The UBports Foundation has announced the release of Ubuntu Touch OTA-9, marking the ninth stable update for their mobile operating system based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa). This update, which arrives three months after OTA-8, introduces several enhancements, particularly in support for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and improvements to Waydroid, the Android compatibility layer.
Notably, OTA-9 adds support for new devices, including the Lenovo Tab M10 HD 2nd Gen (WiFi/LTE) and Xiaomi’s Redmi 9 and 9 Prime. The update aims to further enhance VoLTE functionality, ensuring compatibility with a broader array of carriers on various Volla devices. Additionally, the Waydroid component is updated with initial support for forthcoming official Android 13 images, which expands its integration capabilities.
Other significant improvements include the addition of a new Noto Color Emoji font for better emoji rendering, as well as various system updates. These updates consist of improved methods for acquiring battery information from UPower, enhancements to the channel name parser, and retroactive application of system settings. Bug fixes and security enhancements have also been included, addressing issues from both upstream Ubuntu and UBports.
The OTA-9 update is being rolled out to a range of compatible devices, such as the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, Fairphone models, various Google Pixel options, and several models from OnePlus and Xiaomi. Users on the Stable channel of Ubuntu Touch will receive the update through the System Settings app’s Updates screen. However, the rollout is staggered, meaning not all users will obtain the update simultaneously. More information on the release can be found on the release announcement page.