Google’s “Fuchsia” Smartphone OS Dumps Linux, Has a Wild New UI

Megalith

Megalith

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We finally have a look at the OS that may one day replace Android. Instead of Linux, Google’s new venture is powered by a microkernel called "Magenta" and utilizes a system UI codenamed “Armadillo,” which is expected to provide a much smoother experience than Android. Visually, I don’t think there is anything to get excited about yet, since it merely looks like another card-based interface, but it may be interesting to think about how Google would transition everyone to this new OS.

Fuchsia really seems like a project that asks "how would we design Android today, if we could start over?" It's a brand-new, Google-developed kernel running a brand-new, Google-developed SDK that uses a brand-new, Google-developed programming language and it's all geared to run Google's Material Design interface as quickly as possible. Google gets to dump Linux and the GPL, it can dump Java and the problems it caused with Oracle, and Google can basically insulate itself from all of Android's upstream projects and bring all the development in-house. Doing such a thing on the scale of Android today would be a massive project.
 
Doesn't seem like an improvement. How is it smoother? It's not smooth at all, more jerky than my current android 5 phone.
 
M76 said:
Doesn't seem like an improvement. How is it smoother? It's not smooth at all, more jerky than my current android 5 phone.
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You do realize that what you were looking at was an APK generated to run on Android right? That wasn't actually Fuchsia running...

Everything about Fuchsia though points to very fast and fluid. But until we actually get a device running the OS we will never know.
 
Vermillion said:
You do realize that what you were looking at was an APK generated to run on Android right? That wasn't actually Fuchsia running...

Everything about Fuchsia though points to very fast and fluid. But until we actually get a device running the OS we will never know.
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I thought I misunderstood something because on the video comments I saw drooling on how smooth it is.
 
Vermillion said:
You do realize that what you were looking at was an APK generated to run on Android right? That wasn't actually Fuchsia running...

Everything about Fuchsia though points to very fast and fluid. But until we actually get a device running the OS we will never know.
Click to expand...
Also, this is a video and the frame rate is the limit.
 
If it will need be able to run current APK's even in emulated mode, it will not be successful.

I also see that Google has not learnt anything from Swiftkey concerning its keyboard. To actually go into a separate menu to access the symbols and numbers is just stupid and so Apple. Everything also looks very bland. I also wonder why people are so afraid for white on black.
 
Isnt part of the appeal of Android that it does no rely on the overwatching eye of Big Brother Apple?
 
OMG OMG micro kernel ;)
Since the days of the Amiga someone was actually smart enough to realize the advantages of it. Almost 32 years later :)

Lets hope they didn't screw it up badly ...
 
Pieter3dnow said:
OMG OMG micro kernel ;)
Since the days of the Amiga someone was actually smart enough to realize the advantages of it. Almost 32 years later :)
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Problem there is that most of the advantages of using a microkernel have been negated by massive speed increases in hardware. Google's thinking here is probably more along the lines of keeping their core OS underpinnings away from the grubby mitts of tinkerers. A linux kernel like Android uses can be swapped out, recompiled, etc, etc, etc without much trouble. A true microkernel (in this case) would likely be closed-source and completely proprietary.
 
Yeah, all I see with this is users having even less control over their phones. More advertising and nagware built-in to phones that can't be removed or disabled.
 
JDanser said:
A true microkernel (in this case) would likely be closed-source and completely proprietary.
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GotNoRice said:
Yeah, all I see with this is users having even less control over their phones. More advertising and nagware built-in to phones that can't be removed or disabled.
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And now we know why Google is so excited about it.
 
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GotNoRice said:
Yeah, all I see with this is users having even less control over their phones. More advertising and nagware built-in to phones that can't be removed or disabled.
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Azrak said:
And now we know why Google is so excited about it.
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OH MY GODZ! THE H0RR0RZ OF A CLOSED SYSTEM WITH ADS AND SPYWARE! :rolleyes:

Oh wait...it's none of that.

Kernel - https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/magenta/
The rest - https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/

Your tin foil is on too tight. If you want ads, spyware, and a closed source system go grab Windows 10. It'll fit the bill for you. ;)
 
Azrak said:
And now we know why Google is so excited about it.
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And those were the perfect reasons for the Windows Mobile platform. Nothing installed that cannot be removed, stuff just works when properly supported and so on. However, folks think it was terrible because the live tiles but, oh well, you get what you ask for.
 
Vermillion said:
OH MY GODZ! THE H0RR0RZ OF A CLOSED SYSTEM WITH ADS AND SPYWARE! :rolleyes:

Oh wait...it's none of that.

