Sony voices Xperia Android Nougat rollout plan

Google's upcoming major Android release, Android Nougat, is the hot topic right now, especially after the software giant debuted it earlier than usual yesterday for Nexus users. Naturally, this puts a spotlight on manufacturers to keep up. We already know that the LG V20, set for a Sept. 6th launch, will run it out of the box — beating the Note 7 to the punch, which Samsung says will begin rolling out in 2-3 months. Motorola and HTC make a valiant effort for timely update turnarounds. But what about Sony?

See also: Android 7.0 Nougat update arrives: when will you get it?154

Well, you don't have to wonder. The Sony Mobile team has just let us in on its Android 7.0 plans. It confirms that the following devices are on its Nougat upgrade roadmap: Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z4 tablet, Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia X, Xperia XA, Xperia XA Ultra, and Xperia X Performance. There you have it.

Sadly, the Xperia Z3 isn't included, but then again, it is nearing its two years of existence. Manufacturers typically cut off major software updates at two years. Sony doesn't give any indication of when to expect the Nougat update for the said devices, only stating as an asterisk at the bottom of the announcement: "Software rollouts are a phased process – timing and availability will vary by market and/or operator."

One other teaser the team provides is that new features and functionality and UI improvements are afoot. As of late, Sony has been working at toning down the Xperia's UI in favor for Google's aesthetic, so we'll see what those refinements mold into.

We know Xperia users want to know a time-frame for the Nougat update (everyone does), but at least this is something. It's more frustrating when manufacturers are completely quiet about it. Hit up the source link for the official word.

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OnePlus hints at a new set of headphones coming on Aug. 25

OnePlus is spinning some new hype to raise interest ahead of another product launch. The company unveiled a teaser video today that strongly implies you'll have another choice when looking for a new set of headphones.

The YouTube video, which features some groovy disco music, a spinning disc, and a concluding message to "tune in on 8.25.2016," gives prominent placement to what looks like a stylish, new earbud right in the middle of the screen.

See also: OnePlus 3 review155

OnePlus isn't a newcomer to the world of music accessories. The company currently sells the OnePlus Icons. These earbuds are composed of sleek aluminum, which gives them a modern, metallic look without the weight of metal. In addition, OnePlus offers the budget-friendly Silver Bullets. The latter is out of stock, which might indicate whatever's coming is the replacement.

The latest signature phone, the OnePlus 3, has only been out for a couple of months. So it's very unlikely this announcement is another smartphone. The company tends to up the weirdness scale for those types of launches, such as when it gave away VR headsets so you could buy the OnePlus 3 from a virtual spaceship.

The unveiling is set for Aug. 25, so whatever they're planning you can be sure OnePlus will crank up the theatrics. Stay tuned.

Post written by Derek Walters.

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Facebook experiments with audio-auto play for mobile apps

Warning: you might want to doing a quick sound check before browsing your Facebook news feed from your mobile device at work. Currently, the social network is testing out auto-audio to stream alongside its auto-play videos.

Facebook has seen a 66 percent rise in the average daily video views per user, the company told us. But about half of that total video consumption is spent viewing content with the sound off – or half is spent with the sound on, depending on your outlook. So Facebook is testing out auto-playing sound just to if its something people enjoy and will be "monitoring feedback closely." For now, the feature is only being testing on Facebook's mobile apps.

See also: 10 best Facebook apps for Android36

Just as news feed videos auto play at you scroll to them and stop when you move past them, their audio stream will play and pause in the same manner. So if you can't trust your friends to keep their post SFW, you'll have to visit the mobile app's Settings menu or toggle off sound on the videos themselves.

Arriving as Facebook continues its expansion of Live video, audio-auto play appears to be the social network's latest effort to drive up video engagement, and the ad revenue it raises, to lure users away from the allure of YouTube and Twitch and other popular sites for streaming video.

So what do you think about having the option to liven up your news feed with auto-play audio? Are you just peachy with they way things are right now?

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Upcoming Samsung Scoop portable speaker pictured by the FCC

We often have the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to thank for disclosing tidbits about upcoming devices as part of its approval process. Sometimes we merely get a tease about a mysterious device, and sometimes we get a full-fledged reveal with images. Luckily today, we have the latter, giving us our first look at a sleek portable speaker from Samsung that will be called the Scoop.

See also: Best Bluetooth Speakers of 201433

From the bat, we see that Samsung took portability pretty seriously with this guy. It looks roughly 8 centimeters in diameter and not that tall either. The lengthy leather strap emphasizes the on-the-go usability; we wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be water resistant as well.

Audio obviously gets fired from the speaker grill that dominates the top, and the features surround the two-tone body. The FCC's shots are generous enough to show that there is a protective flap over the USB and AUX ports (for charging and wired audio input, respectively), a microphone (for hands-free calling and maybe S Voice support?), and a power button. There's also covertly placed playback controls along the top perimeter: volume +/- (which can also switch tracks) and a play/Bluetooth pair button.

Snippet from Scoop user manual provided by FCC

This is the first time we're hearing about Samsung's ultra-portable Scoop speaker, so we don't have any idea about a release date or pricing. However, based on this reveal, it doesn't appear like it's too far from launching. Is anyone intrigued by Samsung's upcoming Bluetooth Speaker? Do you think the Scoop's design has enough to stand out in a crowded market?

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Is Android 7.0 Nougat everything you hoped it would be? [Poll of the Week]

Last week's poll summary: Out of over 5,400 total votes, 27% of our readers said they are planning to buy the Galaxy Note 7 soon. 24% of our readers said they were waiting until the new Nexus phones arrive, and 22% said they've already placed their orders.

