Google could make a big difference Android 13 to require OEMs to adopt a rolling update systemalso known as A/B system update.
This is a mechanism introduced many versions ago that aims to create OTA updates are done in the background, without interrupting the user and with reboots that don’t take longer than usual. An automatic process will be performed in case of an error that prevents the update from running correctly or running after it is installed. roll-back so that the user can continue to install the same version of the system that worked correctly for them.
A/B system updates were introduced in Android 7 and very simply put, they are based on a scheme where there are inactive and active partitions. When a user receives an Android OTA update on a device that has this mechanism enabled, it is applied in the background to a set of inactive partitions until it is complete. Then, the reboot process activates a set of inactive partitions and vice versa, allowing the last installed system image to boot while the previous one remains as a backup.
However, the upgrade system has the disadvantage of relying on the redundancy built into the A/B split scheme design, an aspect that ultimately severely limits its adoption by OEMs due to the additional space it required. To at least reduce this inconvenience, Google introduced a virtual A/B split scheme in Android 11, which is based on the dynamic split feature already present in version 10 of the operating system.
Unlike initial scheme which is based on normal fixed size partitions, virtual uses partitions which can be dynamically created, changed and deleted during the update process. This is possible thanks to the addition of a new “super partition”, the size of which is set by the factory, but allows the creation of dynamic partitions in it until it takes up the same amount of space. Otherwise, the update process should be done in the same way, offers the user a more unattended and secure operating system update mechanism.
And here we come to the actual point, with Google requiring adoption of the A/B virtual partition scheme in Android 13 if OEMs wish to obtain a Google Mobile Services (GSM) license. Since the appearance of the Pixel smartphones in 2016, the search giant has been grinding out continuous updates to at least reduce its disadvantages. OEMs will be able to continue to use the traditional scheme that requires access to the recovery environment to repair the operating system, but if they choose to go this route, they will not receive a GSM license.
Despite the clear advantages of Android’s continuous update system, consumer computing has always operated under very conservative parameters, so it has not yet been adopted by even a large OEM like Samsung. However, if the model is mature enough, mobile device manufacturers have no real excuse not to implement it.
In case it wasn’t clear, the GSM license requirement would apply to devices that would ship with Android 13 as the default system.
Source: Muy Computer
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