Teracube One Android 10 updates

Is there any word on Custom ROM support? I see that mentioned above here. I’d love to get my Teracube on Lineage or /e/.

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If you like, you can install Lineage GSI on Teracube. You’ll be surprised by how usable it is. Many custom ROMs are coming as GSIs these days. The usual caveats apply - for example, VoLTE will not work.

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Update (Sept 17):

Hi All,

We are making steady progress towards Android 10. Have obtained sources from ODM/Mtk and have setup our internal repositories just like standard Android repos are. The SW team is now busy integrating Android 10 AOSP+Mtk distro on top of our sources. Once this part is complete, we will have to do complete internal testing (CTS+VTS+GTS) and then submit for Google certification.

Hoping to have an alpha Android 10 build out soon.

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Ooh, great to hear! Thanks so much!

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For what it’s worth, I just updated to the latest September security patches for the lineageos GSI and it’s still working fine for me as a daily driver. No VoLTE is the biggest drawback, as cell signal is spotty (read: awful) at my place, but otherwise it’s working great!

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Will be on track for a Sept / Oct Android 10 release?

Checking on it - should have an update soon.

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The sooner the better.
And hopefully this will solve the bugs that we see with the current operating system.

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Update: The team is able to boot a alpha Android 10 build on Teracube One (T1). They are working on IMS (VoLTE). If all stars line up, we could have an alpha build available to everyone for testing within 1-2 weeks.

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For the new 2e, will Teracube retain ownership of the sourcecode from Mediatek?

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Great question. The short answer is yes. After the huge lesson learned from Teracube One, we definitely don’t want to fall for the same mistake again moving forward.

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This is very encouraging to read!

I have preordered the 2e before reading that there is no kernel source for the One, so I hope that with the sources community developers will be able to keep the device up to date even after official support is gone.

I’m looking forward to getting my device as soon as possible :slight_smile:

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I hope is going to be any Android update support. It was promised Android 10 to be available on Teracube One on Spring and we are in the middle of Fall and we are still waiting for it. Android 11 has been already released. The good about Teracube was the 4 years support for Android updates so the phone doesn’t ger outdated but I am very, very dissapointed, and it’s even worse since the company has started working on the new device.

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Covid kind of took the whole world by surprise, and has had a large number of knock-on impacts beyond simple supply-chain level issues. As Teracube have noted prior, their software staff and contacts at MediaTek were set back by this global event.

Have patience. I don’t believe we have any reason to doubt their resolve to give updates as promised.

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What do you think will last more… Covid-19 or waiting for Android 10 Update? When are we going to have all our issues fixed? How long do we have to wait? You cannot ask for patience when they are putting more effort on releasing a new device without giving support to the existing customers. That’s not fair because the customers who supported Teracube One are the ones who trusted on the company before anyone else. Without us there is no Teracube. Think about it.

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I mean this is a small, very new company and we have been in a worldwide pandemic February. They’ve been very good about communicating with us and have given numerous updates regarding the delays they are facing. I don’t know what more you expect from them.

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Fixing bugs!!! My device restarts itself a few times a month with all that it implies or when I have to restart my device because the screen doesn’t respond to my touch.

I am a software developer so I know what I am talking about.

Trust is something you build or destroy by your actions. Giving updates about being delayed without anything tangible doesn’t worth it.

If it’s a small company why they don’t put all the effort on solving the current problems on Teracube One before working on releasing a new one? Will it not be more sensible to do it on this way? How many of you who bought Teracube One and you are facing the same problems as me are thinking on buying the new model?

Really, how many?

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Hi - I’m a Teracube noob but have been using mobile phones since 1991 and have been toying with all kinds of devices for years. The way I look at it, if you want regular, predictable software updates you get yourself an iPhone/iPad and be done with it. My experience with Android is a decidedly mixed bag with most smaller handset manufacturers rarely if ever providing any updates so to have Teracube promise 3 years of updates is extraordinary. Given Teracube is a tiny startup, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect a consistent update timeline. I just got my Teracube One yesterday and am overall satisfied with it’s performance though the battery life is underwhelming and I’m having issues with getting the APN settings from my carrier (VISIBLE, a small Verizon MVNO) so I can consistently do text. I think a lot depends on your expectations and so far I’m suitably impressed overall. I look forward to good things and am willing to be patient.

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As someone who has interned at startups and backed Teracube on Kickstarter, I think they’ve done well with keeping us updated and in the loop. I personally think it’s better to give us regular updates of what’s going rather than leaving us in the dark; this will simply result in a lot of us asking more questions and wondering what’s going on. They won’t have the backing that bigger companies like Motorola, Samsung and Apple will have; like the others said it’s not realistic to expect a consistent timeline and COVID-19 has thrown everyone out of what is normally planned.

Likewise from a business and marketing perspective they also have to focus on making a profit as well - while I do agree that yes, it’s important to work out the bugs and issues people are having in the initial device, they can’t provide updates if they fail and they can’t work on fixing bugs if they fail and can’t provide for themselves. So yes, without us there’s no Teracube. But without them because they run out of profit there is no updates for the very issues. As a result you’ll now be back at square one. Think about it.

I’m not having any issues other than cellular connection. However, I recognize this is based on my location and not the device or the company, so there are many factors at play here to the issues you are having.

I backed Teracube initially because I believe in their mission of providing an affordable product that will last for years, and I would rather support a company that wants to work toward sustainability and other important issues I personally care about. I also like their messaging of, “Hey, consider us if you’re looking for a new phone!” which is much different than the pressure of “Please buy this.” Also having 3 years of updates is honestly impressive considering most average 1-2 OS upgrades if any and then another year (if even) of security updates.

Ultimately like GaucheChicago said, a lot of it comes down to your expectations. As a customer who backed through Kickstarter, there are risks to backing, and there’s always a risk backing a startup.

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Sorry for the late post. It’s been a long day and finally I get a chance to check-in our community forum.

Hi @Tomas_Corral_Casas,

First and foremost, please allow me to express my gratitude for your pledge follow by an apology for your disappointment with us. I understand your frustration, believe me. I am a consumer and I have my own set of expectations as well.

However, please allow me to explain ourselves here. At the beginning of the year, immediately after we shipped our phones, we have been working hard with our manufacturing partner on the software update. Alas COVID caused a lot of issues and delays upon delays. It was in around late February that we have decided to take the plunge and wanting to acquire the source codes so that we can take over the software update development. Being new to the Android ecosystem, there was a lot of things that we didn’t know. But one thing that stuck us the most, is the politics of acquiring the source codes. It was a complete oversight for us and to that, we apologize.

Needless to say, after months of back and forth, we have finally obtained the source codes needed. And, at that point, Teracube team started to branch - one team, lead by Sharad, focus on the software update, while I spearheaded the second team on the prototyping and marketing on the 2e. Our internal software team is fully focused on Teracube One Android 10 and are close to the complete port (Camera and NFC pending).

Your comment “why they don’t put all the effort on solving the current problems on Teracube One before working on releasing a new one?” is totally valid. As a previous-developer-then-program_manager-then-finally-a-business-man, the linear approach is logical and traditional. But, we are not that, and that’s why we are Teracube. We are here to make a breakthrough, to create something that most people tell us it’s impossible. I won’t deny the tough, rocky roads ahead but that’s why we are here - to make a difference and to make our world a better place (as much cliche as it is, I borrowed that line from “Silicon Valley”… lol).

Sorry for the long winded message. However, trust @Sharad and I that we have the desire and we have the perseverance to make things right. All we ask is a little patience and work with us. Your feedback is everything where the rubber meets the road.

Sincerely,
Anthony Tsim

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