The two giants are joining hands to give manufacturers the ability to push more Android version updates for their devices that will come with Snapdragon processors. But there are those for whom it does not change too much
The first to be upgraded, Snapdragon 888 | Source: Qualcomm
Google and Qualcomm have announced a move that should significantly improve the value we get from new smartphones we buy, starting with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon processor – users will be guaranteed up to three significant software updates.
3 “significant updates” and 4 years of security updates
This is a move that is an upgrade of the Treble project that Google announced back in 2017 and that included a modular redesign of the system architecture on Android to reduce the time it took for device manufacturers to update their devices with the latest version of the operating system. As part of the project, Google separated the pieces of code that smartphone makers and chip makers needed from the rest of the code to accelerate the makers’ ability to push Android version updates to their devices.
Now, in collaboration with Qualcomm – the maker whose chips are in most of the Android devices currently on the market – the two will work together to further upgrade the Treble project so that the time it takes for manufacturers (OEMs) to update the Android version on their devices will be reduced again. Following the joint work of the two companies, manufacturers will not have to change Qualcomm’s software to perform the software updates.
The move means that all Snapdragon processors that will support the Treble project in the future will receive three significant version updates: so if you buy a device that has Android 11 installed directly out of the box, it will receive updates for versions 12, 13 and 14. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, devices with Qualcomm processors are expected to receive Google security updates for four years.
The first catch comes in the fact that the first devices to receive this upgrade will be the flagship devices that will come with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888 processor, which should hit the market starting in 2021. Qualcomm emphasizes that the change will reach phones with its less powerful processors in the future, not just the processor. To the flagships.
Currently, there are devices for which the collaboration does not change much – such as Google’s Pixel devices and some of Samsung’s latest flagships that come with Axinus processors. However, when it comes to the sheer amount of devices that come with Snapdragon processors this can be a significant line for the Android market. The problem comes in the form of the second catch, which is the same catch that has accompanied Google for years.
The success of Google and Qualcomm still depends on updates from the manufacturers, who usually do not tend to do it quickly if at all. The big question will be which manufacturers will take the ground that Google and Qualcomm are preparing for with this collaboration that is supposed to improve the ability to update versions on devices – both at the software level and at the hardware level – and do something about it. Without the cooperation of the manufacturers, the move may not ultimately lead to a significant change in the industry – but, as mentioned, in the opposite situation this could be in real line.
Oshri Alexelsi
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