AT&T pushes Marshmallow update for Galaxy S5 and S5 Active

The Android Nougat update may have already rolled out to select Nexus devices, but some other phones are only just getting the update to last year's Android version. So it is for the AT&T Galaxy S5 and S5 Active, both of which are now receiving the long-awaited Marshmallow update.

See also: Lost Galaxy S5 resurrected after spending seven months outside29

The update delivers Android 6.0.1 and all the associated benefits that come with it, as well as adding Wi-Fi and Video Calling and a bunch of security enhancements, including the August 1 security patch from Google. The build number is MMB29M – the same for both devices – and comes in at around 950 MB, so make sure you have a Wi-Fi connection and plenty of battery before downloading it.

While this is obviously good news to anyone still rocking an AT&T Galaxy S5, those with the newer Galaxy Note 4 might justifiably start asking where their Marshmallow update is at. If you want to check for it manually, just go to Settings > About phone > Software update > Check for update. As always, when you get the update be sure to let us know how it's treating you.

Are you happy to see Marshmallow on the S5? Or irritated that it took this long?

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An Android Wear watchface design could win you a trip to Paris Fashion Week

Google has announced that its upcoming collection of Android Wear watch faces – no doubt part of Android Wear 2.0 – is going to be crowdsourced. In collaboration with Paper Magazine, the Android Wear team will judge entries of watch face designs – not actually functioning watch faces – and select five winners.

See also: 10 best Android Wear watch faces56

Again, this is a design contest, not a coding challenge, so all you're required to do is design the look of a watch face and submit it to Instagram before September 15. You'll need to append the hashtags #AndroidWear and #WearWhatYouWant to your entry and you can use the same to check out the other submissions. You're only permitted to submit one design though.

We're crowdsourcing our next #AndroidWear watchface collection with @papermagazine! ✍️🎨⌚ → https://t.co/KBzbgDROh3 http://pic.twitter.com/zEMzTG0Ukj

— Android Wear (@AndroidWear) August 26, 2016

The judging panel consists of a veritable who's-who of the design glitterati (I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about) including Cynthia Rowley, Jenné Lombardo, Ty Hunter, Android Wear designer Morten Just, and Paper Magazine chief editor, Mickey Boardman. The judges will select five Finalists and one of those will ultimately be selected as the Grand Prize Winner.

The grand prize winner will be awarded a mentorship with one of the judges mentioned above, score a trip to Paris Fashion Week (with a +1) and pick up either a regular Huawei Watch in black or silver or the "elegant" or "jewel" version. They'll also get a couple of MODE watch bands, several catered meals (including one with a Googler) and some other fun stuff.

• You can read the full terms and conditions here.

Does this sound like something you might enter? What makes for a good watch face?

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Why Android 7.0 won’t offically come to Snapdragon 800/801 devices

Now that Android 7.0 Nougat has been released, the top tier OEMs have started to announce when we can expect to see upgrades. Sony has confirmed that the Xperia Z3+, the Xperia Z5 range, and the Xperia X & XA ranges will all get Nougat, while HTC has announced that Android Nougat will be coming to its HTC 10, One M9, and One A9 smartphones. And we know that Google has released Android 7.0 for the Nexus 6, the Nexus 5X, the Nexus 6P and the General Mobile 4G (Android One).

See also: Snapdragon 821: the chip that will power this fall's flagships94

Unfortunately, it looks like some popular devices will miss the party. For example, Sony's announcement didn't include the Xperia Z3, HTC's announcement didn't include the One M8, and Google isn't planning to release Nougat for the Nexus 5. These three devices have two things in common. First, their age: they were all released in 2013/2014, making them at least two years old. Secondly, they all use the Snapdragon 800 or Snapdragon 801 processor.

Qualcomm

Speculation about support for Android 7.0 on the Snapdragon 800/801 was further fueled by a tweet from LlabTooFeR, the developer behind the MaximusHD ROM, "Qualcomm will not release graphics drivers for 800/801 CPUs. So HTC One M8 and other devices based on this CPU won't get official Android 7.0."

