Android 10 was released back in August and a lot of device manufacturers are in different stages of the adoption curve. Others are in the alpha-testing stage while others just in the Beta-testing but the bottom line is that the choice to move Android updates is solely the decision of the device maker and Google is looking to change that notion come next year.
Google is now mandating the latest updates for all Smartphones beginning from 2020. Google will no longer approve Android devices that do not ship the update and have given an ultimatum of January 31, 2020, for manufacturers to comply.
What this means is that any manufacturer that submits a device without Android 10 firmware installed will see their device rejected and unapproved by Google.
As reported by XDA Developers, the implication of this is that without Google’s approval devices cannot ship GMS(Google Mobile Services) and it includes a suite of Google apps and services licensed by its OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners.
In order for a company to be approved to preload, GMS, OEMs must submit the software builds for each device they make to Google for approval.
The approval process includes meeting the requirements in the Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) and the GMS Requirements document, passing automated test suites like the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS), Vendor Test Suite (VTS), and Google Test Suite (GTS).
Why is Google Opting for this?
There are a few possible reasons why the tech giant has decided to make Android 10 mandatory and part of it is the security concerns that come along with Android OS being an Open-source project.
A lot of device manufacturers choose not to go with the latest Android updates in the past years depriving users of the new features that come handy with the latest Android version. A way to mitigate this is for Google to enforce the updates for all smartphones releases.
Google releases Android 10 (GO Edition) last month which is a faster and lighter version of Android 10. Low-end devices will be getting this edition before the end of this year and this way Google feels their effort to make the latest trends is inclusive enough and users shouldn’t be deprived of such privileges.
Nokia commits to its sustainability targets when it comes to the adoption of the latest Android versions for its customers and recently confirmed that the new Android 10 will arrive on all Noki smartphones in the last quarter of this year.
Our favorite phone makers TECNO, on the other hand, are below average when it comes to software updates and about 5% of their phones are running Android Pie. They ranked among the worst smartphone makers in the world when it comes to delays in rolling out software updates and the latest Android versions.
Do you think this is a good move by Google to force device makers on rolling out software updates and how will it affect you as a smartphone user? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
