"Streaming OS update" of Android 8.0 will update even if the free space is the limit

For Android, it is necessary to download the update file to the terminal for the OS update and then install it. However, some users may have experienced that the storage of the terminal is filled with data such as applications, pictures, movies, etc., and it was not possible to update the OS even though it was wanted. However, the next OS Android 8.0 (Android O) Seems to be unnecessary to suffer from insufficient storage space at the time of update.

A / B (Seamless) System Updates | Android Open Source Project
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/ota/ab_updates


Android 8.0's "streaming OS updates" will work even if your phone is full | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/08/android-8-0s-streaming-os-updates-will-work-even-if-your-phone-is-full/

Android 7.0 implements the "seamless update" function to shorten the time it takes to update the OS. This function is to update the OS in the background by adopting the "A / B method" which prepares two part, the terminal used by the terminal at the normal time and the partition to which the update is applied. It is a proven function that has already been adopted by Chrome OS and others.

A seamless update of Android 7.0 (Android N) was also told in Google I / O 2016.

"Android N" summarizes how much power up, 3 major themes "performance" "security" "productivity" - GIGAZINE


On the other hand, Android 8.0 adopts the A / B method which prepares two partitions of Android 7.0, but the updating method is executed with "Streaming OS update" which is different from the conventional one. The update data is not downloaded from the Internet into the terminal once, but it is written directly to the offline system partition on a block basis, so it will be ready to start immediately. This will make it possible to update the OS that required about 1 GB of free space with conventional free space of only 100 KB.

Streaming update is a new feature built into Android 8.0, but, oddly enough, Google Play also has this featureBack portWe are commenting that we are doing. This means that if Android 7.0 or later terminal adopting A / B method system partition for seamless update, streaming update will be effective on Google Play.

ByRob Bulmahn

However, the streaming update can be executed only on the terminal adopting the system partition of the A / B method, and "As far as the terminal that adopts the system partition of the A / B method isPixelOnly, "Ars Technica points out. Also, since system partition of A / B method is not effective by system update, even if Android 8.0 appears, it is predicted that there will be considerably few terminals that can benefit from streaming update.

The streaming update function determines whether the manufacturer of the Android terminal can use or not to use A / B method system partition in the terminal. However, Ars Technica predicts that most manufacturers will not adopt A / B system partitions, "Android OEM is notorious for not following Google's best practices."