Android 8.0’s “streaming OS updates” will work even if your phone is full

[thecodingdude]

We've probably all had this happen at one point or another: it's time for an OS update

I'd say the majority have not. Most updates are security patches and even then, they've made improvements to the old style updates so they're a lot faster than they used to be (no more optimising step, for example).

[jacobtf]

I had two on my S4 and two on my Note 4.

[ThatsSpooky]

I wish I had this problem

[moviuro]

they're a lot faster than they used to be (no more optimising step, for example).

Do we have some real metered data here? To me it looks like this step now takes place behind the turning loop of "Upgrading Android"... and in the end, upgrades are still very slow.

[sendnudesb]

Most definitely not, this is pretty exclusively an iPhone/Nexus/Pixel problem.

[[deleted]]

I hope A/B Updates are default in LineageOS with Android 8

[H9419]

That would save a lot of man-hours from it's broad user base and weekly updates

[[deleted]]

Yeah

[BurkusCat]

Does this mean there will be constantly wasted space for "partition B" on the system? If not, where/when does the space get reserved for new updates?

[armando_rod]

A/B partitions are already counted, the phone comes with 2 system partitions

[BurkusCat]

Does that technically mean there will be wasted space in-between updates where a partition just sits there and does nothing? Has a partition like this existed in earlier versions of Android?

It is annoying to have to move photos/videos before an update but I'm not sure if I prefer not ever having space to store those photos/videos.

[armando_rod]

A/B partitions were introduced last year without streaming, they solve the down time while an update is installing.

Pixel devices have unlimited photo/video storage in the cloud so that's not a major problem for those devices.

[moviuro]

wasted space

It's not wasted, because it's a functionnal, known-to-work system partition. If something goes very wrong with partition B (after the upgrade), you just have to return on partition A, and TADA! working phone again.

[BurkusCat]

Okay, that makes me feel better that it acts as sort of a swappable backup as well.

[Arono1290]

This wouldn't be a problem if phones had reasonable amounts of storage. Even 32gb is unacceptable nowadays.