We reached out to Qualcomm for a comment and received the following statement:

"Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. works closely with our OEM customers to implement and support varying versions of the Android OS across our Snapdragon chipsets. The length of time a chipset is supported and the upgradable OS versions available to consumers are subject to the OEM product lifecycle. We recommend you contact your device manufacturer or carrier for information on support for Android 7.0 Nougat."

So, according to Qualcomm it is an age thing, i.e. the OEMs (LG, Sony, HTC etc) have decided that Snapdragon 800/801 devices have reached the end of their product life cycles. But Qualcomm's statement and LlabTooFeR's tweet are at odds with one other. What if another OEM wanted to release Android 7.0 Nougat on a Snapdragon 800/801 device? Would it be allowed?

Sony

Sony was actively developing Android 7.0 for the Xperia Z3. There was an Android N Developer Preview program for the Xperia Z3 that was updated right up to and including Developer Preview 4. Android 7.0 clearly runs fine on the Snapdragon 800/801, so there is no technical limitation from the processor side of things. But DP5 was never released. According to Sony, it was because of reasons "both technical and legal."

Android 7.0 clearly runs fine on the Snapdragon 800/801, so there is no technical limitation from the processor side of things.

Ola Olsson, of Sony Mobile Communications, expanded on this a bit when he commented on Google+: "Yeah, this is sad but we don't want to play the blame game which means that we can't say more about the technical limitations. Even if we really wanted to give you N on the z3(c), we wouldn't [have] been able to do it. Not if we wanted to pass the Google CTS."

Google

From that it seems that Google is to blame. So what is the Google CTS? For OEMs to get Google's seal of approval (and have access to things like the Play Store) each OEM needs to conform with the Android Compatibility Definition Document (CDD), which basically sets down the rules about the software and hardware requirements of a compatible Android device. Then the device needs to pass the Compatibility Test Suite, the CTS.

So, just to recap before we go on. LlabTooFeR says that Qualcomm won't release the graphic drivers. Qualcomm says that the OEMs are calling the shots. While Sony, which had Android 7.0 running fine on the Snapdragon 801-based Z3, says that Google is to blame. Clear so far?

LlabTooFeR says Qualcomm won't release the graphic drivers. Qualcomm says that the OEMs are calling the shots. While Sony says that Google is to blame.

This then raises the question, what could be in the CDD and CTS for Android 7 that means that the Nexus 5, the HTC One (M8) and the Xperia Z3 can't qualify? When it comes to processors, we can broadly characterize them using three criteria: the supported instruction set, the GPU, and performance.

Looking over the list of devices that will receive Nougat we find the following:

• The devices cover a range of GPUs including Adreno 306, Adreno 430 and Mali-T860.
• The devices have a broad performance range from the Helio P10 and the Snapdragon 410 right through to the Snapdragon 820.
• All the devices have 64-bit processors.

The GPU coverage implies that it isn't a GPU problem. Devices with the Adreno 306 will get Android 7.0 Nougat and from what I have been told by the Mali GPU group at ARM, Android 7.0 does not mandate the use of Vulkan. Open GL ES is still supported and used in parallel with Vulkan. As for ARM's GPUs, Vulkan is supported by the Mali-T760 onwards, not just on high-end devices based on the Mali-T880 or Mali-G71. So the assertion that "Qualcomm will not release graphics drivers" is a bit of a red herring.

The assertion that Qualcomm will not release graphics drivers is a bit of a red herring.

Secondly, performance doesn't seem to be an issue. Devices with the low-end Snapdragon 410 will get Nougat and so will devices with the MediaTek P1, as will high-end devices with high-end SoCs. Nothing here indicates a specific level of performance that the Snapdragon 801 can't achieve. In fact, my own testing has shown that the Snapdragon 801 is faster than the Helio X10.