The day has finally arrived – Google has officially launched the consumer-ready version of Android 7.0 Nougat! While factory images are just now starting to roll out, many users who were already signed up for the Android Beta Program have already received their OTA updates.

If you've been running any of the developer previews for Android Nougat, you won't really find too many changes in this final version. It's basically a more stable version of Developer Preview 5, which definitely isn't a bad thing.

See also: The official list of Android 7.0 Nougat features299

There are a lot of really great features in Android Nougat – split-screen mode, Doze on the Go, bundled notifications, direct reply – the list goes on. At the same time, we've heard many folks say that Nougat is a tad underwhelming.

So we want to know – is Android 7.0 Nougat everything you hoped it would be? Be sure cast your vote in the poll below, and if there's something you need to add, feel free to speak up in the comment section. And even if you haven't used Nougat yet, feel free to let us know your thoughts so far.

We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

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How to flash Android 7.0 Nougat on your Nexus

With Android 7.0 Nougat, Google seems to be getting even faster at offering OTAs, with half our team already having the OTA downloaded and installed. Still, not everyone will probably get it that fast, and sometimes you don't want to wait. Or perhaps there's a reason you want a clean install (too much old bloat on your device, etc). In those situations, starting from scratch is certainly worth considering. If you've never done it before, there are a few hoops to go through, but nothing too difficult.

See also: Android 7.0 Nougat official features299

For those that are familiar with flashing, there's really nothing new about this process with Android 7.0. That said, if you've never unlocked the bootloader in your Nexus 6P or 5X, it is worth noting that you absolutely need the latest version of the Android SDK (which you should install anyhow) — as these devices only recognize the new command for unlocking the bootloader – fastboot flashing unlock.

For those that have never flashed an update at all, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about the process.

See also: Android 7.0 Nougat factory images are going live now

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What will you need before you get started?

• A Nexus device along with a USB cable to connect it to your computer.
• The Android SDK installed on your machine with ADB and Fastboot command successfully working. Here's a tutorial on how to do that.
• You'll also need the appropriate factory image for your Nexus device. Go to this website to download them and make sure you get the right one for your device. It's worth it to spend a moment to make sure you have the right one rather than have to deal with the issues of downloading the wrong one.
• You'll also need 7zip or a similar program that can handle .tgz and .tar files. You can download 7zip for free here.
• You will also need to unlock your Nexus bootloader. Beware, this will erase your data. It's also worth noting that flashing a factory image will also erase your data. Make sure to back it up!

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Unlocking your bootloader

Before you get started, if your phone's bootloader has never been unlocked, you'll need to do a few extra steps before manually installing Android Nougat. Remember, opening the bootloader will reset your phone, losing all personal data.

With that out of the way:

1. Turn off your Nexus.
2. Hold down power and volume down buttons.
3. On your Nexus type ./fastboot flashing unlock
4. Press volume up and power button to confirm bootloader unlock.
5. Type ./fastboot reboot — that's it. You're now unlocked and ready!

 

How to manually install Android Nougat on a Nexus device

Keep in mind that this process is pretty straightforward, but things can and do go wrong if you don't carefully follow instructions. In other words, proceed at your own risk. With that out of the way, here's what you need to do:

1. Boot your Nexus device into fastboot mode. You do this by turning it off and holding down the volume up + volume down keys and then pressing power. That should work for all modern Nexus devices but if not, you may need to Google Search how to do it on yours.
2. On your computer, use 7zip to extract the .tgz file you downloaded from the Android Developer website. Use 7zip a second time to extract the .tar file you extracted from the .tgz. When you're done, you should have a folder with several files in it.
3. Copy all of these files and paste them in the platform-tools folder in the Android SDK on your computer. If you followed the above tutorial, this should be under the C drive, then under Program Files (x86) on Windows. Linux users, you know where you put it.
4. If you have not already done so, connect your Nexus device to your computer. ADB and Fastboot commands should already work at this point if you've been following along.
5. There are two flash-all files. If you're in Windows, you'll want to double click the one that has the gear logo and says "Windows Batch File" on the right. If you're on Linux, you'll want to double click the flash-all.sh.
6. At this point a box should pop up and you should see the installation taking place. While this is going on, do not unplug your device for any reason. Let it do its thing.
7. Once the installation process as finished, your device will automatically reboot and you should see the official Android 7.0 Nougat boot animation start up. You can now safely disconnect your device from your computer. Congrats, you now have Nougat!

If you have any issues, check out the Android Authority Forums and ask there. You can also post a comment below, and we'll do our best to help you out, and invite other readers to pitch in as well. Good luck, have fun, and we hope you enjoy Android Nougat!

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Android 7.0 Nougat factory images are going live now

If you've been waiting for the Android 7.0 Nougat factory images to appear, the rollout is starting now. Android 7.0 factory images are available on the Google Developers site for the Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi), Pixel C and Nexus Player. We would expect images for the recent Nexus smartphones will follow soon.

See also: The official list of Android 7.0 Nougat features299

All three have the same build numbers as those devices that have already received the OTA update: NRD90M and come with the August 5 security patch. The OTA images are also available for these three devices if you'd prefer to go that route instead. If you need a little help with the flashing procedure, feel free to check out our guide to flashing factory images.

• Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi): factory image / OTA image
• Pixel C: factory image / OTA image
• Nexus Player: factory image / OTA image

Let us know how you go with Android 7.0 Nougat update and what you think of Google's rollout of it. I don't know about you, but this has been one of the least painful updates I've ever seen. The OTA rolled out so fast yesterday that for the first time I didn't even have to flash a factory image to get the latest version of Android.

Up next: How Android Nougat's Direct boot feature works

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