A spokesperson for Google offered some additional context on this decision, stating that it helps simplify development, eliminates the complexity of managing multiple code branches, and allows them to deliver more stable and secure code to Android platform developers.
I am not a developer, but this sounds like bullshit. Google does have the ability to manage multiple code branches, they are one of the largest and richest software services companies on the planet.
The “deliver stable and secure code” also sounds like generic copytext that you would without any real context.
Large american technology companies cannot be trusted by definition.
The “deliver stable and secure code” also sounds like generic copytext that you would without any real context.
Sounds more like “we’re trying to close it off completely without saying it out loud and hope everyone forgets about our numerous GPL violations”.
“do no evil”… right?
Apparently all Sundar heard when he took over was “Do mumblemumble evil”
That’s in the past.
To their credit: when they changed their motto, they clearly announced that they will do evil.
There are not many companies who announce their switch to the dark side.
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Cutting a release (and publishing) does cost significant time and effort. You effectively need to code-freeze, get all code merged into main, run all tests and QA, fix any breaking bugs, compete signoffs etc. On some of our small projects, doing a release could burn up to 2 weeks of real time, which on a monthly release cycle was killing us.
So I can almost buy their reasoning. But otherwise, agree that they can’t be trusted, and releasing once a quarter doesnt seem that hard.
They are still doing that work for select OEMs, just not pushing it to the public server.
Do you have a source for that? I can believe that select OEMs are getting preview internal access, but I strongly doubt they are releasing with ROMs cooked from those internal branches. That would open the OEMs to GPL requests/violations. And internal access doesnt mean doing the release processes that chew up time.
Giving preferential treatment to certain OEMs is its own issue though, but its a anti-competitive behaviour issue rather than a licencing issue.
I was overly vague, and “Android” means different things in different places. I usually say “AOSP” for Open Source Android and “Google Android” for open core Android. This also isn’t quite accurate.
AOSP is basically a repo, not a ROM, not an OS, not even code (technicaly). This has always been pushed to on “release”, not during development.
Google has it’s own (private) repos for development. I suspect some OEMs have access to HEAD.
Google used to publish device code for Nexus/Pixel devices. This stopped in 2025. This was separate to AOSP, but would build with AOSP for “Android Android” or “Open Source Android”. Some people would “add gapps” to get closer to “Google Android”.
Kernal code from Google for Pixel devices is still publically available as is required by the GPL. Basically no other part of Android is GPL and has this requirement.
A “release” pushed to AOSP used to basically line up with a Nexus/Pixel update. At the end of 2025 they changed it to 4 times a year, now they are changing it to twice a year.
“Android Security Bulletin” is a different thing, OEMs get early access to it. Everyone else gets delayed releases by about a quarter. This delay was new in 2025, this will continue to happen.
Google isn’t giving built ROMs to OEMs, even if it was, assuming it’s internal only, it wouldn’t be a GPL violation. AOSP has never distributed built ROMs.
You could just have less releases but still develop everything openly…
Google does not respect the users and developers.
It’s time for !linuxphones@lemmy.ca to topple their marketshare!
I want a full Linux installation on all phones. Dockable.
So they’ll find some inane bug as a justification to skip a release and then just never release the source ever again
You know I used to think Google actually had some legitimate arguments against being a monopoly by keeping Chromium, Android, and other things open source, while also allowing users to install apps outside the Google Play Store. Since then, they have essentially said they intend to make it harder for users to install third party apps, they’ve closed Android in many ways & they’ve added Gemini & more spyware into Chrome. I think there is a much stronger argument now that Google has monopolized & should be broken up. Either way, they definitely need to get rid of Pichai. He has done nothing but make terrible decisions at every turn.
That is really great for the whole ecosystem. Other manufacturers won’t have much time to prepare for new releases. Well done, Google.
Other manufacturers get sources immediately, so no it only harms open-source part of andeoid.
I’m pretty sure big OEMs like Samsung do not rely on the public AOSP release.
OEMs of course aren’t held to this half a year of wait.
They are going to go back to releasing security fixes monthly which is much better for security.
“Going back”? Aren’t they explicitly saying nothing will change?
Finally, Google told us that its process for security patch releases will not change and that the company will keep publishing security patches each month on a dedicated security-only branch for relevant OS releases just as it does today.
