Google Is Rolling Out Android 7.1.1 (engadget.com) 75
Google is rolling out Android 7.1.1 for Pixel and Nexus smartphones, including the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus Player, Pixel C and General Mobile 4G (Android One). You can download it over-the-air when it becomes available "over the next several weeks" or flash it yourself. Engadget details some of the new features found in Android 7.1.1:
As for what you can find from a feature perspective, Google has added support for its "image keyboard" that lets you easily find and send pictures and GIFs without leaving your messaging app of choice. Google says it'll work inside of Hangouts, Allo, and the default Messaging app. Ironically enough, the feature has been available in the Gboard iOS keyboard that Google launched in the spring, but it's good to see it coming to more Android phones now. Android 7.1.1 also includes Google's latest set of more diverse emoji, specifically focused on showing a "wider range of professions" for women. And it also contains the excellent app shortcut feature that originally launched on the Pixel -- if you press and hold on an app's icon, a sub-menu of shortcuts will show up. You'll be able to quickly send a message to a specific contact or navigate to a saved location using these shortcuts, for example. They're very much like the "force touch" shortcuts found on the iPhone, but that doesn't make them any less useful.
Awesome! (Score:1)
Can't wait to upgrade to it in 1.5 years! I'll go mark my calendar now....
And here I am (Score:5)
Still running a phone with 4.4.
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Buy a new phone.
The problem is e-waste, and you are part of the problem.
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Phone makers that lock the bootloader or otherwise intentionally obstruct community-maintained distributions of Android OS for the phones they make are also part of the e-waste problem.
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As a former BlackBerry OS user, I feel the same way. Especially when I compare BB10 to Android. Sure, Android has more apps. But the BB10 OS was amazing. I feel like I have taken a step backwards on the OS.
I have the BB Priv, which is a good device. But I miss using my BB Z10.
Android gets patched more frequently than (Score:1)
a plaster wall in an earthquake zone
thanks, but no thanks
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Exactly. Who wants an OS that has bug fixes and security holes fixed. Long live v1.6 Donut!
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Name one successful major OS that's currently supported that doesn't receive patches/updates/fixes.
A Soothing Green (Score:1)
Your prison walls have now been painted in more calming colors. Enjoy!
And remember! It may seem like magic, but it's really just the arbitrary and capricious obfuscation inherent in a proprietary system!
And you know what? (Score:2)
Great! (Score:2, Interesting)
I bet people will enjoy it when it finally makes its way into the hands of the public in several years' time. Right now, only 0.4% of Android users are on Android 7 [android.com]. For comparison, 1.2% of Android users are still on Android 2.3, released exactly 6 years ago today, and 24% of Android users are still on Android 4.4, released over three years ago.
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That's why you use a Google phone, such as Nexus or the new Prism! Who wants Samsung fucking with their OS?
Re: Great! (Score:1)
Even Nexus phones are only guaranteed to get updates for a measly 2 years. Meanwhile iPhones get them for 4-5 years.
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I have a nexus model and it's stuck on 5.x
Used Nexus 6 phones can be had on ebay for $AU206 but if it costs me two hundred bucks just to get the lastest OS on a soon to be unsupported phone then they really aren't that much better than the competition.
(Yes, I'm cheap.)
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Excellent (Score:3)
Because despite the misleading article saying Google is releasing it for Nexus phones, the carrier still needs to test and release it (unless you want to download and manually install a ROM and completely wipe your phone) - and my carrier still has not released 7.0 for fucks sake. And for the record, I did manually install 7.1 through the Beta program on it - and promptly lost access to LTE on my carrier.
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Carrier definitely makes a difference...let us know which you are on.
For an opposing experience my Nexus 6p on Google's 'Fi' network is on 7.1.1 and even in the beta program has been rock solid.
My only complaint isn't really isn't taking full advantage of the multiple networks and i've switched it manually and gotten signal when it was still fruitlessly trying to reconnect to the network with no signal in the train tunnels.
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Agreed.
Or, I'm told that removing the SIM card will allow the OTA update as well.
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The Nexus 6P has been a disaster in Australia and, despite the fact I loved the phone, it's pushed me off Androi
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"I did manually install 7.1 through the Beta program on it - and promptly lost access to LTE on my carrier."
I wouldn't call an OTA update "manual".
Is that what you mean ?
A Beta release which fails isn't all that damning.
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TL;DR : Telstra (Australia).
Nothing more needed saying. Good for coverage and nothing else. They also seem to be the only carrier that puts effort into screwing business customers as equally as consumers.To be fair to Google though, the model is similar. The difference is that ISPs actually put effort into ensuring things work first go on the iPhone.
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Someone has to pay for useless 24/7 support. As opposed to useless 9-5 support.
Seriously though I remember calling them up because our $3000/m leased lines died. They blamed our equipment. Even though it was 6 different modems in 3 different locations, about 3km apart. Eventually they went out to their cabinet to have a look. As it turns out their exchange building was under water. At least we managed to sue them for damages due to the way the contract was written, but really when an engineer calls your bus
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My next phone (Score:2)
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When are MS going to save the day with their new Windows 11 Surface phones, anyway? :)
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we should go back to using ASCII ;-}
For those who need pictograms, there is Kanji - well tried and tested, and stable for over 3,000 years.
Disney fans may need emojis. A lot of others probably need literacy.
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You only don't like emojis because you're a U+1F4A9 U+263A.
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Disney fans may need emojis.
Considering how many stories we get about Marvel this, Star Wars that, Pixar the other, and people holding onto cable because ESPN owns exclusive broadcast rights to professional and collegiate sport matches, there are probably a lot of fans of Disney products and services who read Slashdot.
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True! There is an app (Line) where, if I want to blow a kiss, I need to make it as a female, as no male-blower exists. I demand male kiss blowers! They could be lumberjacks, for example.
Nexus 6? Sure... (Score:2)
I'm still on 6.0.1 on my Google Fi Nexus 6. I've been getting the monthly security updates, but have seen neither hide nor hair of 7.anything for my phone. Keep in mind the Nexus 6 was supposed to get 7.0 in October, and it's now December...
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My nexus 6 has the update available. I think you must have hosed some settings.
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I suppose it's *possible*, but since it's neither rooted nor unlocked, it seems pretty unlikely. The only "unusual" thing I did was enable the device encryption. May as well see if I can enroll in the beta program to get the update pushed.
Though what I really wish was my N7 2013 LTE tablet would get updates, still.
Still at v6.0.1. (Score:2)
Waiting for Samsung to provide v7 on its Galaxy S6 edge. :P
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I will pass on the prereleases and wait for the final. :D
Motorola won't give it to me (Score:2)
So unfortunately, I have no fucks to give.
Honest question: (Score:2)
Oh great! (Score:2)
Oh this is just great. Just keep adding useless stuff, but then don't do anything of value and remove useful features. Android has been going downhill since Android 4, as it is now Android as an app platform is useless since more and more features have been removed.
What about the bugs? (Score:1)
Who cares about emojis? 7.1 has major glitches that needed to be addressed.
Meh, It's a Cellphone OS (Score:2)
It's not like the Android "community" is going to use it. You see, cellphones aren't getting better, so we hold on to our phones. Our carriers and cellphone makers won't update our phones. If we update our phones it breaks the warranty.
Cellphones are just supposed to be disposable crap we purchase in infatuation, and throw in the trash when we discover there's no racing stripe on our model.
Cellphone usability sucks. Every tried to get stuff done on a cellphone. It has all the power of the 2000 computer, wit
7 Eleven (Score:2)
"Google Is Rolling Out Android 7.1.1"
Free with a large Slurpee