But, notice that all the devices receiving an upgrade are 64-bit devices, or more specifically, ARMv8 devices. So what is it about these 64-bit devices that would mean that the Snapdragon 800/801 is disqualified? It isn't the GPU. It isn't performance. It isn't any imaginary 4GB of RAM limitation. So what is it?

ARMv8 and the Advanced Encryption Standard

Here is my theory. Google is increasingly keen to mandate the use of storage encryption. For Android 6.0, the CDD stated that, "If the device implementation supports a secure lock screen… then the device MUST support full-disk encryption" and that "the full-disk encryption MUST be enabled by default at the time the user has completed the out-of-box setup experience."

However, there were some exemptions which allowed older devices to run without storage encryption. The CDD also stipulated a performance level for this encryption "for device implementations supporting full-disk encryption and with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) crypto performance above 50MiB/sec."

Android 7.0 Nougat implements file-based encryption, meaning that individual files are encrypted rather than the whole file system. File-based encryption allows Android to use more fine-grained encryption policies and it also enables Direct Boot. At the time of writing this article the CDD for Android 7.0 isn't available, but you can pretty much guarantee that there is an AES crypto performance level specified and that the CTS will test for it.

One of the extra bits of functionality that comes with ARMv8 is the addition of extra instructions for performing hardware encryption. This means that all ARMv8 SoCs like the Helio P10, the Snapdragon 410 and the Snapdragon 820 can use special hardware in the processor to encrypt data using AES, and that is much faster than using a software-based solution.

So the reasons "both technical and legal" that Sony mentioned could well be that the Snapdragon 800/801 couldn't match the AES encryption speeds of the ARMv8 chips because it doesn't have hardware encryption. It seems that the Snapdragon 805 does have the right hardware needed, something Qualcomm added on specifically for that chip. The benefits listed for the Snapdragon 805 include: "full disk encryption and cryptographic functions for Android applications".

The bottom line is this: there is no technical reason why the Snapdragon 800/801 can't run Nougat. Sony proved that and both ARM and Qualcomm are essentially saying the same thing. But because of Google's requirement for high speed encryption the Snapdragon 800/801 can't pass the CTS and don't comply with the CDD. At least, that is the theory anyway.

The bottom line is this: there is no technical reason why the Snapdragon 800/801 can't run Nougat. The lack of Android 7.0 is more likely due to Google's requirement for high speed encryption.

Wrap-up

One more thought, the Cortex-A32 processor is an ARMv8 processor that can only run in 32-bit mode, however it benefits from the extra instructions including the encryption instructions. If I am right, then this means we could still see 32-bit versions of Android 7.0 Nougat, but only on the Cortex-A32!

At the moment, this is all theory; I think a good theory, but theory nonetheless. All will become clearer when Google releases the Android Compatibility Definition Document for Android 7.0 Nougat and when other OEMs announce their upgrade plans. On the plus side, because custom ROMs don't need to pass any Google compatibility tests, many of these forgotten devices will still get Android Nougat, albeit via the custom ROM community.

Do you have a theory about why the Xperia Z3, the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 5 don't support Android 7.0? Please let me know in the comments below.

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Opera cloud servers hacked, passwords and account details feared compromised

If you've been using Opera's cloud sync service, your password and other sensitive data might have been hacked. Opera confirmed the mid-week server breach on Friday, saying "this attack was quickly blocked" but that "we believe some data, including some of our sync users' passwords and account information, such as login names, may have been compromised."

See also: Opera unlimited free VPN now on Android29

Opera has already reset all Opera sync account passwords as a precaution and sent emails to all Opera sync users informing them of the breach and advising they change their passwords as soon as possible. You can do that via the button below. Just to be safe, Opera is also encouraging users to change any other third-party site passwords that might sync with Opera's service.

RESET OPERA PASSWORD

Even though the passwords that may have been intercepted are either encrypted synchronized passwords or hashed and salted authentication passwords, the fact that the hackers may have also accessed the account passwords and account details at the same time means that if there was ever any possibility of decrypting those passwords, this would be it.

