Teracube One Android 10 updates

Once my other phone arrives I will be happy to beta/alpha test one on or the other. I need one phone that I know works normally due to work and family. Will update once it arrives and ask for access to the beta/alpha software.

Any news that detailed update?

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We have been testing internal Alpha builds. Here is the latest Alpha9 build with the following fixes:

Alpha - 9 (user build) | Instructions to download/install available here.

Full changelog from Alpha 1:

  • Apply security patches upto January 2021 bulletin
  • Switch to ā€œuserā€ builds
  • Enforce SELinux
  • Update to a new kernel base
  • Lots of fixes for CTS r6
  • Multiple UI/UX improvements
    • Add icon for VoLTE
    • Fix some jank in Launcher, improve UI
    • New boot animation
    • Make all icons round by default
    • Improve dark mode colors
    • Improve several SystemUI default design elements
  • Update default APN configuration
  • Fix front camera inconsistent lighting
  • Fix inconsistent fingerprint unlock when dozing
  • Fix issues with dm-verity
  • Fix boot-up on locked bootloader
  • Fix an issue with 1080p60 YouTube videos lagging
  • Minor fixes to Bluetooth audio
  • Fix notification LED
  • Remove DuraSpeed
  • Various memory and performance fixes

Outstanding Issues

  • Keystore issue that is forcing a data reset requirement for every upgrade
  • 3 more CTS issues left
  • Need to run VTS and GTS tests.

Next Steps

  • Fix the keystore issue
  • Finish all the CTS, GTS and VTS tests
  • Apply for GMS certification.
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Sounds to me like we arenā€™t that far away now :grinning: Thanks for the detail and context.

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Youā€™re making great progress. Any timeline for full release and work starting on 11? Thanks.

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At this point, we are refraining from giving any timelines (based on what has transpired so far). We are close to finishing up the loose ends to submit the build for GMS certification. However, sometimes random things can get stuck. Will keep everyone posted.

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The truth is your developers are now divided between one and 2e and I canā€™t imagine one being the priority as your not selling it anymore.

I like the phone, but it seems that the 3 years of support are, simply, not going to happen, or at least in any kind of timely fashion. Iā€™m sorely disappointed.

It was a good phone but for some reason you came out with another phone that directly competed with it, and of course you had to quit selling one.

From the kickstarter page:
Android 9 Pie (Android 10 update will be available in Spring 2020)

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Work between similar SOCs can be shared, and it isnā€™t a zero-sum game. There is a division, sure, but it isnā€™t a hard divide.

Nah, not even a little. Theyā€™re completely different price-points and market segmentation.

A little leeway for being green, and a lot of leeway for not anticipating a global pandemic and a ton of socio-political unrest that impacted supply chains and support teams world-wide. Factor in major carriers moving quickly to reshape their infrastructure, and we hit some pretty big ruhroh moments.

It is frustrating, sure, but I trust Sharad and his team will deliver. Eventually.

Please bear in mind that Iā€™m directly impacted by the delays of Android 10 in material ways, as well. I canā€™t use my device for work. At all. So trust that I have a vested interest in keeping them accountable to their update promise.

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Hi @doc1623 - I understand your concern. I want to assure you that launching Teracube 2e has not digressed our software team from Teracube one. Infact launching the new phone was a blessing in disguise. We got the Android 10 code base to work with for Teracube one as well.

I know we are lagging behind from our original promise of Teracube one-Android 10. However, we have grown leaps and bounds as a startup over last year or so. The software team is able to push out test builds much faster and have much better control on the process than before. And we are moving towards maintaining the same code base so that the number of phones does not matter - they will use the same software.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I can answer any other questions.

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Hi @Sharad I got my new teracube 2e. Now that I have a backup phone was hoping to be able to become a tester for the first teracube phone for software if possible.
Hope your doing well. The 2e though minor issues like the charge cable is a great phone. Though I think itā€™s camera focusing is actually better and faster than the first phone. Need to more testing on that. Might be due to android versions/software? Camera lenses used. Either way love the phones and look forward to seeing teracube moving forward into the future.

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@Sharad I still like the phone. I just have some concerns.

@Saijin_Naib most of what you said I understand except for the ā€œdifferent price-points and market segmentation.ā€ From my understanding prices do drop for an older phone which the ā€œoneā€ is. Also, they are both similarly specā€™d phones; are they not? Didnā€™t you discontinue ā€œoneā€ even though it had slightly better specs?

@Saijin_Naib I know that Covid effected a lot of supply chains, but software shouldnā€™t have been really hard-hit. Hardware yes, but software can be developed from home as long as the developer has internet access.

Wonā€™t that make it harder to live up to the warranty, as youā€™re not going to have new ā€œonesā€ made?

Also, unless Iā€™m mistaken and ā€œoneā€ isnā€™t discontinued, then wouldnā€™t a discontinued phone have a lower development priority?

