Google’s mysterious Fuchsia operating system is starting to look like a replacement for Android, judging by new screenshots outed on Monday.
Last summer it emerged Google was working on a third OS, but to what end no-one was particularly sure.
Now the platform has popped up again, boasting a user interface for the first time, which the company is calling Armadillo.
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The discovery was made by Hotflix.net with additional reporting from ArsTechnica and suggests Google is much further along with it’s plans than previously thought.
The new screenshots show a vertically-scrolling interface laden with app-based cards, known as stories, which can be placed anywhere on a smartphone or tablet touchscreen.
Some of those appear to be Google Now suggestions, while the Google Assistant also features prominently on the home screen.
Check out some of the screenshots in Kyle Bradshaw’s video below.
Those reporting on the new information on Monday have even been able to install the work-in-progress OS on an Android device.
However, we still don’t know what Google is really up to with this third operating system, which has been built from the ground up.
Will it complement Android or Google Chrome? Perhaps it’s an intended replacement for one of them? Is this simply Google experimenting in open sight?
Right now it’s unclear, but with Google I/O right around the corner we may be about to learn more.
Is this the future of Google’s smartphone/tablet strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.