Project Treble (Android O)

Sorry about that, I deleted the post (and user) you’re referring to as a link in the quote were changed/added to point towards a domain that has been showing up in spam posts on the forum for a while now.

Old article, but summarizes perfectly what it’s going on still right now.

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Here’s an overview over Treble:

I’m pretty sure that this change will benefit all FP users if we manage to get a community port (or simply an official but non-Google-certified port) of Android 8 on the FP2. It should simplify future updates.

I’m not sure how feasible that is if Qualcomm don’t provide the necessary updates.

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Regarding to lineage OS, I do not see any problem since the current version 14.1, aka android 7.1, supports the fairphone 2.

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This XDA-article gives some answers to my long standing questions I asked myself for some years now: why is updating Android on a smartphone much more complicated than switching between different Windows Versions for any simple and also 10 years old PC… I did not completely undestand, but it is interesting to read about…and that - maybe - something will change for the better… we will see (maybe not for FP2 as it was not originally shiped with Orero, but maybe we are lucky).

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It is unlikely for any devices to unofficially receive Project Treble support via custom ROM development. HALs are not open source after all.

Just a heads-up.

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It‘s up to Fairphone if they want to right that train (sustainability!?). A lot of vendors out there will do.

Not at all. It’s actually up to Qualcomm and their willingness to provide updated drivers. They won’t because they don’t care for the FP2’s Snapdragon anymore.

There are some interesting posts about this topic and I invite you to read some of them. You can find them through the forum search. :slight_smile:

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That might be true for now (i.e. for the FP2).
But @sky has a point as this can or can not be taken into consideration for the next phone; or the one after that, if the next one is at a stage already, where it’s to late for Treble. And that’s up to FP (and maybe customer demand).

This topic therefore could be added to the wishlist:

(edit: done :ballot_box_with_check:)

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Hi Stefan, how is it with a CPU upgrade module currently out, on which Android 8 is supported with appropriate drivers? :slight_smile:

A CPU upgrade would practically mean a new phone because all peripherals (camera, microphone, etc.) are adapted to the CPU. Changing the CPU means changing all other parts of the CPU.

That’s in the worlds of legends (Fairphone 3).

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I’m not quite so about the theoretical possibility. Since the new SoC would be more powerful, it should be fine with the older camera. Adapting the microphone and screen should also be possible. The layout on the PCB would have to be similar, but I don’t think that is impossible.

I still think Fairphone should keep the screen and as many modules as possible compatible. If they keep the modularity :wink:

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I couldn’t agree with you more!

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Unfortunately it is very likely that such backwards compatibility is going to hamper further innovation.

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I would say yes and no to that (just my opinion of course).
It might be a hindrance for development, if you have to keep things compatible.
But it might also stimulate creativity if you have to search for solutions, that fit into an existing frame.
And starting things new or from scratch - as the FP2 shows - almost always comes at a price. E.g. the troubles there were with the first displays might be repeated, should the next phone use a new one.
As long as the FP2 is not yet a phone developed to perfection, the way should be continued. And if it’s just to iron out all the errors and mishaps, that come with the modular design.

Sometimes a newer version of a hardware product is actually a direct iteration of the previous device, without massive changes (“overhaul”). You can notice this for example in the MBP series (with a clear next step in 2016 versions due to touchbar, keyboard, etc) but also in smartphones such as iPhone (and there are legio examples if you look at Nokia N96 being an evolution of Nokia N95 for example but yeah these are older examples). If it is a next iteration, it has less changes, so keeping backwards compatibility it easier then.

It is also a question of the original designer still working at Fairphone (I do not know).

Looking at software development, one of first things LibreSSL developers did after forking OpenSSL is removing backwards compatibility with ancient legacy systems.

But its difficult to compare! No comparison is going to be accurate because Fairphone’s situation is unique. Phonebloks hasn’t delivered a project, and Project Ara is RIP, although you could say Jolla’s “other side” and Motorola’s Moto Mods are partly modular. I don’t know how they do it regarding backwards compatibility and modularity?

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Fyi, Phonebloks was never about delivering a project. They were just a design study that aimed to inspire other designers and manufacturers and raide public awareness.

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Lineage OS 15.1 aka Android 8.1 has been released today.
We hope to see soon the version for fairphone 2.

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