Google has been working on a new operating system for as long as 2 years. The company’s new OS, internally codenamed Fuchsia, has been under development since 2016. Details on the new OS leaked before, and we even got to see how a very early version of the OS looks. For those unfamiliar: Google is making an OS that can work on different types of devices and adapt to different display sizes with Fuchsia, much like Microsoft’s OneCore initiative for Windows 10.

And now, Bloomberg is reporting some new details on Google’s Fuchsia OS. Privacy is a big focus for Fuchsia. In fact, the OS already includes multiple security and privacy features, with one of the leading security engineers for Android now focusing on Fuchsia. One of the privacy features includes encrypted user keys, which would presumably hide the user’s identity from third-parties. But that’s already caused some internal feud at Mountain View — Google’s advertising department isn’t happy with the engineering department over the security and privacy features of the OS–with the former teaming winning–likely because of Google’s reliance on its ad business revenue.

The company is reportedly focusing on new type of interactions with Fuchsia as well, keeping in line with its ambition for the future of computing. Voice-based interaction is apparently at the core of the company’s new OS, with Google Assistant likely being at the front and center of the OS. It’s unclear exactly how voice-based interaction will be incorporated into the new OS at this point in time, however. The company is also reportedly working on a YouTube app for the system, with integrated voice commands for the company’s video platform.

With more than 100 engineers working on Fuchsia day in day out, combined with support from CEO Sundar Pichai and leading staff like Martias Duarte–known for Material Design–working on the software, Fuchsia is a big investment for the software giant. Engineers working on the software plan to bring Fuchsia to connected home devices within three years, expanding the system to mainstream devices like laptops and phones later on. In the end, though, Fuchsia success will be underpinned by Google’s partners–including phone makers and careers–who played a key role in making Android one of the world’s biggest operating systems.

Fuchsia will ultimately replace Android and Chrome OS, but that’s not happening anytime soon. More interestingly, though: details of Google’s upcoming OS comes just a day after the firm got fined $5 billion over abusing its monopoly power in the smartphone market. Is that a coincidence? I think not.

Tagged with Android, Fuchsia