With #AndroidOreo or Simply #Android O, #Google will shake up the Android Security architecture in a fundamental manner. This update, which includes #ProjectTreble integration will bring Android Security, which has suffered from lagging or no security updates at all, in the sense that it will bifurcate the software related to the OEM from those of the Operating System and Google can directly update the OS with patches, fixes, etc. directly, without much customisation being required from OEM or carrier (for locked network users).

This will bring Android Security architecture as close to iOS as possible, revolutionising the Android user’s security and protection, in a radical manner, and hopefully, forever. Android being an open architecture suffers from evolving threats and loop-holes that are vulnerable to be exploited by hackers and malware, unlike Apple that controls both, the hardware and software, keeping updates and fixes, easy to integrate and faster to roll out.

As of now, android security suffers from un-escapable redundancies. Even market leaders like Samsung only offer 2 years of update and that too only on flagships. Google Pixel too does not extend this coverage for more than 3 years. Other OEMs are involved in blatant overlooking of the necessity of security updates as updates do not add to their bottom-lines, thus leaving the average Android user’s cybersecurity and safety in the limbo.

But hang on! This does not mean that you should be rushing to buy the latest phone with Oreo. Many of the current devices including the latest ones like the Samsung S8 are not compatible with Treble. Very few devices, which includes Pixel, are compatible with this architecture and one needs to ask the specific question when buying.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent response by #Google to an essential stigma attributed to Android phones. Apple products, on the other hand, come with almost 5 years of updates now, which makes the devices friendly for users with cybersecurity an essential concern (if it was a choice of course). These changes will take time to become critical though and till then iOS-based products will be the last word on cyber safety as blackberry too has adopted Android with its pros and cons.

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