The Essential Phone faced some issues since at launch, but since then the company has attempted to repair their reputation by providing updates with new features and important changes including the addition of Project Treble support. Following a price cut, it seemed that the device was doomed to fail and would later be dropped in terms of software updates and support, yet that clearly wasn’t the case. In another update for the device, Essential has brought the April 2018 security patch, performance and stability improvements, and Bluetooth 5 certification.
We’re rolling out a new Oreo 8.1 build (141) that includes April security patches, Bluetooth 5.0 certified, modem stability fixes, and more. pic.twitter.com/KMoSmjIR47
— Essential (@essential) April 6, 2018
The path to Android Oreo was an interesting one with the Essential Phone, with Essential having to jump straight to Android 8.1 Oreo due to issues the company faced with the initially launched version of Android Oreo. Despite the long wait time to receive Android Oreo, Essential managed to push out the update ahead of some other manufacturers, largely in thanks to their open beta testing of new major software updates.
While the arrival of the April 2018 security patch is fairly self-explanatory, what exactly is meant by modem stability fixes is currently unknown. The proper handling of gaming controllers will also be good news to those who game on their phones, as powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 it’s still able to run just about any game on the market currently with ease. Bluetooth 5.0 certification will allow users to enjoy twice the connection speed with Bluetooth devices, a higher range of connection, a lower power draw and support for lots of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
If you want to install the update, you can simply reboot your device, navigate to the system settings and manually check for an update. If this doesn’t work, simply wait a few hours and try again.