Google says Fuchsia OS is not limited to mobile phones and will support more devices

According to foreign media reports, although Google's new generation operating system Fuchsia OS is currently mysterious, the company is slowly beginning to disclose its details, uses, and which devices it may support. At the Google I/O Developer Conference, Android and Chrome head Hiroshi Lockheimer disclosed some details about Fuchsia OS.

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Hiroshi Lockheimer, head of Android and Chrome (picture via TheVerge, Vjeran Pavic)

Fuchsia OS is an open-source project similar to AOSP that can run everything from smart home devices to laptops to phones. It is also believed to be built on a brand new kernel developed by Google called Zircon, rather than the Linux kernel that is the basis of Android and Chrome OS.

Beyond that we know very little, and only saw a prototype of the user interface powered by Fuchsia OS two years ago. In the past 12 months or so, there have also been some reports about Google developing and testing Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook laptop, and some vague plans about the product development timeline, expecting that devices supporting Fuchsia OS will be released in three to five years. In addition, Google's smart home device Nest Hub is believed to be one of the test devices for Fuchsia OS.

But yesterday, Lockheimer talked more about the Fuchsia OS operating system.

"We're working on new features for the operating system. So I know some people are going to be very excited to say, 'Oh, this is the new Android OS,' or 'This is the new Chrome OS,'" Lockheimer said. "Fuchsia OS is really not about that. Fuchsia OS is just a whole new art in the operating system space, and we're going to incorporate what we learn from Fuchsia OS into our other products."

He said the significance of the Fuchsia OS operating system is that it can also have different form factors, suggesting that Fuchsia OS could be suitable for smart home devices, wearable devices, and perhaps even augmented or virtual reality devices. "You know Android OS runs well on phones, and you know Chrome OS is built for running applications. But Fuchsia OS may also be optimized for some other form factors. So we are experimenting."

"Think about dedicated devices...Right now, everyone thinks Fuchsia OS is going to be for phones," Lockheimer said. "But what if it could be for other devices?"

Earlier today, during an Android fireside chat at Google I/O, Lockheimer provided some details about Fuchsia OS. "It's not just phones and PCs. In the world of IoT, more devices need operating systems, runtimes, and so on. I think there's a lot of room for multiple operating systems with different strengths and specializations. Fuchsia OS is one of them."