Project Treble seems to be making a dent in the fight against Android's fragmentation problem, and one of the keys to its success relies on something called a GSI (Generic System Image) which is basically a super-stock, AOSP-based image of the Android framework, and a required part of testing Treble compliance. According to a talk at the Android Dev Summit last week, Google may give more devices an advance taste of later Android versions via an earlier GSI release schedule.
Read MoreGoogle could give more devices an early taste of Android Q with earlier GSI (Generic System Image) releases
APEX furthers the Android ROM modularization started by Treble
Google's Project Treble was created to help fight Android's dirty f-word (fragmentation), by making the update process easier and faster for OEMs. Separating vendor-specific code like SoC drivers out from Android itself was meant to help when it came to OS updates and the work required to push them out. Now Google is working on increasing just how modular Android can be with something called APEX.
Read MoreOxygenOS 5.1.5 for the OnePlus 5 and 5T has a hidden Treble surprise
When OnePlus released the OxygenOS Open Betas 13 and 11 for the OnePlus 5 and 5T, respectively, the company snuck in a little surprise in the form of support for Project Treble. That's a pretty big perk since Treble makes updates (and ROMs) easier for developers by further separating hardware from software when it comes to updating Android. Now that feature appears to have silently made its way to the OnePlus 5 and 5T with the recent Oxygen OS 5.1.5 update.
Read More[Update: Downloads, screenshots] OxygenOS Open Beta 13 and 11 for OnePlus 5 and 5T will bring Treble support
OnePlus' OxygenOS Open Betas give us an illuminating glimpse into the company's future software plans. Although it's possible that not every feature that makes it into the Open Betas will be deemed fit for stable release, they give us an advance look at the company's intentions, if nothing else. Today OnePlus has released a new pair of Open Betas for the OnePlus 5 and 5T, and the changes are quite substantial, including "Supported [sic] for Project Treble."
Read MoreHow does Project Treble impact Android and the custom ROM community?
Project Treble, something that you might read in some of our reviews and comment sections, is an important shift in Android as we know it. One of the pieces of Oreo, Treble was Google's attempt to improve the terrible update situation we see on many third-party phones, especially from Samsung, Asus, and Huawei. So far, only a few manufacturers have implemented it to any noticeable degree, with others outright ignoring it until the last possible minute.
Read MoreHere are all the phones updated to support Project Treble
Update 1: 2018/06/04 2:57pm PDT
This list is no longer updated. You can find a full list of devices that support Project Treble here.
One of the most important features included in Android 8.0 Oreo is 'Project Treble,' Google's attempt to modularize Android. We covered it in detail here, but in a nutshell, Treble separates all the low-level device drivers (known as the 'vendor implementation') from the rest of Android. This makes updating phones/tablets to the latest version of Android much easier for manufacturers, as long as they already support Treble.
Read MoreGoogle's "Project Treble" will modularize Android to make updates faster
Easily the most annoying aspect of using an Android phone (with the exception of Pixel/Nexus) is slow updates. Android 7.1 (which came out last year) currently sits at 0.5% marketshare, and brand new phones are still being released with 6.0 Marshmallow. Google is aiming to solve this with "Project Treble," which will modularize part of the Android OS to decrease the time OEMs spend updating their devices.
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