Android 17 is the first since 3.x to add new APIs without releasing to the AOSP

7.5 relevance

Android 17's closed-source API additions are a major shift for mobile developers and open source.

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Why It Matters

For a platform engineer or architect, this signals a potential shift in Android's openness that could affect custom ROM builds, device support, and long-term infrastructure decisions relying on AOSP.

Key Takeaways

Evaluate your organization's dependency on AOSP for security updates or custom distributions and track Google's future API release policies.

Summary

The thread debates Google's decision to add new APIs to Android 17 without releasing to AOSP, with many commenters criticizing it as a blow to openness and community-driven development. Some defend it as inevitable for security and speed, but the consensus leans negative, highlighting growing concerns about Android's future as a truly open platform.

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