The Zenfone 5Z (Review) from ASUS has been one of the most popular smartphones from 2018 in the affordable flagships category. At the time of its launch back in mid-2018, the phone came with ASUS’ ZenUI that ran atop an Android 8.1 Oreo core. ASUS promised, however, that the phone would soon be updated to Android 9.1 Oreo. Looks like the company is on the verge of fulfilling that promise. According to folks over at TheAndroidSoul, ASUS has now started issuing the official Android 9 update for the Zenfone 5Z. This software update comes less than a month after a few Zenfone 5Z units graduated to Android 9 Pie as part of a limited update back in December 2018.
ASUS Zenfone 5Z Android 9 Pie update details
According to TheAndroidSoul, the new software bears the version number 90.10.138.175 and also includes the newest Android security patch available. The software is currently being seeded as an OTA update, and Zenfone 5Z users should be getting a notification for the same very soon. It remains unclear whether this update is also on its way for Indian users of the Zenfone 5Z. Do note, however, that for this update to appear you should have the previous software version which bore the version number 80.30.96.221 installed. In case you do have this version already installed and still haven’t received the update, and you also happen to be the impatient kind, you can download the firmware file directly from the following link and install the update yourselves. Do note, however, that this requires some level of expertise. If you are a newbie to this entire process, we recommend waiting for the official OTA update to arrive.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 MIUI 10 Update
Released in January 2016, The Redmi Note 3 from Xiaomi is a virtual dinosaur by technology standards. It is surprising, therefore, to see Xiaomi still supporting this popular device from three years ago. Anyway, news is that the Redmi Note 3 has started receiving the official update to the newest version of Xiaomi’s MIUI. It is pertinent to note that the phone launched with MIUI 8 which was based on Android 5 Lollipop. The latest update will graduate the Redmi Note 3 to software version 10.2.1.0 MHOMIXM as per a post on XDA Developers. The post also confirms that this update will almost certainly be the final official update that the company will issue for the Redmi Note 3 – thereby marking the end of an era. The Redmi Note 3, as you might be aware, was one of the most popular Android smartphones of the time and played a vital role in cementing Xiaomi’s current position in India.
The new update is 178MB in size and is based on Android 6 Marshmallow but does come with several feature additions. The official changelog for the update reveals the following feature additions and bug fixes:
- Fix: UI elements for switching between cameras during video calls were displayed incorrectly
- Fix: The button that returns you to an ongoing call overlapped with times
- Fix: Couldn’t restrict floating notifications
- Fix: Couldn’t use fingerprint to unlock the device when it was locked during a call
- Fix: The earphone icon sometimes disappears
- Fix: Scrolling screenshots didn’t always work properly
- Fix: Recording status wasn’t updated in the Notification shade when a recording was paused
Additionally, the update also claims to graduate the phone to a newer Android security patch. Many users, however, noticed that this wasn’t actually the case.
