Project Treble: Now Try New Versions Of Android Before They Are Official

The Importance Of  GSI

GSI stands for Generic System Images is basically that, the purest version of Android, without any modification by manufacturers or operators. They are not new, but they have started to get traction because of Project Treble.

Project Treble supposes a separation of the hardware controllers and the operating system, in such a way that the software layer can be updated without the need to also update the hardware support. That’s where the generic images come in: they’re used to check Treble’s compatibility.

In plain words, any mobile Treble must be able to operate this image of the generic system, which opens new possibilities for developers to try a new version of Android on your physical device without resorting to an emulator. And also for early-adopter end users, who want to try Android before anyone else.

The process to install one of these GSI images is not easy and has some requirements that can not always be met, such as having the boot locker unlocked. But Hung-Ying Tyan, from Google, assures that they are working in a way by which the process it easier.

It is still a little early to know what all this will end. But it could be that in the future you could voluntarily try a new pure version of Android on a smartphone. In the same way, there are beta programs for certain terminals.