Google Might Be Ditching Android For New OS In The Coming Years

Image via Bloomicon / Shutterstock.com

As it stands, Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, though that could change in a matter of years.

According to sources of Bloomberg, ‘Fuchsia’—an operating system built from scratch by 100-odd Googlers—is on the heels of launch, and has been offered internal support by CEO Sundar Pichai.

Thanks to how well it’s progressing, the OS might roll out in connected devices, such as home speakers and laptops, in three years—but what the team is reportedly hoping to achieve is a complete replacement for Android. If all goes well, you can expect for smartphones to be powered by ‘Fuchsia’ in five years.

Unlike Android, Google’s proprietary ‘Fuchsia’ doesn’t run on Linux, so smaller devices like connected cameras will require fewer lines of code—which means there’ll be lesser risks for security vulnerabilities. Mobile devices and computers will also be able to receive faster updates.

In spite of these purported plans, the same insiders tell Bloomberg that Pichai and Hiroshi Lockheimer, head of Android, have not signed off on this roadmap.

Google has also briefly responded to the reports, saying that there’s no concrete five-year plan in place for ‘Fuchsia’, and that the OS is just “one of many experimental open-source projects” that the company is working on. With that being said, confirming that Android would be replaced in half a decade’s time wouldn’t be a smart PR move for the tech giant.

[via Fast Company and Android Central, cover image via Bloomicon / Shutterstock.com]