As expected, September 8 was marked by the official release of Google’s Android 11 update. Obviously, this is a date the benefits more the owners of Pixel smartphones. However, it all benefits the whole community thanks to the release of the source for the AOSP version. As a result, custom ROM developers can finally dig into the code and build custom AOSP versions for multiple smartphones. We’re yet in the first week, but the last year’s flagship killer, the Redmi K20 Pro, or Mi 9T Pro if you prefer, already has a stable Android 11 release.
The Redmi K20 Pro was released in the last years as Xiaomi’s response to the flagship killer segment. The device originally came with Android 9 Pie and received an Android 10 update from Xiaomi. Now, it’s up to the company to decide if this device will receive an Android 11 update. Meanwhile, users that don’t really care for MIUI can flash an AOSP-based Android 11 update.
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The new update has been build by the XDA Developer abhishek987 and it does not bring any kind of fancy feature. Instead, we have a pure AOSP based build that allows you to test a very simple version of Android 11. The ROM is nearly fully functional. In fact, the only issue with this build is that SELinux is set to permissive. That’s not a big problem if you just want to test the new update. Other basic hardware features are fully functional such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Camera (photo and video), Audio, Sensors, LED, GNSS, and most importantly, RIL ( the service behind calls, SMS, data, and VoLTE). Of course, you may run into a bug or two that could have bypassed the developer’s testing.
Faster Android 11 updates thanks to Project Treble
The development process has become much faster now that Android is more modularized. This is a direct effect from the Project Treble program that was introduced with Android 8.0. According, to a lead developer in the Treble development, phhusson, Google’s Android 11-based GSI can boot on most Qualcomm Snapdragon smartphones that launched with Android 9 Pie or Android 10, with just some small changes for vendor compatibility.
Thanks to the project Treble expansion, we may see even more devices running Android 11 thanks to the Generic System Images that can easily be flashed in Treble-compatible devices.
If you want to give a go on the Android 11 custom ROM, just head on the source link for detailed instructions and the download file.
