AOSP: What is it? And why does your next embedded device need to be made with it?

By the end of 2025, the Android operating system is predicted to have grown from its current market share of about 71% in the global smartphone market to 82%, making it the most popular mobile operating system worldwide. The broad range of Android-powered devices and price points, along with the sizable developer community that fosters the platform's expansion, are responsible for this market dominance.

Android is utilized in embedded devices other than smartphones, including smart TVs, in-car infotainment systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Additionally, this has helped Android make a significant impact in the embedded market.

About the Open Source Android Project (AOSP)

The "Android Open Source Project," or "AOSP," is an initiative headed by Google with the goal of developing an open-source, free software stack for mobile devices. The Android operating system, which powers millions of devices worldwide, is based on the AOSP.The project contains the libraries and APIs required to create Android applications, in addition to the source code for the Android operating system. With the help of the AOSP, developers can personalize the Android experience, build custom OS images that suit their requirements, and create original apps and features. Anyone is welcome to contribute to the AOSP, and the number of developers working on the project is always increasing.

Key Benefits of AOSP in the Embedded World:

There are several benefits to developing a product on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP):

• Cost-effective: AOSP is a free and open-source alternative to proprietary embedded operating systems, which can save companies significant costs in development and licensing fees. The core Android operating system and its libraries are licensed under Apache License 2.0, which is a permissive open-source license that allows developers to freely use, modify, and distribute the software, as long as they comply with the conditions of the license
• Some of the key libraries and components used in AOSP are licensed under the GPLv2 (GNU General Public License version 2), which is a copyleft license that requires any derivative works to be released under the same license. This ensures that the source code for these components remains open and available for others to use and contribute. Additionally, some of the multimedia components and drivers used in AOSP may be licensed under other open-source licenses, such as the BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) license or the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) license.
• In summary, AOSP uses a combination of open-source licenses, including the Apache License 2.0, the GPLv2, the BSD license, and the MIT license, to manage the distribution of its software and related resources.
• Widely Adopted: Android is the most popular mobile operating system. By using AOSP, companies can leverage this existing ecosystem and user base for their products. Almost every semiconductor company provides AOSP support on their multi-processor SoC, which makes AOSP the first choice for a Board Support Package (BSP).
• Large Developer Community: AOSP has a huge and active developer community, which contributes to the project’s development and provides immense support. This helps companies reduce their development costs and shorten time-to-market.
• Customization: AOSP provides a high level of flexibility and customization options, allowing companies to tailor the Android OS to their specific needs, whether it’s changing the user interface, adding particular features, or integrating with other systems. This level of customization can help companies differentiate their products and offer a better user experience to their customers.
• Scalability & Security: AOSP is designed to be scalable and can be used on a wide range of devices, from smartphones to smart TVs, automotive systems, and IoT devices. It provides many security features, such as mandatory access control, secure boot, and encryption, that can help companies ensure the security of their products. Google releases a monthly security bulletin for the last 3 AOSP versions that includes all CVE fixes, This makes the product more secure from the latest vulnerabilities.
• Over the Air Update: Android has a stable upgrade ecosystem with options like A/B or non-A/B. It shortens the time required to create its own upgrade flow from scratch and enables it to leverage easily with simple customizations.
• Compatibility Test Suit (CTS/xTS): Android has developed thousands of test cases to ensure it performs and behaves consistently for any third-party application. This whole suit runs automatically and is easy to run on development-enabled devices.
• Apps & Feature Access: AOSP allows access to a vast number of apps available on the Google Play Store, which can be used on embedded devices as well. It also allows companies to access the latest features of Android, which can help companies stay competitive and offer the latest features to their customers.

Overall, developing a product on AOSP can help companies reduce costs, leverage a widely adopted ecosystem, and benefit from a large developer community, which can help them bring their products to market faster and with greater innovation.

The Android Open Source Project's (AOSP) Future:

The growing need for smart and connected devices is one of the main factors influencing the future of AOSP in embedded projects. An operating system is necessary for the increasing number of devices that are being connected to the internet as the Internet of Things (IoT) expands. Because of its scalability and flexibility, AOSP is ideally positioned to meet the needs of this expanding market.

Another driver for the future of AOSP in embedded projects is the growing trend towards open-source software in the embedded industry. Many companies are looking to reduce costs and increase innovation by using open-source software, and AOSP is a leading open-source option for embedded projects. In addition, the AOSP developer community is growing rapidly. This will help to ensure that AOSP continues to evolve and improve, which makes it a relevant and competitive option for embedded projects in the future.

According to current trends, application developers can create more powerful and intuitive applications faster with feature-rich SDK support for AOSP; perhaps this will make maintaining and improving the end-user experience easier.

For any queries related to AOSP or Embedded Systems contact on Silicon Signals Pvt. Ltd.

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Maaz Patni