Kernel - https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/magenta/
The rest - https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/

Your tin foil is on too tight. If you want ads, spyware, and a closed source system go grab Windows 10. It'll fit the bill for you. ;)
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It has less to do with Open vs. Closed source than it does the company that makes it. Google is primarily an advertising company... They collect as much data as possible from every market they are a part of and do everything they can to monetize that data.

Funny you mention Windows being closed source, as despite Android being "open source", users of Windows have always had much more freedom over how their OS runs than users of Android. Windows is where the Web Browser came from, a web interface where the user has control. If the Web developed on the Smartphone, there would be no Web Browser, but instead an "app" for every site, where you have no control over how info is displayed, and where you have to agree to give it full permission to all the sensitive areas of your phone just to open it. Again, this is more about the company and the way they treat their users than anything. It doesn't mean much to most but at least the more involved users can usually root their phone if they want to. I'd bet that is going away with the custom OS also.
 
My thumb is already tired from the amount of whitespace between each of those cards. Imagine how much swiping that will be. Now imagine trying to do it with only one hand. IMO the UI needs to be tightened up a lot.
 
I don't know if we will ever see this OS from google for smartphones. Android is too ingrained at this point for a such a major change to work. The entire ecosystem of software would have to change... as would the current system Android hardware companies have gotten used to with driver code being sent to the Linux kernel.

In my opinion what is likely to come out of this project will be aimed at the auto industry.

Everything I have ever read about Fuchsia make me think its googles version of QNX. BlackBerry has been aiming QNX at that market... and reading about both projects they sound so very much alike. Both running micro kernels, but running their own more secure language implementations.

That's my take anyway. Google like it or not are tied pretty tight to the Linux kernel I can't imagine they could scrap their entire current infrastructure, or that the hardware manufacturers like Samsung would accept a closed source google OS instead of one they could bend for their own hardware. However in markets that require security and reliability and don't need to worry about end user Android support, or mass produced / used in multiple product hardware driver support, Fuchsia could make sense.

So I think people are looking at this project all wrong... its aimed at QNX imo.

EDIT: just another note the author of this article makes a few odd assertions also. One being that even the pixel uses the 3.16 kernel. Although its true many smart phones use older kernels they almost all have newer drivers / security fixes / and a few mobile amied features backported. They run older kernels in much the same way a commercial distro built for reliability like say RHEL does... older kernel core with many of the newer features / drivers / security fixes backported.
 
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I'm guessing that they are working on a way for their current android apps to run or easily port over with little to no problems? Add to that the ability to download said port at no cost if you already paid for the original application.

Otherwise Google could just Windows Phone their whole smartphone ecosystem.
 
Derfman said:
I'm guessing that they are working on a way for their current android apps to run or easily port over with little to no problems? Add to that the ability to download said port at no cost if you already paid for the original application.

Otherwise Google could just Windows Phone their whole smartphone ecosystem.
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Dude, I am not a fan a Google at all and I would prefer to have Windows 10 Mobile as my primary Phone OS but, I cannot. That said, Google is no Microsoft when it comes to this, they will not deep 6 their phone platform like Microsoft intentionally did with theirs, as much as I hate that fact.
 
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ManofGod said:
Dude, I am not a fan a Google at all and I would prefer to have Windows 10 Mobile as my primary Phone OS but, I cannot. That said, Google is no Microsoft when it comes to this, they will not deep 6 their phone platform like Microsoft intentionally did with theirs, as much as I hate that fact.
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Hey look we agree on something. :) lol

Ya this articles author completely misses what this OS is really all about imo. Google needs a more secure OS for markets like the automotive market... even this UI they are showing off, screams infotainment system to me. Right now Google is loosing in that market to Blackberry of all companies. BBs QNX is used in things like the Panasonic infotainment system in Fords... and they have signed long term dev deals with Ford and others are talking to them. Heck Apple has setup what I believe is their first research and development project outside of California... in Canada, where they have pouched 20 or so former BB / QNX employees.
 
JDanser said:
Problem there is that most of the advantages of using a microkernel have been negated by massive speed increases in hardware. Google's thinking here is probably more along the lines of keeping their core OS underpinnings away from the grubby mitts of tinkerers. A linux kernel like Android uses can be swapped out, recompiled, etc, etc, etc without much trouble. A true microkernel (in this case) would likely be closed-source and completely proprietary.
Click to expand...

And that is at the same time the drawback of having updates. It should work by default applications aside , if done right micro kernel for these devices can be a blessing rather then a burden.
 
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