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AndroidUpdates 2024

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63 views

AndroidUpdates 2024

Uploaded by

byron7cueva
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Google Android

In 2005 tech giant Google acquired the Android


operating system from Android Inc., to develop the User
Interface for the touchscreen devices like smartphones
and tablets.
It is developed under the co-arrangement of
developers called Open Handset Alliance (OHA),
sponsored by Google. There are multiple partner
companies in OHA including Samsung, HTC, Lenovo,
and other smartphone manufacturers.
The first commercial smartphone available in the
market was the HTC Dream, announced on the 23rd of
September 2008. Andy Rubin is known as the father of
android who started Android Inc., in 2003 and which then
got acquired by Google in 2005, also Andy Rubin has
gotten hired as the senior vice president of mobile and
digital content.
Google's Android division is the primary development
and maintenance team of the Android OS. They release
new updates, features, security patches, and versions for
the Android OS. They support it via the google play
services which are present in most of the android devices
that come under OHA and are backed by Google.
Android updates are often released under each carrier
due to the complex nature of the Android ecosystem.
When a new Android update is released, it needs to be
tested and customized for each specific device and carrier
network to ensure compatibility and stability. This process
involves collaboration between the device manufacturer,
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the carrier, and sometimes additional third-party software
providers. As a result, updates are often staggered to
accommodate these various factors and to ensure a
smooth rollout across different devices and networks.
Android, since it's an open-source operating system,
device manufactures are responsible for the hardware
they make,
Whenever Google rolls out a new version of Android, it
goes to the Pixel devices first. It is the responsibility of a
manufacturer (like Samsung/HTC) to make the latest
version available for a contract-based phone for the
specific carrier.
Device manufacturers first must update the drivers and
port their tweaks and skins to work with the newer version
of Android, they then send the device to the carrier for
testing. Thus, the delay.
To be precise, Android is not fully open source as
Google showcases it. Though the most parts of the
Android code are available as open source, many critical
parts of the code are remaining closed under proprietary
licenses by Google, Samsung, HTC and by other OEM
vendors. Few proprietary parts of the code include:
1. Device drivers - Fingerprint sensor in HTC and
Samsung devices and Other similar features
they have introduced into their high-end
phones.
2. Launcher Skins - Samsung owns TouchWiz
skins, HTC owns HTC sense and other vendors
have their own proprietary skins which are close
to their own ecosystem.

2
3. OEM apps - All the OEMs tightly integrate their
own apps in android system level in their
phones. For example, Samsung integrates its
ChatOn, Samsung App Store, Samsung Pay,
etc., These app codes are proprietary.
4. Custom made tweaks in Android OS - OEMs
usually tweak the open-source version of the
android heavily. They remove a few heavy
features in their low-end devices and add extra
features to the high-end phones. Compare the
Nexus settings screen and Samsung S3
settings screen. You can find features missing
or a few added extra in between these devices.
5. Branding the mobile - OEMs made custom
code tweaks in device BIOS and add their own
branding to it.
All the above constraints are causing heavy work to
code/re-c0de their own version of android. Apart from the
difference between the OEMs, the OEMs must make a
different set of code tweaks for their different device
models. This causes a heavy delay for the OEMs to push
their own.

The current release is Android 14. Google 15 is rumored


to be released in March 2024.

Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.


There are now nearly 1,300 brands that have
produced over 24,000 distinct Android devices.

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