Qualcomm, Android to bring launch version three major OS upgrades
Qualcomm continues to think of ways on how to improve our lives. The company recently introduced the Snapdragon 888 5G SoC for premium devices and the Snapdragon 678 processor for mid-rangers. The new chipsets are set to improve overall phone experience drastically for upcoming phones. Earlier today, Qualcomm Technologies announced its collaboration with Google to work on the Project Treble. It’s actually an extension of the ongoing project as the two aim to enhance the system and enable more Snapdragon-powered phones to run on the latest version of Android.
With this move, more Snapdragon mobile devices will be able to get whatever is new from the Android team. It’s possible without the need to upgrade to a new phone equipped with the newest Snapdragon chipset. The goal is to use a common software branch that will upgrade devices.
This could also mean updating may soon be done from one location. Such an idea will be able to reduce resources and time spent on updating a phone. The latest Android OS may soon be obtained from just one source.
Qualcomm Technologies and Google are joining forces to deliver four years worth of security updates, as well as, four Android OS versions. With Project Treble, this is possible but only for those running on Snapdragon 888. So far, we know the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be equipped with it.
Qualcomm’s Vice President for Product Management, Kedar Kondap shared: “We are excited to work with Google to extend our support for Android OS and security updates on future Snapdragon mobile platforms utilizing the Project Treble enhancements.” He added: “Through this collaboration, we expect accelerated Android OS upgrade on Snapdragon based devices while providing a superior user experience for end users.”
Google’s Android Engineering VP David Burke had this to say: “Google continues to work closely with our technology partners to increase the freshness of the Android ecosystem. Through this collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, we expect that Android users will have the latest OS upgrades and greater security on their devices.”
The Android development team has also announced that it is extending Android updates on Qualcomm’s mobile platforms. With a strengthened partnership with the chipset maker, this means OEMs will be able to bring faster platform updates.
Project Treble makes this possible. Faster and easier deployment has always been the goal so Android consumers won’t have to wait long for the OS upgrades and security updates. The Android team has improved in this area over the years but there is still room for improvement.
When it was first introduced in 2017, Project Treble promised quick version updates. We remember it revolutionizing porting of Oreo AOSP custom ROMs. It makes Android OS updates roll out faster. So far, it’s supported by Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and ASUS. It sounded ambitious at first but it’s possible.
Qualcomm and Google working more closely together will benefit the Android community. According to a Qualcomm representative as shared by a source, the company “will support the launch version + 3 OS upgrades, for a total of 4 major Android OS versions. Snapdragon 888 will support Android 11, 12, 13, and 14. So three years of major OS updates, and four years of security updates.”
