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Android Pie ROMs are now available for Nexus 6 and Nexus 5X
- Google has stopped releasing new versions of Android for the Nexus 6 and Nexus 5X due to their ages.
- Developers have released custom ROMs for both handsets based on Android Pie.
- As expected, both builds can be a bit buggy.
In most instances, Google only provides major firmware updates for its devices for two years. This limitation means that that Nexus 6 stopped receiving updates after Android Nougat and the Nexus 5X got Oreo. But thanks to several developers, there are custom ROMs now available that bring Android 9.0 Pie to the two handsets (via XDA-Developers).
The ROM made for the Nexus 5X is called Nexus PieX and was created by an individual that goes by the username argraur. According to the developer, almost every feature of the phone works as desired including Google apps and the camera. Unfortunately, VoLTE currently doesn’t work, as well as SafetyNet (Google’s API for detecting smartphones in a “known-good state”).
The Nexus 6 ROM based on the AOSP was built in collaboration between Myself5 and the CarbonROM team. Just like with the previous ROM, almost everything is functional. Unfortunately, the mobile network sometimes stops working after a reboot, but it can be fixed by entering a dialer code and enabling the mobile network.
It’s honestly quite impressive seeing stable ROMs built for these four- and three-year-old devices just weeks after the official release of Android Pie. Going forward, many of these bugs should be fixed and allow for a decently-smooth experience on the Nexus 5X and 6.
If you’re still rocking either of these handsets or want to see what Android Pie might look like on the Nexus 5X or Nexus 6, click on the buttons below. Instructions are provided on each listing for how to get the ROM installed on the given device.