Google now shares the list of changes made by Push Updates through the Play Store. The first relevant update was deployed in January 2022. The company thus wants to be more transparent with respect to its Android update strategy. These updates are pushed automatically by Google, without going through the manufacturer.
If there is one area where Apple is more responsive than Google, it’s management of updates to its installed base. It must be said that Apple controls the entire value chain: hardware, software, ecosystem. By removing any intermediary, including operators, Apple can manage updates on its own. And by extension, the firm is considerably increasing technical support for its phones.
Read also – Android 12: here is the list of smartphones that will have the update
On Android, the situation is different: in addition to Google component manufacturers, smartphone manufacturers and operators. Not all have the same vision and the same budget for technical support. So the user is not sure if they will benefit from one or more updates, if their favorite applications will continue to work and if their personal data is protected.
Google does not demerit however to provide faster and more regular updates. Several initiatives have been carried out by the Mountain View firm. One of the most important is Project Treble, which aimed to speed up the rollout of updates by separating the core of Android and the UI elements. Android 8.0 was the first compatible version.
Google communicates the content of updates disseminated by the Play Store
Treble was followed by Mainline which prepared Android to accept system updates released directly from the Play Store, without the intervention of manufacturers or operators. Android 11 was the first to take advantage of Mainline, but it is especially with Android 12 that Mainline has become a reality. An undeniable advantage for the end user who benefits from more regular updates. But this lacked transparency until now. Indeed, no modification list was distributed by Google with updates issued from the Play Store. It is not the case anymore.
The update of January 2022 was the first to include detailed information on the changes it is making. If your smartphone is running Android 11 or 12, it probably automatically downloaded and installed an APK archive titled ” Google Play system update “.
According to the information that you can find on the Google support site (and in the image above), it fixes many bugs for Android on smartphones, tablets and connected objects, it strengthens Play Protect, the protection system to Android, and it brings new features to gamers. One of them is inspired by the Smart Delivery that you find on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5: it allows you to start a game when the game has not been fully downloaded.
Source: 9to5Google
