Lost is the flurry of this week’s Google I/O news was the announcement that Google has developed a PDK (platform development kit) for hardware manufacturers to help them port the latest version of Android to new or existing devices. At this time, no real details are known about the PDK, except that it will be available to Android partners 2-3 months before new Android releases are made available to the public.
So what does the release for the Android PDK mean for consumers?
While the PDK is intended to be a tool for hardware manufacturers and chip makers, its implementation should translate into more rapid deployments of Android updates to the end users. For a long time, Android users have blamed custom skins from OEMs for the delayed Android update, but we now know that component drivers bear the majority of the blame. If component and chip makers use the Android PDK to work in tandem with OEMs, Android updates could roll out to devices months quicker than they currently do.
Unfortunately, theories don’t always pan out the way they should. Google claims that key partners have had access to Android 4.1 for a while, so we’ll see how fast they can deploy the update once Google gives them clearance – presumably once the update gets pushed out to the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola XOOM.
Do you think the Android PDK deployment will translate into more timely Android updates for consumers or will this simply fall by the wayside like the Android Update Alliance?
Google claims that key partners have had access to Android 4.1 for a while, so we’ll see how fast they can deploy the update once Google gives them clearance – prsumably once the update gets pushed.
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