Huawei P8 Lite Gets Unofficial, Barely Working Android Oreo Port

Huawei might have become one of the world's top 3 smartphone manufacturers, but there are some things that still haven't improved over the years. Things like tightly, locked phones, the heavily customized EMUI skin, and the not so global rollout of updates. The latter means that only the latest and greatest, and even then not all, get to enjoy the latest Android releases. That's the plight owners of the Huawei P8 Lite find themselves in with regards to Android 8.0 Oreo. Fortunately, hope springs eternal. Or rather, trickles, with the new OpenKirin GZOSP Android 8.0 port for the device.

The Huawei P8 Lite is by no means a new phone. Launched in 2015, it tried to leave a mark in the US market with a very low price tag and a plan to match carrier subsidies with Huawei's own installment plan. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly sell, but that didn't stop a few owners from still getting their hands on one.

Fast forward to today, such owners have been left in the does long ago when it comes to Android updates. Their only hope are third-party ROM makers, who have quite a task before them, given how Huawei's phones aren't exactly the easiest to mod.

Fortunately, some have persevered, giving birth to the OpenKirin GZOSP ROM. But before you break out the champagne, like any first release, there are a few known issues. Actually, there are many known issues. Known NOT to work are the cellular modem, Bluetooth, NFC, camera, and a host of sensors. At least the touchscreen, audio, Wi-Fi, GPS, and storage do work.

Considering this is the only path forward for the Huawei P8 Lite, you really have no other choice if you want the latest Android 8.0. Hopefully, some of the issues can still be fixed, but hardware-based problems are often trickier to solve.

SOURCE: XDA