In the ROM community, LineageOS is arguably still the ‘go-to’ option thanks in part to the sheer number of devices supported. That said, there is no longer support for the Google Nexus 4 or Samsung Galaxy S9 with LineageOS.
One of the best things about Android is how flexible it can be, and that especially applies to the hard work of talented developers bringing newer versions of Android to older devices. Now, someone has made Android Oreo available for the 5-year old Nexus 4.
Following the release of Android Nougat, developers are hard at work getting the new OS on older hardware. We’ve already seen builds go live for the officially unsupported Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013, and now we’ve got even more devices running on N including the Nexus 4, OnePlus One, multiple Samsung tablets, and the Raspberry Pi 3…
CyanogenMod 13 nightlies — which are based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow — have been rolling out for a couple of months now, and now you can grab the custom Android ROM for the Nexus 4. While this may not be a vanilla build of Android Marshmallow, it is yet another method of bringing the latest that Android has to offer to a phone that’s more than three years old…
Several old Nexus devices just don’t support Android 6.0 Marshmallow (and many never will), and that has left some owners of older phones feeling left out. But now, owners of the 2010 (yep, 5 years old) Nexus S might be glad to hear that one developer has managed to put together a build of Marshmallow for the phone. It’s definitely at your own risk, but you can now install this hacky unofficial build of Marshmallow with a little know-how, and here’s how to do it…
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There are a few Nexus devices that got the boot with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and that has left some owners of ancient (just a few years old, in reality) technology very unhappy. But this is Android, guys, and there is no reason we can’t have what we want. Specifically, owners of the Nexus 4 should rejoice: It’s definitely at your own risk, but you can now install an unofficial build of Google’s latest version of Android on your phone. Here’s how to do it…
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Today’s Google event was chock full of new products and services many of which were leaked ahead of the event. While most of the new items had been covered in recent days (casemakers were ready), Stephen, Cam, Jordan and Chance did an excellent job rounding up the unexpected too. Some things that stood out:
This year, Google is rumored to be partnering with a Chinese manufacturer for the first time on its Nexus lineup. The Huawei Nexus isn’t just an experiment, or giving a new OEM a chance at making a device. If rumors are correct, the partnership was chosen because of Huawei’s influence in China. Google’s Play Services are limited in China, in that they’re basically non-existent. But still, as a consumer, I can’t help but feel this year should have been Samsung’s year, and next year definitely should be…
Alleged Huawei Nexus prototype/dummy
Well-known leakster, Steve Hemmerstoffer has leaked further information regarding the upcoming purported Nexus devices. Using his OnLeaks account, he shared some detailed specifications an features of both the rumored smaller LG device and larger Huawei-made smartphone.
Information passed to Steve by his sources suggests that both phones will feature front-firing speakers, USB Type-C compatibility and a fingerprint sensor on the back. Although both are rumored to likely feature a metal chassis, the dimensions will be different. LG’s Nexus is purported to measure in at 9.8mm thick, 147mm tall and 73mm wide while the Huawei device is allegedly going to be 8.5mm thick and measure at around 12.5mm taller and 5mm wider than LG’s Pure Google phone.
Update: Previous version of this story said the original post was from yesterday, when it was actually from June 11th. The story made its way to the /r/Android subreddit yesterday.
Last night a story bubbled up in the Android community that led many to believe that older Nexus devices – specifically the Nexus 4, 7, and 10 – would be receiving official updates to Android M, Google’s upcoming major release of Android. Artem Russakovskii from Android Police, however, has come out on Google+ to say that the evidence presented shows no indication that these devices will be updated.
Earlier today we shared the over-the-air images for Android 5.1.1 on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. Now, Google has posted the Android 5.1.1 factory images for the 2012 and 2013 mobile Nexus 7 models, the Nexus 4, and the Nexus 5. Google shared the factory images for the Nexus 10 and WiFi-only 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7 models last month.
Update: The OTA download link is now available for the Nexus 5 as well.
