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By Chris Smith, BGR
One of the best things about Google’s Android phones is that they’re
always going to be the first to get Android updates, and those updates
are guaranteed for three years. The Pixel 3 phones will get software
updates through 2021, which is a great reason to buy a brand new Pixel
phone. But, as it turns out, the new Pixel phones can also run another
Google OS — the one that keeps popping in leaks and reports, and the one that will likely “kill” Android.
Fuchsia, as it’s currently called, represents Google vision for the
future of smart devices. The operating system is being built from the
ground up and will work on a variety of platforms, from smartphones,
tablets, and laptops to smart speakers, IoT, and other smart gadgets. At
least, that’s the expectation, as Google is yet to announce it. If all
goes well, Fuchsia will one day replace Android and Chrome OS, while
retaining support for Android apps.
Even though we saw an early
Fuchsia UI in previous leaks, and the software was able to boot on
several devices, it can’t really be used in place of another operating
system at the moment. That’s why, even though it’s exciting to hear that
the Pixel 3 can run Fuchsia, it’s not like you’ll be able to use it in
place of Android.
As 9to5Google reports, an indie developer ran Fuchsia
on the Pixel 3 XL. We’re in the very early days of booting Fuchsia on
Pixel phones, so don’t try to do this at home. This is what you’d get if
you did, though:
This includes booting the Zircon kernel (the
absolute minimum software needed to run a device) via fastboot, and
displaying the Zircon virtual console (think like a command line) on the
Pixel 3 XL screen. This console is the only UI though, as it doesn’t
tap into any of the other layers of Fuchsia yet. There’s also no way to
interact with the virtual console, as there’s no touch or USB support of
any kind.
However, this particular evolution of Fuchsia is still
impressive. After all, come the first commercial Fuchsia release, which
isn’t expected for another few years, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL might
be able to run the OS right away. Also, this could be a sign that other
relatively new Android devices might one day be compatible with the new
operating system, as long as third-party developers are willing to put
in the hard work.
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