Does the title mislead its users? Asus ROG Phone 2 Android 11 Update rolling out? Nevertheless, it is reassuring in the least because Asus has been awfully slow when it comes to rolling out updates.
A decade ago, it was an infernal idea to think that mobile phones would become instant on-the-go gaming stations. I wasn’t one of the dissenters but, my low expectations eventually forced me to eat crow. Gaming smartphones are now a niche segment that flex specs that put most PCs to shame. Not to mention, a healthy dose of proprietary tech which keeps the beast running. Let us find out with Asus ROG Phone 5 in the market, why ROG Phone 2 users are upset!
Has Asus oversold its product with promises? Well, let’s see what this mess is all about and what news we have for you.
Asus ROG Phone 2 Android 11 update issues
The ROG Phone 2 was released in March of 2019, regardless, the specs are no slouch. Carrying the Snapdragon 855+ and 8GB of RAM, much of the phone’s internal hardware is still relevant. Instead, the caveat presents itself on the software side of things. While it might have been released with Android 9 (Pie), it has undergone little to no significant upgrade (save Android 10). There have been complaints regarding the buggy user interface and issues pertaining to overheating. Asus has not been proactive in handling the bugs though, adding to the misery!
Last year, Asus had listed ROG Phone 2 as one of the eligible devices to receive the Android 11 update. It was in line with the company’s 2 promised Android version upgrades. The first upgrade it got was Android 10 and now it is eligible for the Android 11 update.
The Android 11 beta version wasn’t open to ROG Phone II but was tested on ROG Phone 3 instead. There were reports that the Phone 2 was “obsolete”. The claim is slightly controversial but planned obsolescence in the tech industry isn’t new.
Will there be a possible Android 11 update… eh, probably.
It was in December last there were indications that the OEM was not sure of rolling out a stable Android 11 update to ASUS ROG Phone 2. After 6 months of wait, a conversation between a user and a Telegram ASUS Forum Moderator does shed a little more light on the matter, raising hopes.
Android 11 for ROG Phone 2 is currently under evaluation. There is no ETA for now. For more information please stay tuned to the Release note section.
https://zentalk.asus.com/en/profile/ARP_ASUS
This does raise our hopes by just a notch, but given Asus’s capability to usher out updates so far, I wouldn’t put it entirely behind them. Therefore, instead of hoping and waiting for an update why not make use of an alternative.
Try using Lineage OS 17.1, it has support for ROG Phone 2 with pretty much all the zany features of the Android 10 platform. Despite being a custom ROM it will get regular updates from LineageOS. Down below is one of their latest Android 11 tweaks for the Razer Phone 2.
Lineage OS is customized for each device with a team that regularly resolves and puts out updates. You get a much smoother Android 10 experience with all the personal tweaks you’d like. Since Android 10 comes with its share of faults for the ROG Phone 2, it’d wise to temporarily switch to Lineage OS 17.1, the latest Android 10 Custom ROM. There’s always the possibility that an 18.1 (Android 11) version is in the works, but only time will tell.
Or you could be like me and stick to the default Android 9 (Pie) *shrugs*.
Plenty of Zenfone devices, even the Zenfone 5z is scheduled to receive an Android 11 update, or so the rumor mill goes. But, is all this waiting really worth the effort? People who’ve followed the trend of Android 11 are probably familiar with the bugs and lack of fixes. And, when a company like Asus is pushing out updates by the fatal inch, a bug fix might be months away.
That’s pretty much all we’ve got on our end. Do you still plan to wait for the official Android 11 release, or will you go with Lineage? Let us know in the comments below. For more tech related info head over to our website.
Yes, the title misleads its users. You showed and linked to a RAZER PHONE 2 page. The ROG PHONE II only has support for Lineage OS 17.1 (Android 10). Did you even read it?
Thanks for pointing it out to us Jon. Changes have been made likewise. Hopefully we didn’t get it wrong a second time.