Google has always been known to be innovating some kind of technology behind the scenes. Now that Chrome OS and Android have become the mainstream preferences, the third OS that will probably make its appearance to users sometimes soon, is Fuchsia, which, like Android, is a mobile operating system as well. Here is everything about the mysterious new OS by Google.
What is ‘Fuchsia’?
The main difference between Fuchsia and other Google OSes is the use of Linux, or the lack thereof. While both ChromeOS and Android depend on the Linux Kernel, Google has made its own micro-kernel called Magenta and is a based on a mix different licenses like BSD 3 clause, MIT and Apache 2.0. Dumping Linux means that Google is planning on creating a brand new eco-system from scratch with its own set of rules to follow, interdependent on the platform it serves. Google has seldom tread off from the beaten track, but this proves that the company is planning on being serious with its software development.
Who is Fuchsia for?
Right now, Fuchsia is not meant for anyone. The OS was built for the purpose of being on a smartphone, like Android, which have fast processors, decent RAM configurations as well as open-ended computing enabled. Ars Technica reports that the OS is still too nascent to be ready for operation just yet.
Can it be used for gaming?
In the future, probably, yes. The platform was developed using Google’s Flutter SDK, which is a mix of different qualities of different OSes put together. Many of the apps found on Android were developed with this tool, owing to its affinity for compatibility. Flutter apps are written in Dart code, which prioritize performance over everything else, so we can be sure that the phone is more efficient than regular devices. This particular OS will run a kind Vulkan-based graphical interface called Escher which will be used heavily for 120fps visuals and renderings, especially in adapting to Google’s material design.
How is the interface?
The interface is very derivative of material design, using simple card-based applications that are stagnant on a vertical home screen. Google Search is also present along with other familiar apps like e-mail and phone. There is also a special profile card which shows the details of the user along with phone functions such as brightness and sound. Even multi-window from Nougat makes its appearance on this platform, even allowing for more than two apps to run at a time. The OS, although not completely developed and still having only place-holder elements for most of the functions, for now, consists of an interface idea and not a functional one just yet. The interface, is called Armadillo, just like material design is to Android.
The OS is not meant to be a replacement to Android, well at least not any time soon, but serves as an alternative for what might come in the future – an interface that is more responsive and efficient on the device. Considering it is Google’s own making, the entire OS is open source, allowing for multiple users to make it their own.
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