Android phones launched after January 31, 2020 must run Android 10
- In a bid to reduce Android fragmentation, after January 31, 2020, Google will authorise the use of Google Mobile Services only if the company provides its firmware build based on the latest Android 10.
- In addition to Google apps, the most essential need of Google Mobile Services is for an Android device to receive timely security patch updates.
- It must be noted that if a company decides to get approved its software based on an older version of Android before the aforementioned deadline, it may still be possible for a phone to launch after January 31. However, this deadline will surely make things better for the Android ecosystem.
- Android 10 has been out since September, and currently, very few smartphones have been updated to it. The OnePlus 7T is the first phone to run this new Android software out of the box.