Do you remember Project Treble? Seven years have passed since Google presented it as the solution to fragmentation and now they have a new invention ready with even more ambitious goals: that seven years of updates to become the next standard.
Today, the champions of extended update support are Samsung and Google, but in the future more models may join them thanks to a new initiative called Longevity GRFwhich simplifies the update processes and essentially allows you to reuse part of the software to make them simpler.
Up to seven years of updates
In each Android update available for a specific mobile phone, many elements are involved: there are the hardware drivers, Google’s Android system and, above all, the software and customizations of each manufacturer. The treble comes from Android Oreo for make the update process easier for manufacturers.
Treble’s idea is separate low-level implementation of drivers from chipsets (from Qualcomm, Sony and other components) so that Android updates do not require additional driver work. Treble makes it easier for manufacturers, but in return it makes life a little more difficult for component manufacturers, who must provide support for mobile phones released with the original and later versions of Android.
The solution Google found in 2020 was a compromise allowing manufacturers to release Android updates. reuse the same original driver layer and continue to receive Google certification. It was called GRF or Google Requirements Freezefreezing Google’s requirements. GRF allows component implementation to be reused for three years.
However, GRF is not enough beyond three years of updates, so manufacturers who want to extend support must take on the daunting task of updating the driver implementation… or convincing the component manufacturer to extend support, upon payment. This is something very costly, either in time or money.so that even today, extended support is reserved for a few models within certain brands. And Google wants to generalize it.
Google’s solution is Longevity GRF, which allows reuse of hardware implementation for seven years. So, a mobile phone launched with Android 15 can use the same drivers in successive system updates up to Android 22, without the need for changes from vendors such as Qualcomm or MediaTek or from the mobile manufacturer.
Diagram of how Longevity GRF works. Created by Mishaal Rahman for Android Authority
Last Snapdragon 8 Elite is the first processor in the Longevity GRF programwhich means that mobile phones launched with it will more easily benefit from extended update support for seven years. Easier, but by no means guaranteed. In fact, some complications remain in extended updates.
This software recycling has limitssince manufacturers must continue to update the Linux kernel after three years of updates to receive certification from Google. In addition, Google will not allow the launch of new Android phones with versions of Android four versions higher than the version initially supported by the component, because then the advantage of extended support is lost (there would only be 2 or 3 years of additional support left). .
Via | Android Authority
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