Your Android-powered car will get faster updates thanks to Qualcomm
Does your car have Android Automotive? There might be good news for you.
TL;DR
- Qualcomm has announced a partnership with Google for a “unified reference platform” for Android Automotive OS, starting with Android 17.
- This means cars with Android Automotive and Snapdragon chips should get quicker access to new Google features.
- The chipmaker also announced that Project Treble is coming to cars with Snapdragon chips, speeding up system updates.
Cars with Android Automotive OS offer a standalone Android experience without having to pair with an Android device. Now, Google and Qualcomm have announced some welcome developments in this space.
Qualcomm announced that it’s teaming up with Google to establish a “unified reference platform” for Android in the car, starting with Android 17:
This approach enables automakers to accelerate prototyping, innovation, and scalable development, allowing them to deliver higher quality, advanced automotive experiences to consumers.
In plain English, this means cars with Android Automotive and Snapdragon chips should get quicker access to the latest Google features.
Qualcomm also announced that Project Treble is coming to automakers using Snapdragon chipsets. Project Treble simplifies Android’s inner workings, enabling faster, easier system updates. The initiative was originally designed for Android Oreo and announced back in 2017. The chipmaker adds that Project Treble is coming to four generations of its Snapdragon automotive chipsets and “over 14” individual processors.
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“Through this collaboration, automakers can gain dramatically simplified Android updates, streamlined integration, lower engineering costs, and faster time-to-market, supported by a robust 10-year plan for critical software updates,” Qualcomm explained.
In other words, car owners should expect faster Android Automotive OS updates. Qualcomm’s announcement also suggests that Project Treble isn’t widely used in Android Automotive. If that’s the case, then we hope Google brings it to other partners for faster updates across the board.
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