Apple recently announced its partnership with Google in getting COVID-19 contact tracing tech to work. On the latter’s side of things, the internet search giant said it will be pushing these updates through Google Play. This will ensure all Android devices running Android 6 Marshmallow or newer get the updates.
The Verge reports that the update system will apply to both phases of the contact tracing tech. To recap, the first is the initial API rollout next month. Following that is the integrating of the system into the OS.
In addition to the usual Android devices, the company is also looking to push the contact tracing updates to devices that don’t have access to Google Play. These include, Huawei devices, which are no longer running Google Mobile Services, as well as other Android phones in China.
For such phones, the company will publish a framework that those companies can replicate. From that point on, it will be up to the Chinese brands to implement them, if they choose to do so.
Things are definitely more complicated on the Google side of the project, and the company seems to have already planned it out. The fact that even devices that don’t get access to Google Play will benefit from this makes it interesting as well. But of course, as mentioned, it will be up to the manufacturers to decide if they want to replicate the framework.
(Source: The Verge)
