[Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Guides, News, & Discussion] Azizbagwan:
Project Treble is the Answer

The reason manufacturers have such a hard time pushing out prompt updates is because of all the work that has to go into getting the operating system to communicate with the hardware.

Traditionally, it worked something like this: the OS framework and low-level software were all part of the same code. So when the OS got updated, this low-level software–technically referred to as vendor implementation—also had to get updated. That’s a lot of work.

So, starting with Android 8.x (Oreo), Google separated the two. That means the Android OS itself can be updated without having to touch the vendor implementation. That, in turn, can be updated by itself if needed.

To put that in full context, before an update can be pushed out to an Android 7.x (or earlier) device, not only does the Android OS code have to be updated, but so does the low-level hardware code, which is generally maintained by the chip maker. So, for example, if Samsung wants to push an update to one of its phones, it has to wait for Qualcomm (or whoever made the chip) to update its code to work with the new Samsung code. That’s a lot of wheels turning at once, and each one is dependent on the other.

With Android 8.x and beyond, it won’t be like this anymore. Since the core hardware code is separate from the OS code, device manufacturers will be free to update their software without having to wait for the silicon maker to also update its code.

This should dramatically speed up the update process—in theory, at least. Updating devices will still be in the manufacturer’s hands, and since the first Oreo devices outside of the Google-maintained Pixel line are just now rolling out, we haven’t yet had a chance to fully see this in practice. Hopefully, it actually makes a significant change to the speed in which updates are written and pushed out.

Will My Device Benefit from Project Treble?

Now that’s the million dollar question, right? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t so simple (surely you didn’t expect it to be). That said, here are some facts:

If your device never gets updated to Oreo, it will never get Project Treble. No way around that. Sorry.

If your device does get updated to Oreo, it’s still not required to support Treble—that’s up to the manufacturer.

If you buy a new phone that runs Oreo out of the box, it is required to support Treble out of the box.

In short: Treble support on updated systems is still up to the manufacturers, but new Oreo devices will be required to support Treble moving forward.

So, for example, the Pixel 2 already supports Project Treble. The forthcoming Galaxy S9 will also support Treble out of the box. Google also updated the Pixel 1 to support Treble, but it’s unfortunately it looks like Samsung left it out of the Oreo build for the Galaxy S8.

If you’re curious about your own device, Android Police has a running list of all devices that will get Treble support, as well as a which ones will get updated to Oreo without Treble.

Android OS updates have been a constant point of contention for many years now, so it’s good to see Google finally addressing the issue. With any luck, this will put all Android devices closer to parity with Apple in terms of device updates.