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More proof that Google is serious about replacing Android with something better

Published Nov 28th, 2018 7:03AM EST
Fuchsia vs. Android
Image: Google

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Yes, Android Q is already in the works at Google, but the company is also developing the operating system that’s supposed to replace Android at some point this year. Called Fuchsia, although that may not be its final name when it launches, the OS that would work on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other smart devices, was featured in various reports so far. More recently, we learned that Huawei is involved in testing Fuchsia, a sign that suggests development is moving along nicely. A different report that further confirms Google is serious about the new OS says that Fuchsia was available on display at a special Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) event recently.

Bluetooth SIG, the body that governs Bluetooth certification, hosts three UnPlugFest (UPF) events every year, all in different locations, 9to5Google reports. Engineers from various companies have a chance to meet and test their devices at these events, and Google brought its Fuchsia OS at the UPF event that took place in Berlin in late October, to test Fuchsia and Android interconnectivity.

A Fuchsia engineer confirmed on Twitter the team’s intention to test Fuchsia at the event, 9to5Google explains, and UPF was mentioned in commits to Fuchsia’s Gerrit posted since the event ended, but also in Android’s Gerrit:

In a new commit posted [on Tuesday] to Android’s Gerrit source code management, we found our first clue to what may have been on display. The commit itself contains some improvements to the ‘Android Comms Test Suite’ (or ACTS) to improve its Bluetooth compatibility with Fuchsia devices. The commit message lists the test used to confirm the new code’s functionality as ‘UPF test event.’

While it’s unclear what devices Google used to run Fuchsia and test Bluetooth connectivity, we’ve seen the OS boot up on various devices in the past, with gadgets like the Pixelbook and Home Hub having Bluetooth support in Fuchsia.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.