Droid Life

Tag: AOSP

  • Google Switches to Publishing Android Source Code Twice Per Year

    Google Switches to Publishing Android Source Code Twice Per Year

    Google updated its Android Source pages today with a change for when it publishes source code to AOSP. In short, Google will now publish twice per year, in Q2 and Q4. They claim this is to align with their trunk stable development model.

    A new banner went up on the website moments ago and can be seen below:

    Effective in 2026, to align with our trunk stable development model and ensure platform stability for the ecosystem, we will publish source code to AOSP in Q2 and Q4. For building and contributing to AOSP, we recommend utilizing android-latest-release instead of aosp-main. The android-latest-release manifest branch will always reference the most recent release pushed to AOSP.

    This is developer-related stuff, by the way. It doesn’t affect you at all.

    // Android

  • Google Making All Android Development Private, Still Committed to Open Source

    Google Making All Android Development Private, Still Committed to Open Source

    A bit of news from the Android development front this week, with Google confirming that it’s taking Android development completely private. While that might sound like a big change, if you aren’t an Android developer, you’re not going to notice anything.

    As of right now, Google already does most of its work on Android in private, then publishes changes to AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Google has confirmed that the move to fully private development is to allow for a more efficient process, with Android engineers not having to deal with merge conflicts that take place when combining code from AOSP with its internal code.

    From an average user’s perspective, there won’t be anything noticeably different. Google has confirmed that it is still committed to publishing Android’s source code, though, the frequency of public source code releases for specific Android components may be slightly delayed.

    Another thing to note is leaked information. A lot of time, we get information about future Android changes and devices from AOSP. With Google taking its development behind closed doors, we may see less of that. Personally, I’m all for that. It might be nice to have a surprise here and there instead of knowing about everything 6+ months in advance.

    For a real detailed look at what Google is doing, we recommend reading the post from Android Authority. Mishaal does a great job of breaking it down.

    // Android Authority

  • First Mention of Google Pixel 5a Showed Up Today

    First Mention of Google Pixel 5a Showed Up Today

    Mentioning a Google Pixel 5a at the moment seems so silly knowing that Google will announce the super-delayed Pixel 4a in a couple of days. Here we are, though, talking Pixel 5a (likely) for 2021 because Google has acknowledged its existence.

    First spotted at AOSP by 9to5Google, on a code page discussing a VPN compatibility with Android Q, we have a comment from a Googler that lists out all of the Google Pixel devices back through the Pixel 2 and which versions of Android they launched with. You’ll see the Pixel 2, Pixel 3 and 3a, and Pixel 4 on there, all devices that have indeed launched. Where the fun appears is as the list continues with references to the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a.

    That’s four devices that Google has not announced or shipped yet, so yeah, I’d say that’s a bit of news. Again, we know the Pixel 4a is coming on August 3. We’ve seen references to the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, both of which could launch later this year with a Snapdragon 765 processor. The Pixel 5a, well, that’s new.

    Google Pixel 5a

    We aren’t getting a bunch of details about a Pixel 5a here, only the suggestion that it will launch with Android R (Android 11). That’s really only telling us that it should arrive at some point in the first part of 2021, before Google can ship out Android S (Android 12).

    Hey, a new Pixel to track!

    // AOSP | 9to5Google

  • Hello, Google “Pixel 5” Reference

    Hello, Google “Pixel 5” Reference

    Evidence proving that Google is hard at work on a Pixel 5 hasn’t surfaced to date. Sure, there is plenty of speculation along with thoughts (and supposed proof) around the idea of a Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL, but nothing really concerning the Pixel 5.

    Today, we might have stumbled into the first proof from Google. Through an AOSP commit, a Googler made reference to a test of a change they had made with a Pixel 4 on a Linux kernel 4.14, but that they “didn’t have a chance to test it on Pixel 5 with 4.19.”

    That’s it – that’s the mention. A Google employee called out the Pixel 5 and referenced its Linux kernel version.

    With that said, there have apparently been sightings of the rumored Pixel 4a devices running Linux kernel version 4.19, so it would make sense that a Pixel 5 would as well. I’ve got nothing else to add, but we do like seeing Google reference their upcoming and unreleased phones by name.

    Here is that proof in case they pull it:

    Pixel 5 AOSP

    Cool.

    // AOSP | 9to5Google

  • Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Just Keep Showing Up in AOSP

    Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Just Keep Showing Up in AOSP

    Back in October of last year, we revealed what we believed to be three possible codenames for Google’s 2018 line of Pixel phones. A trusted source of ours said that “crosshatch,” “blueline,” and “albacore” were all devices in testing at that time. We initially shared the names because crosshatch had made a surprise appearance. Then blueline followed up a few weeks ago, though albacore never has surfaced.

    Now that both crosshatch and blueline have been spotted, Google hasn’t held back in referencing them in AOSP commits. If you look back, basically from June 1 on, the work being put into the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL has only picked up. You can find crosshatch mentions here and blueline mentions here. There’s a new “Pixel 3” mention here too.

    In most cases, blueline and crosshatch are mentioned together, but here and there we see them joined by last year’s Pixel 2 (walleye) and Pixel 2 XL (taimen), as well as the original Pixel (sailfish) and Pixel XL (marlin):

    We still don’t know which device is which. However, if you look at blueline and crosshatch fish pictures, the blueline is the bigger of the two. Not that that’s definitive proof that blueline is the Pixel 3 XL and crosshatch is Pixel 3, but that has been the case in the past. Remember, the Nexus 6 was codenamed “shamu” and was indeed a giant whale.

    One thing I’ll say for Google is that they’ve done a great job so far at keeping details of the Pixel 3 line pretty quiet. Other than that Pixel 3 XL prototype and some CAD renders, the leaks have been held in check. That could change here shortly, though, especially if Google keeps their October release timeframe from previous years.

  • Hello, “Pixel 3” Mention at AOSP!

    Hello, “Pixel 3” Mention at AOSP!

    Pixel 3 mention, we’ve got a Pixel 3 mention!

    We don’t have specs or any other details, but Googlers have officially mentioned the “Pixel 3” in an AOSP commit. The reference actually popped up in early March, it’s just that no one noticed until now.

    What does the commit tell us? Do we care? It’s a Pixel 3 mention!

    In all seriousness, the commit talks about a new Auto Selection Network UI in relation to HAL V_1_2, which is apparently only available to the Pixel 3. No, I have no idea what that’s talking about, but we do know that HAL relates on some level to Project Treble, where Google has separated layers of Android to make it easier to update. I know that still doesn’t tell you much, but it is at least interesting to see it referred to as “HAL V_1_2 only supports Pixel 3.” If anything this could be a sign of improvements coming to Treble?

    pixel 3 aosp

    Pixel 3 mention, though!

    // XDA

  • Android 5.0.1 Pushed to AOSP as Build LRX22C (Updated: Factory Images Too)

    Android 5.0.1 Pushed to AOSP as Build LRX22C (Updated: Factory Images Too)

    Don’t be surprised if an update to Android 5.0.1 shows up on your Nexus device in the near future. Google seems to have just pushed it to AOSP as Android 5.0.1_r1, which is also known as build LRX22C.  (more…)

  • Sony Bringing AOSP Android 5.0 to Xperia Devices

    Sony Bringing AOSP Android 5.0 to Xperia Devices

    Well, that did not take long. Sony, which has experimented with distributing AOSP versions of firmware for its handsets in the past, revealed it has a functional versions of Lollipop running on the the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3.   (more…)