Yesterday evening, without too many warnings, Google announced Android 13 and released the first developer preview, so the hunt for the new features introduced – more and less visible – has already begun, and one in particular concerns Project Mainline and the future of updates of various parts of the Android operating system.
In short, after having illustrated the Android 13 release timeline and its particular link with Italy, let’s now see something more technical, which may seem of little interest to end-users, but which will actually affect the user experience of all.
Android 13 and Project Mainline: more updates via Google Play
During the announcement, VP Dave Burke emphasized the most important changes already present in the first developer preview of Android 13, focusing on central topics such as privacy and security, which are linked to important news such as the Image Selector of the system and new permissions for Wi-Fi, but also on tools aimed at developers, such as Quick Settings Placement API, themed icons and much more.
In the midst of all this, addressing the equally important topic of application compatibility, Burke highlighted how Android 13 will mark a further growth of Project Mainline which, taking advantage of the increasingly modular nature of the green robot, will allow an increasing number to pass. system updates from Google Play. The aim pursued through this approach is to ensure apps have a safer and more consistent environment on all devices, but also to offer new functions and possibilities to users more quickly. For example, new functions such as the aforementioned Image Selector and OpenJDK 11 can also arrive on devices with previous versions of Android thanks to the updating of their existing modules.
The further evolutionary step with Android 13 is represented by the addition of new modules, including Bluetooth and Ultra-wideband ( UWB ). In this way, more and more essential elements of the operating system can be updated separately from everything else and quickly for all users, without having to wait for updates of the entire OS.