Essential Phone Receives Stable Android 8.1 Oreo

Essential announced that it would be skipping a full release of Android 8.0 Oreo, instead going straight to Android 8.1 Oreo. We're about a month in since the first beta build of Android 8.1 Oreo came out for the Essential Phone, the official Android 8.1 Oreo update has been released.

The full Android 8.1 Oreo update comes in at around 276MB, though that'll vary depending on whether you're on the beta or not, it's around 1,015MB if you're coming from Android 7.1 Nougat.

The changelog mentions standard Oreo features such as Instant Apps, picture in picture, smart text selection, and more. Essential is adding the March security update, dynamic calendar and clock icons, and an apparent fix for the slow scrolling jitter.


Source: Essential on Twitter

Essential Phone Gets Android 8.1 Oreo Beta

Essential has released the long awaited Android 8.1 Oreo in the form of a beta. Previous beta testers for Android 8.0 Oreo will get an over the air update to Android 8.1 Oreo, if you're not currently enrolled as a beta tester Essential has add a link to side-load the new software on its website linked below.

What's new with Android 8.1 Oreo on the Essential Phone? Essential has add dynamic icons for the calendar and clock apps, and the most important fix of all is said to squash the "slow scrolling jitter fix."

Essential also says that the Android 8.1 Oreo update comes with Google's latest February security patch, making it the first company other than Google itself to push the security patch to its devices.


Source: Essential

Essential PH-1 Oreo Beta 3, Now Available For Download And OTA

The third Essential PH-1 Android Oreo 8.0 beta build arrives as version OPM1.170911.254 and weighs in at 1 GB if you download from Essential’s website. If you’re already running Essential's Android 8.0 beta 2, you will receive an OTA that weighs approximately 106 MB.

The new beta 3 build brings Google’s January security patch that includes fixes for the Spectre and Meltdown exploits, as well as miscellaneous stability and bug fixes. In Wednesday’s Reddit AMA, Essential said "it’s working to finalize logistics of the Oreo public release, and that its development and Q.A. teams are working hard to get the release to meet the company’s quality and performance standards."


Source: Essential