Google said it expects the change to help make release names simpler and more intuitive for its global community.

“And, while there were many tempting ‘Q’ desserts out there, we think that at version 10 and 2.5 billion active devices, it was time to make this change,” it said.

Google has also updated the Android logo and colour to sport a “more modern, accessible look”.

“The design of the logo draws inspiration from the most recognisable non-human member of the community, the Android robot…Now, it has a special place in our logo. We also changed the logo from green to black. It’s a small change, but we found the green was hard to read, especially for people with visual impairments,” the blog said.

It further stated that Google would officially start using the updated logo in the coming weeks with the final release of Android 10.

Hackers have at least 193 ways to take 'control' of your Loved Android phone.

Google is all set to release the tenth version of Android which will be called Android 10 and Q, however, what is important to note that there ares still 193 security vulnerabilities in Android that Google is yet to fix and with the release of Android 10, Google is hopeful that will completely patch all these vulnerabilities in one release. “Android Q devices with a security patch level of 2019-09-01 or later are protected against these issues (Android Q, as released on AOSP, has a default security patch level of 2019-09-01),” said Google in its Android security bulletin.

The security vulnerabilities include remote code execution, denial of service along with issue with Android run time. All these issues can be advantageous for hackers as Google has rated them as “moderate” in the scale of severity.

Despite having so many of these vulnerabilities, Google has confirmed that they have not got any reports from any abuse of these vulnerabilities yet.

This means it is all the more important for users to get to the latest Android 10 version. “Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform,” added Google.

While it would take considerable amount of time for all users to migrate to Android 10, Google has made some changes to its app store. Google has now made it mandatory that all new Android apps would need at least three days for approval. This means you simply cannot publish your Android app instantly on Google Play. Also, the developers will not be given any specific date or time frame as to when the “approval process” would get over. The reason for this minimum three days approval process is “to help better protect users”.

This app approval process is separate and is not related to the “closed alpha review” which Google does. After going through the “closed alpha review”, the app would be stuck for at least another three days for the final nod from Google. As Android apps are one of the main sources of malware infection, the new policy makes it difficult for mischievous Android apps to make there way into Google Play. 

Chandrayaan-2: Soft Landing of Vikram Planned for September 7

Chandrayaan 2 is an Indian lunar mission that will boldly go where no country has ever gone before — the Moon's south polar region. Through this effort, the aim is to improve our understanding of the Moon — discoveries that will benefit India and humanity as a whole. These insights and experiences aim at a paradigm shift in how lunar expeditions are approached for years to come — propelling further voyages into the farthest frontiers.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22. The crucial process of the soft landing of the Vikram lander onboard the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that is currently in the lunar orbit will be taken up in the early hours of September 7, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said on Thursday. Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bengaluru would be engaged in this process which is expected to be completed by 1:55am, he told reporters at the airport in Chennai.

"It is expected to make a soft landing (on the surface of the moon) at around 1:40am and completed by 1:55am. At the global level this is an important mission. It is being keenly watched by everyone," he said.

Elaborating about the complexity involved, he said the speed of the spacecraft needs to be brought down to 'zero.' In a major milestone for India's second Moon mission, the Chandrayaan-2spacecraft successfully entered the lunar orbit on Tuesday by performing Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) manoeuvre.

The second Lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for the spacecraft was successfully performed on Wednesday. There will be three more orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100km from the Moon's surface. ISRO has said subsequently the lander will separate from the Orbiter (on September 2) and enter into a 100km x 30km orbit around the Moon. Then it will perform a series of complex braking manoeuvres to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon.

Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be part of the event when 'Vikram' makes the soft landing, he said an invitation has been sent seeking the Prime Minister's participation. Asked if there was any gender bias at ISRO, he said there was no such discrimination and talented women were always given better roles.
The rover is set to make the soft landing on the Moon on September 7 and if successful the mission would make India the fourth country after Russia, the US, and China to achieve the feat.