It was recently revealed that Google was in the early stages of creating a new operating system (OS). The project is entitled Fuchsia but there is little known about it as of yet other than the fact that it is no relation to the commanding Android system utilised in billions of smartphones and mobile devices. It is also separate to Chrome OS. This means it is a completely new entity.
Although information is sparse it has been revealed that Fuchsia will not use the Linux kernel currently utilised in Android and Chrome as its core code. Instead it uses a Magenta kernel. This means that the OS could feasibly be used on a wide variety of devices, from mobile phones to desktop computers and even systems on cars and smart watches.
There is a huge amount of speculation about what the new OS can be used for, with ideas already surfacing stating it could be a sign of Google looking closer at augmented reality. This is one of the biggest growth areas in the technology sector at the moment and it would be no surprise to see the internet giant creating a new OS that is more suited to it.
Another belief is that the new system will unify Android and Chrome OS. It could easily prove to be the new underlying basis for both systems, replacing the Linux kernel currently in use. This would be an incredible move considering how established Android is at the moment.
A third option is that it could purely be an interesting project by Google employees to see what can be done with a Magenta kernel. It could lead to absolutely nothing or become the next big thing for Google.
Project Fuchsia is currently a pile of code in Google’s code depository and on GitHub. It is constantly growing as developers work on it and add parts. The fact that it is open source is very interesting and shows Google’s intent to allow people to get involved. There has also been news that the OS has been tested on a number of devices.
It will be interesting to see what additional news comes out about the project in the near future. At some point it is expected that Google will have a comment, both about what Fuchsia is for and what features it will offer. This is definitely a story worth keeping track of; it could prove to be the first whispers of the next generation of OS.