As if to mitigate the severity of the issue, Opera noted in a blog post that in the last month, less than 0.5% of Opera's total user base were using its sync service. But that's still 1.7 million people. On the plus side, if you're one of the 350 million Opera users that don't use Opera sync, there's nothing you need to do as your account details and passwords are unaffected by the hack.

Less than 0.5% of Opera's total user base, but still 1.7 million people, were using its sync service in the last month.

As we've seen repeatedly with recent high-profile account hacking, part of the problem also lies in the frequency with which folks re-use passwords across multiple services. If you re-use usernames and/or passwords across multiple services and one of them with weaker security gets hacked, then your credentials for more important services might have been given up in the process.

Do you use Opera sync? Have you had an account hacked before?

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Google reportedly cutting Fiber workforce in half, moving to wireless solution

According to a new report in The Information, last month Larry Page told Google Fiber boss, Craig Barratt, to cut his 1000-strong workforce in half. If true, the move comes amidst claims that Google Fiber's physical broadband network is to be replaced with a wireless high-speed internet solution instead. Given the reported job cuts, this bait-and-switch approach makes a lot of sense.

See also: AT&T claims Google's incorrect info delays Fiber rollout8

To say Google Fiber's rollout has been plagued with problems would be an understatement. Repeated delays, unfulfilled contracts and a debatable service plan led to one insider admitting "we weren't able to learn from our mistakes". Barratt himself had reportedly contemplated leaving last year, based on growing dissatisfaction with Fiber's expensive rollout.

Page apparently wants to abandon the slow and costly rollout of physical broadband infrastructure – something that takes a lot of people a long time to complete. The alternative is to replace it with a high-speed wireless solution currently being used by WebPass, a company Google recently acquired. According to the report, this would allow Google to roll out Fiber for one-tenth of the current cost. The new wireless internet division is reportedly known as Access.

Switching to a wireless approach would allow Google to roll out Fiber for one-tenth of the current cost.

While other senior executives at Alphabet still believe Google Fiber – or Access – presents a viable business model, Sergey Brin and Larry Page are less than optimistic. Sergey Brin reportedly said last year that "Fiber was a low-margin business and [that] Alphabet would have to find less expensive methods than digging up streets to deploy fiber optic cables in order to continue expanding coverage".

Following the reshuffling under Alphabet, all Google divisions were forced to present profitability plans, with drastic changes as a consequence for failing to demonstrate how a project could make money in the near future. Google Fiber has apparently reached the end of its grace period and is to undergo some pretty massive shifts in the coming months.

What are your thoughts on Google Fiber? Is a wireless solution the wiser move?

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T-Mobile confirms which Samsung and HTC phones are getting the Nougat update

T-Mobile has published a list of which branded devices in its lineup will be getting the Android 7.0 update. There are only two devices on the list from HTC – the HTC 10 and the One M9 – but there's seven Samsung devices featuring all the flagships from the Galaxy S6 onwards.

See also: Android 7.0 Nougat review: an Android version for Android fans320

No timeline was given for when you can expect Android 7.0 by T-Mobile, but you can check out the link to see our predictions based on past OEM performance. Carriers add and additional delay to the process though, with additional certification and bloatware-addition.

For reference though, T-Mobile was the first carrier to bring Android 5.1.1 to the Galaxy S6 (in just 39 days) but the third to deliver Marshmallow to that device, taking 189 days to cross the finish line. While the update has essentially zero chance of rolling out this year, at least owners of the following devices know they'll get it eventually:

• HTC 10
• HTC One M9
• Samsung Galaxy S6
• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
• Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7

You can expect other devices including the LG G5, LG V10 and some newer Xperia devices to also make the cut, so keep an eye on T-Mobile's support pages for that. While we know the Note 7 will get Nougat within 2-3 months and that the HTC 10 Nougat update is destined for Q4, all of the devices listed on T-Mo's update page are still in the very first stage of being updated: 'Manufacturer Development', so don't expect testing to even begin for another couple of months.