Android 5.1.1 been making its way to most Nexus devices over the last few weeks, and now it’s time for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 to get a chance at the fun. The factory images still haven’t been uploaded to Google’s developers’ website, but some Nexus 4 and 5 owners are already receiving the update to 5.1.1 over-the-air and have kindly shared the download links—meaning you can get the update right now straight from Google’s servers and sideload it via ADB.
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Android 5.1 has been slowly but surely making its way to the slew of Nexus devices that still get updates, and the Nexus 4 was one—until just now—that still hadn’t gotten the latest version of Lollipop. The factory image still hasn’t been uploaded to Google’s developers’ website (we’ll update this post when that’s available), but some Nexus 4 owners are already receiving the update over-the-air and have kindly shared the download link—meaning you can get the update right now straight from Google’s servers.
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After making Android 5.1 official earlier this evening, Google has now started posting factory images of the latest version of its operating system to the Android Developers website. Android 5.1 factory images for the Nexus 5, Nexus 10, and 2012 WiFi Nexus 7 are now available to download.
Google today has made Android 5.1 Lollipop official. The update, available previously only on select Android One devices, brings a host of enhancements and changes to the operating system. A report earlier this week stated that the update would be made official this week, and it looks like that has now happened…
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Google last week released Android 5.0.1 to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and published factory images for WiFi-only Nexus devices, including the Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and Nexus 10. Today, however, Google has posted the factory images for Android 5.0.1 on the Nexus 6 and Nexus 4. The factory images are labeled as build LRX22C.
Google this evening has pushed out an updated build of Android Lollipop to the Android Open Source Project. Albeit a minor version number increase, Android 5.0.1 is now showing up in AOSP, carrying the build number LRX22C. While it’s unclear exactly what has changed in this build from the initial Android 5.0 release, we don’t expect too many noticeable additions, with most of the improvements likely coming in the form of under-the-hood bug fixes.
As expected, it appears that Google is now slowly rolling out Android Lollipop for the Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10. A number of users have turned to Twitter to report that their Nexus smartphones and tablets are now beginning to receive Lollipop as an over-the-air software update.
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Google has finally published the Android 5.0 factory image for the Nexus 4. Build LRX21T ships in the form of a 471MB download and has all of the tools to get an official build of Lollipop running on your retro Nexus smartphone, as long as you don’t mind a little heavy lifting.
It’s definitely one of the most highly anticipated software updates that Android has ever seen. Today, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update—that was first previewed earlier this year at Google I/O—has begun rolling out OTA to Nexus devices everywhere. “Dessert is served,” Google says. We haven’t heard reports of any devices actually having access to the update quite yet, but with this tweet from the Android team, one can expect updates to start appearing very soon.
While the wait continues for Google to release Android Lollipop as an over-the-air software update and post official factory images of the latest operating system version, a number of developers over at XDA-Developers have taken it upon themselves to take the Lollipop source code and create builds for the Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and other devices.
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Following this morning’s report that Android Wear 2.0 would drop on November 3rd, Android Police now reports that Google is planning to release Android 5.0 Lollipop to a trio of Nexus devices on that same day. The report claims that Lollipop will hit the 2012 WiFi-only Nexus 7, the 2013 WiFi-only Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10 on November 3rd.
The above photo has been making the rounds on the internet, especially on Google+ where the vast majority of users are definitely on the Android side of the pond. Put together by Ron Amadeo of ArsTechnica, the little graphic compares the specifications of the iPhone 6, which was only announced yesterday, to Google and LG’s Nexus 4, which was released in November of 2012.
arsTechnica has put together a handy look at which manufacturers & carriers are quickest and slowest to roll out an Android update on their older devices. Using the KitKat launch date of 31st October 2013, arsTechnica measured how long it took for the earliest available OTA update for devices originally sold with an earlier version of Android, starting with the previous-generation flagship devices.
The winner for update times is, of course, the Nexus line. Stock software and a head start from being Google got KitKat out the door in just 14 days.
As for everyone else, how quickly they update seems to depend on how complicated their skin is and how much they take advantage of the update mechanisms Google has created …
