Google Qualcomm Partnership for Project Treble Promises to Support 4 Android OS Versions, on Upcoming Snapdragon Phones
Google launched Project Treble in 2017 to make Android updates faster and is now taking it further with partnership with Qualcomm. By Vineet Washington | Updated: 17 December 2020 17:03 IST
Photo Credit: Google
Highlights
Snapdragon SoCs to support 4 Android OS versions, 4 years of updates
This may be implemented with Snapdragon 888 SoC and beyond
Google and Qualcomm have partnered for Project Treble, to ensure support four Android OS versions (launch and three new versions) and four years of security updates on upcoming Android 11 phones with Snapdragon SoCs. Google introduced Project Treble in 2017 to enable faster Android updates from phone manufactures. The search giant announced its partnership with Qualcomm through an official blog post on the Android developer forum. This will take effect with Qualcomm SoCs that launch
Google, Qualcomm extend Android updates - Mobile World Live 17 DEC 2020
Google expanded Android update processes, working with Qualcomm to offer an additional year of OS and security upgrades on devices using the chipmaker’s Snapdragon platform.
Qualcomm said it is enabling up to four Android OS versions and four years of security updates, initally on devices running its latest Snapdragon 888 chipset, though a representative told
Ars Technica it would expand to other chips in the range in time.
In a blog, Google explained the move was an extension of its Project Treble initiative, which instituted architectural changes in Android in 2017 to make it faster and easier for OEMs to deploy OS updates.
Long-term patching problems still haunt web giant s mobile OS platform
Matthew Hughes Thu 17 Dec 2020 // 19:31 UTC Share
Copy
Google and Qualcomm have linked arms to extend the lifecycle of new Android devices, meaning future phones could receive as many as three major operating system updates provided they re running the latest Snapdragon silicon.
This has been accomplished by reducing the amount of effort required by chipset manufacturers like Qualcomm to support newer Android versions.
Since Google s Project Treble reforms in 2017, Android has been modularised, splitting the hardware interactions (called a vendor implementation ) from the rest of the operating system (called a Generic System Image). While this reduced the amount of work OEMs need to undertake to support existing devices, a portion of that burden has been shifted onto the shoulders of chipset manufacturers, who are responsible for building and maintaining vendor implementations.
Google, Qualcomm make it easier to update Android phones with Snapdragon chips
Google and Qualcomm are teaming up to extend Android updates for Snapdragon phones.
It should be easier to give phones up to four Android OS versions, and four years of security updates.
You’ll need a phone using the Snapdragon 888 or newer.
Google’s Project Treble helped increase the support period for Android updates, but there have still been obstacles. It’s a headache for chipmakers, who have to support as many as six combinations of framework software and vendor implementations for each chipset. Google and Qualcomm might just make it easier, though. They’re teaming up to improve Project Treble and simplify Android updates for Snapdragon devices, extending the length of time you get OS and security upgrades.
Google has joined with Qualcomm to extend the duration for which smartphones can get Android updates, both in terms of major build numbers and years of security updates. Thanks to Google’s partnership with Qualcomm,
all compatible smartphones will get four assured Android version upgrades and security updates for four years. This will be made possible courtesy of enhancements made to Project Treble, the architecture that allows the development and deployment of Android updates.
Cost and resources required for Android upgrades are coming down
“Going forward, all new Qualcomm mobile platforms that take advantage of the no-retroactivity principle for SoCs will support 4 Android OS versions and 4 years of security updates. All Qualcomm customers will be able to take advantage of this stability to further lower both the costs of upgrades as well as launches and can now support their devices for longer periods of time,” Google said in a blog post. Qualcomm, on the other hand, not