Is your T-Mo phone on the list? When do you think you'll get Nougat?

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Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge: Android update tracker (T-Mo confirms Nougat)

Update, August 26: T-Mobile has released a preliminary list of devices slated for the Nougat update and both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge (as well as the S6 Edge+) are on the list.

This is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Android update tracker page. This page covers updates for both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge on the four big U.S. carriers as well as the unlocked international version. We've got a quick reference table of available versions and a detailed log of updates for all S6 models. This page will be regularly updated with the latest Galaxy S6 update information, so feel free to bookmark it and revisit regularly for all your Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge update news.

• Android Marshmallow update tracker
• Android 7.0 Nougat update tracker

Galaxy S6 Android update: U.S.

Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge updates - US	Android 5.0	Android 5.0.1	Android 5.0.2	Android 5.1	Android 5.1.1	Android 6.0	Android 6.0.1	Android 7.0
Verizon	No	No	Out	No	Out	No	Out	TBC
AT&T	No	No	Out	No	Out	No	Out	TBC
T-Mobile	No	No	Out	No	Out	No	Out	TBC
Sprint	No	No	Out	No	Out	No	Out	TBC

Android 7.0 Nougat first available: August 22, 2016

Android 6.0 Marshmallow first available: October 5, 2015

Android 5.1.1 Lollipop first available: May 7, 2015

Verizon Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update (SM-G920V/SM-G925V):

• August 17, 2016: Verizon pushed an update for the S6 and S6 Edge fixing various problems with Wi-Fi and HD Voice calling.
• July 6, 2016: Verizon fixed a bug where multiple unsuccessful unlock attempts would automatically trigger a factory reset.
• May 24, 2016: Verizon pushed an update that removed bloatware and added a RAM manager.
• April 1, 2016: Verizon rolled out Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the S6 and S6 Edge.
• August 13, 2015: Verizon released Android 5.1.1 for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

Number of days it took Verizon to update to Marshmallow: 179; to Android 5.1.1: 98.

---

AT&T Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update (SM-G920A/SM-G925A):

• May 17, 2016: The Android 6.0.1 update went out to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on Sprint.
• September 25, 2015: AT&T rolled out Android 5.1.1 for the S6 Edge and Galaxy S6.

Number of days it took AT&T to update to Marshmallow: 225; to Android 5.1.1: 141.

---

T-Mobile Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update (SM-G920T/SM-G925T):

• August 26, 2017: The T-Mobile Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ are all confirmed to receive Android 7.0 Nougat.
• June 28, 2016: T-Mobile rolled out an anti-theft update with bug fixes and the June security patch.
• April 11, 2016: The T-Mobile Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update to Android 6.0.1 arrived.
• June 15, 2015: The Android 5.1.1 update dropped for the T-Mobile S6 and S6 Edge.

Number of days it took T-Mobile to update to Marshmallow: 189; to Android 5.1.1: 39.

---

Sprint Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update (SM-G920P/SM-G925P):

• March 10, 2016: The Sprint Galaxy S6/S6 Edge got the 6.0.1 Marshmallow update.
• June 30, 2015: Sprint updated the S6 and S6 Edge to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Number of days it took Sprint to update to Marshmallow: 157; to Android 5.1.1: 54.

First carrier to roll out Marshmallow for the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge: Sprint (157 days).

First carrier to roll out Android 5.1.1 for the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge: T-Mobile (39 days).

International Galaxy S6/S6 Edge update (SM-G920F/SM-G925F):

• August 10, 2016: The unlocked S6 Edge received a patch for a "critical security vulnerability".
• March 18, 2016: Indian owners of the S6 and S6 Edge got the Android 6.0.1 update.
• February 10, 2016: The S6 and S6 Edge in Poland were the first international customers on Marshmallow.
• January 30: The very first Samsung device to get updated to Marshmallow was the South Korean Galaxy S6.
• June 22, 2015: Android 5.1.1 started appearing on international unlocked versions of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

If you've received an update we've missed, hit the comments below or Tip Us!

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