Android 8.1 Bug will Brick Devices if Users Forget their Lock Screen Password...

Android 8.1 Bug will Brick Devices if Users Forget their Lock Screen Password... xda-developers Nov 2, 2017 9:20 PM • by Idrees Patel Android 8.1 Bug will Brick Devices if Users Forget their Lock Screen Password After Factory Reset Google recently released the first system images for Android 8.1 Developer Preview 1 for the Nexus 5X and 6P, as well as first and second-generation Pixel devices. The update includes major fixes and improvements as well as some small under the hood changes. Android 8.1 brings a lot of new features and changes like Automatic Light and Dark Themes, Neural Networks API, Programmatic Safe Browsing Actions etc. Nevertheless, a jarring issue with the update was recently stumbled upon by a Reddit user. Reddit user tombolger discovered that failing to remember the unlock method of your phone running the Google's latest Android 8.1 build will have dire consequences. Forgetting your device lock screen pattern/pin/password will lead to your device getting permanently bricked. In the preceding versions of Android (<8.1), the factory reset protection (FRP) was implemented in such a manner that the Google account password would be required after a full wipe of the device. This is where Google has drastically changed the approach. Incongruous to its predecessors, Android 8.1 demands the lock screen security which was previously cached in your device after factory resetting your phone. It might be a move which was crafted and intended by design rather than being a gaffe to bolster and add another layer of device protection. It renders stealing these phones worthless (apart from the parts) as no person would be able to use and setup these devices. The Reddit user further added that there were no options to change the previously used lock screen security i.e. pattern, pin or password. Google technical support recommended that he RMA his device. He further described that flashing the stock image of Android 8.0 or downgrading to the previous version via fastboot failed to help. The error which he reported is shared in the image below. Source: /u/Tombolger On a related note, Android 8.0 has pushed "rollback protection" into the Verified Boot process. With rollback protection, Verified Boot will no longer start up an OS that it detects has been downgraded to an earlier version. In the meantime, Google has not made an official statement regarding this uncertainty. This time Google might have taken its gusto for encryption and protection of devices a step too far. We will update this story when a development occurs. Source: u/tombolger Android Advices Oct 31, 2017 4:15 PM • by Pavan Kumar B.C Asus Zenfone 4 Pro, Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 4 Max Launched in the US Asus has added another set of smartphones in its Zenfone 4 series and this Taiwanese company has launched them in the US. The list of devices includes Zenfone 4 Pro, Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 4 Max which will be the siblings of the 5.5-inch Zenfone 4 Max launched last month, These handsets come with different specifications which are mentioned below accordingly. Zenfone 4 Pro The Zenfone 4 Pro will come with a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display and will have a 3600mAh battery on the back to power the handset. Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM. This device will come with the dual rear camera setup with a 12MP main camera with 1/2.55" sensor along with a 16MP secondary camera with 2x fixed optical zoom. There is a 8MP selfie camera with 1.4-micrometer pixel size and f/1.9 aperture size. Out of the box, it will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system and is expected to get further updates as well. The handset is up for pre-orders at Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg and the companies official website. The device will start shipping from 6th of November and will be available for $599 in Black color. Zenfone 4 Like the Zenfone 4 Pro, this smartphone also features a 5.5" 1080p display but here an IPS LCD panel is used.to power the handset, there is a Snapdragon 630 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM, It will come out of the box with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and has a 3,300mAh battery to power the handset. This device also sports a dual rear camera setup sporting a 12MP camera with f/1.8 aperture size for the main camera while the secondary camera comes with 120-degree wide angle lens. There is a 8MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calling. The onboard storage is 64GB which can be extended further with a microSD card slot. This handset is priced at $399 and will be available in Midnight Black and Moonlight White color variants. Zenfone 4 Max 5.2" We have already seen the 5.5" Zenfone 4 Max but this one sports a 5.2inch display with 720p resolution. Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 425 SoC coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. There is the 13MP + 5MP dual camera setup on the rear which it will be accompanied with 8MP selfie camera. It will come out of the box with Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. The device will be sporting a 4100 mAh battery and is priced at $169 and will be available only in the Black color variant. The smartphone will be released on 3rd of November and will be available for pre-order via Amazon, B&H, Best Buy and Newegg. Are you planning to get any of these devices? Comment in the section below and stay tuned for more! Source This email has been sent by Froze ONE (isnanmm0@gmail.com). It is the potion result of 'Tech: Topic watch' from the dashboard 'Personal Dashboard', tab 'Tech > Android'. Unsubscribe © Netvibes 2005-2017 | Terms of service | Privacy Policy Find Netvibes also on: Facebook Twitter Google+ Flickr

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