Android 9

Android 9
Current screenshot: Paowee, Previous screenshot: Mhaikal a · Apache License 2.0 · source
Name	Android 9
Developer	Google
Release	August 6, 2018
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux)
Predecessor	Android 8.1
Successor	Android 10

Android 9 Android 9 is a major release of a mobile operating system developed by Google, announced in 2018. It introduced system-wide changes to navigation, power management, and machine learning, and was distributed through partnerships with hardware vendors and carriers worldwide.

History and development

Development of the release involved engineers and teams at Google working alongside manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG Electronics, Sony Corporation, OnePlus, Nokia (brand), Motorola Mobility, HTC Corporation, AsusTek Computer Inc., and Oppo. Public previews were distributed at developer events like Google I/O and through beta programs with cloud services offered by Google Cloud Platform. The engineering process referenced upstream projects including the Linux kernel and contributions from organizations such as the Android Open Source Project community, The Linux Foundation, and standards bodies like the World Wide Web Consortium. Security and privacy teams coordinated with entities such as CERT Coordination Center, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, and regulators including the Federal Trade Commission during rollout planning. Carrier testing involved firms like AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone Group, SoftBank Group, and China Mobile. Mobile chipset partners including Qualcomm Incorporated, MediaTek Inc., Samsung Electronics (Exynos), and HiSilicon participated in bringing platform optimizations to market.

Features and changes

The release introduced Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness powered by on-device models from teams within Google Research and collaborations with labs at Stanford University, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon University. Power and thermal management drew on profile work influenced by mobile platform research at ARM Holdings and hardware telemetry from Qualcomm Incorporated partners. The update added support for neural network acceleration APIs aligning with hardware from NVIDIA Corporation and Intel Corporation to serve use cases similar to those explored by OpenAI research teams. Privacy features included background app restrictions influenced by policies of organizations such as Electronic Frontier Foundation and standards discussions with Internet Engineering Task Force. Multimedia updates added codecs and container support referencing work by Moving Picture Experts Group and integration with camera HAL versions used by companies such as Sony Corporation and Google Pixel teams.

User interface and design

Visual and interaction changes were guided by design teams at Google and influenced by material design principles discussed with studios at IDEO, and academic art departments at Rhode Island School of Design and Royal College of Art. Gesture navigation introduced oversight involving usability research groups that referenced studies from Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and data from pilot testing with carriers including Vodafone Group and T-Mobile US. The quick settings, notification enhancements, and Do Not Disturb refinements were developed alongside product teams that previously shipped features in releases for devices produced by Samsung Electronics, OnePlus, and Huawei. Accessibility improvements consulted advocacy groups such as American Foundation for the Blind and AbilityNet to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies used by organizations like National Federation of the Blind.

Performance and security

Performance optimizations incorporated scheduler and memory management updates influenced by kernel engineering practices at The Linux Foundation and research from institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Security hardening included runtime protections and SELinux policy refinements coordinated with contributors from Red Hat, Inc. and guidance from National Institute of Standards and Technology. Encryption and key management leveraged cryptographic libraries reviewed by teams at OpenSSL Project and standards from Internet Engineering Task Force. The update addressed vulnerabilities cataloged by organizations such as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Project and involved incident disclosure cooperation with security firms like Kaspersky Lab, Trend Micro, Symantec Corporation, and CrowdStrike.

Device compatibility and updates

Rollout strategies relied on partnerships with original equipment manufacturers including Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Nokia (brand), Sony Xperia, and carriers such as Sprint Corporation and AT&T Inc.. The update cadence referenced policy work from the Android Enterprise team and agreements with regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission. Project Treble efforts were coordinated with vendors such as MediaTek Inc. and Qualcomm Incorporated to modularize vendor implementations, while update delivery mechanisms used infrastructure similar to those managed by Google Play Services and cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services. Low-latency and IoT device considerations involved collaborations with ARM Holdings partners and standards consortia including Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

Reception and adoption

Critical reception involved reviews from technology publications and outlets such as The Verge, Wired (magazine), The New York Times, CNET, Engadget, Ars Technica, TechCrunch, ZDNet, Gizmodo, and Android Authority. Enterprise adoption assessments referenced analyses by firms like Gartner, Inc. and Forrester Research. Consumer privacy groups including Electronic Frontier Foundation and accessibility organizations including American Foundation for the Blind evaluated the platform’s changes. Market adoption metrics were tracked by analytics companies such as Statista, IDC, Gartner, Inc., Counterpoint Research, and Canalys. Industry commentators from outlets like Bloomberg L.P., Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times covered strategic implications for manufacturers including Samsung Electronics and Huawei.

Category:Android (operating system) releases