Does the 2e have 10? If so, doesnā€™t that prove my point? If not, then maybe I was mistaken.

Lastly, this isnā€™t your really your fault, but my dream would be a rooted phone that was upgradeable easily, without having to re-root or lose anything. I may try the pixel-experience. I have a new phone, but I tend to like the teracube better, except for a few things.

If you guys are able to support more phones. Please think about one with much better camera and larger screen i.e. a real flagship

Personally, I would love to keep a phone for a long time, but I like to buy one thatā€™s got good specs so Iā€™m less out of date over time

Official disclaimer/reminder that Iā€™m just an end-user like everyone else :slight_smile: I just happen to run my keyboard more than most, haha.

The only thing really similar between the two platforms is general size/screen and camera megapixel counts. The SOCs are very different, with the performance of the SOC in the TeraCube_One being significantly better.
Prices can drop, thatā€™s up to the manufacturer. They donā€™t necessarily always, especially if a newer device is targeted into a different segment (as the 2E is, targted for entry-level/sustainability).

People were hard hit; entire countries were on pause. Saying that software shouldnā€™t be affected is kind of missing a lot of what happened, especially overseas where a lot of the ODM/Manufacturerā€™s support team are. That aside, setting up an entire workforce to work remote is not easy, and is a bit of a security nightmare. It took my primary employer months to iron out the process, and that was only with a handful of us being full-time remote.

I believe TeraCube have ear-marked a significant number of devices specifically for warranty claims.

Not necessarily. Think about how long the One has been out and its market segmentationā€¦ More users will be on the One. They have a very strong incentive to support it properly just by number of active users alone, nevermind the optics of dropping support of your first product and violating the trust of your earliest/most earnest backers.

It does indeed come with 10. Not really though, since it is a newer (albeit lower-end) SOC and device that the ODM shipped with 10 out of the box. We need to get our older, but more powerful One platform up to date, and significant work is being done to that end. Further, the software/customizations between the two platforms can be shared to a large degree, and lessons-learned on the Android 10 platform of the 2E will help the team with its work for the One going to Android 10. As before, it isnā€™t a zero-sum game and the divisions between the two products arenā€™t as hard as they seem from the software side.

This is an interesting thingā€¦ Iā€™m not entirely sure that this is possible with the more modern platform security systems that Android and the ODMs implement. Someone else might know better, however.

Flagships are tough. Youā€™re asking people to pay a significant amount of money for a device from a manufacturer theyā€™ve never heard of and have no trust/mindshare ofā€¦ Not an easy sell. I think TeraCube did right to start with a solid mid-ranger, and then follow up with a more entry-level device to capture more folks with lower risk to them (money-wise). If they can prove that they can keep their promises, keep our devices supported, and do right by our community, then I would imagine more positive press will make a much more expensive device from this company more attractive for more folks.

Would you really buy a $600+ phone from a company youā€™ve never heard of before with only two devices in its portfolio that are far more entry-level? Most would not feel like that is a good value proposition.

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@ Saijin_Naib Thank You for your responses. Iā€™m sorry I didnā€™t realize you were and end user.

On the Development side, maybe itā€™s different elsewhere, but Iā€™ve been in IT for years (software side) more Linux servers, but Iā€™ve always had to be setup at home because of on-call and any emergencies.

On the price, companies have to drop their phone price over time as new ones come out, if they wish to continue to sell the phone.

I had thought there was a pixel-experience rom, but itā€™s not out yet and of course, itā€™s not as likely to be out or, at the very least, maintained as long, since ā€œoneā€ is no longer sold.

I have no idea about the phone market, but I didnā€™t mean a flagship that might compete directly with Samsung or an iPhone but just a Teracube equivalent of say my Nokia 8.3 (their flagship). Iā€™m not crazy about it, but I think if Teracube had done the software it would have been a beast! I love the screen size, and itā€™s supposed to have a decent camera but, I believe, the software lets it down.

I like Teracube, but Iā€™m still disappointed they quit selling ā€œoneā€, and I still donā€™t understand why. Likewise, I didnā€™t think the specs were that much better than the 2e, but Iā€™m not a hardware expert. Of course, if it was that much better why not continue to sell the ā€œoneā€. I still donā€™t believe it wonā€™t negatively affect anything for the ā€œoneā€ users.

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Any updates?

Update on Android 10 build

All the above-mentioned issues were fixed. We ran VTS and GTS tests which have generated some new issues to be looked at. Also engaging with the Taiwan-based lab to prepare for Google testing.

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Signed test build when?! I wanna try it ā€œin productionā€ :smiley:

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Our latest Alpha is signed and should allow you to test without losing data. Iā€™m confirming with the team and will update soon.

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Will we be able to install it via the Wireless Update local file method?

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Sign me up!

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Yes - easy install via local update and data preserved.

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