As early as 2016, it was noticed that the Fuchsia OS project quietly appeared on GitHub. Which means that in addition to Android and Chrome OS, Google was working on developing a third operating system. However, even after a few years, the mystery of Google Fuchsia OS has not been fully revealed! People do not know the real purpose behind Google developing such an OS. There’s no info regarding which device this new operating system will be used for. At this point, it isn’t even clear whether this OS might replace Android in the near future for the devices built by Google.
However, in an interview at Google I/O conference with Hiroshi Lockheimer, head of Android and Chrome OS, he disclosed more details about the Google Fuchsia OS to the public.
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Google Fuchsia OS will support different hardware devices!
Fuchsia OS is an open source project similar to AOSP that can run on smart home devices, laptops, mobile phones and more. Google’s smart home device Nest Hub is considered one of the testing devices for the Fuchsia operating system.
However, this new operating system is different from Google’s previous development of Android and Chrome OS. Because the latter two are based on the Linux kernel, while Fuchsia OS is based on a new kernel called “Magenta”. Since Fuchsia OS is written using the Flutter SDK running on Android, most of the modules of Fuchsia OS can also be run on Android devices. Other than that, we know very little, and the last time we saw the user interface prototype supported by Fuchsia OS it was two years ago.
Here’s a first look at what the current UI for the Fuchsia OS looks like!
In the past, there have been some reports about Google’s development of testing Fuchsia OS on Pixelbook laptops, as well as a timeline for product development. Devices that support the Google Fuchsia OS are expected to be released in three to five years.
However, Hiroshi Lockheimer talked more about the new operating system in an interview with The Verge, saying:
We are developing more new features for this operating system. Some people may think this is “new Android” or “new Chrome OS”. But I would like to say that Fuchsia OS is Fuchsia OS – new in the operating system world. A new kind of art.
Lockheimer also gave some details on the devices which will be supported by Fuchsia OS, although these details are not particularly out in the public domain.
The significance of the new operating system is that it can support different hardware devices, such as smart home devices, wearable devices, and even augmented reality or virtual reality devices. For mobile phones, we used Android. For web applications, we used Chrome OS. So similarly Fuchsia OS may also be optimized for certain devices, and the Google team is working in this direction.
According to media reports, Lockheimer mentioned some details in the media conversation of Google I/O. He said that not only mobile phones and personal computers but in the world of IoT, there will be more devices that require an operating system. So Different advantages and specialized multi-party operating systems have great room for development; he believes that Google’s Fuchsia OS is one of them.
Rumours and prospects for Fuchsia OS
When the media asked Google to explain the meaning of the new operating system “Fuchsia OS” and the purpose of developing Fuchsia OS, Google declined to comment.
However, according to Bloomberg, Fuchsia OS is an attempt by Google to try to unify the entire ecosystem with a single operating system.
Moreover, according to people familiar with the matter, Google plans to use Fuchsia OS on smart audio devices and other smart furniture devices within three years. Then transfer to laptops and other devices, and eventually replace Android to become the world’s largest mobile operating system. But how long this process will take is still a mystery. The official logo for Google Fuchsia OS can be seen below!
An article by Ars Technica also endorsed the above statement, the article said:
“Android existed long before the iPhone was released, but at the time, Android was not used for smartphones, but as an operating system for digital cameras. Therefore, subsequent use of a digital camera for a smartphone is bound to have some limitations.”
Moreover, the limitations of Android are also reflected in the competition with Apple iOS. Although Android’s market share of about 85% is far more than 15% of iOS, Apple devices and iOS have retained an upper hand in areas such as performance and privacy. Moreover, many iPhone users will quickly get the latest iOS updates. However, less than 10% of Android system users will get them!
Fuchsia OS, which Google is developing, may be able to solve the above problems – according to the web portal Digital Trends. Fuchsia OS is more secure than Android because the built-in encrypted user key makes it easy to protect user information when updating the system. In addition, Google Fuchsia OS is also better at adapting to different screen sizes, which will help Fuchsia OS to be used for different hardware devices, as mentioned by Hiroshi Lockheimer above.
Fuchsia OS overview: Conclusion.
Although the outside world has different opinions on Fuchsia OS’s future, many of these statements see online have not been officially confirmed by Google. However, Samsung, HTC, LG and other large mobile phone manufacturers are also very dependent on the Android system. Besides, unlike Android and Chrome OS, Fuchsia OS is based on a new kernel, avoiding some old technologies in Linux. This can make some existing devices incompatible. So, for now, it’s not realistic for Google to give up Android directly and switch to Fuchsia OS irrespective of how great it may turn out to be.
Even if Google really plans to replace Android with Fuchsia OS, it will definitely not happen overnight! Because it will be a huge change for Google and the entire smartphone industry.
So guys what do you think? Would the Fuchsia OS really take over the computing world as we know it? Or would it be long forgotten in tech history? Do let us know in the comments section below!
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