Google is looking to drastically improve Pixel OTA updates
That patch is looking to reduce the time for OTA updates to install on Pixel phones. It will use virtual A/B partitions, along with a new compression mechanism update. What kind of results can we expect? Well, it is said that a 2.2GB OTA update will install in 13 minutes, instead of 23 minutes, which is a huge improvement, needless to say. Google had to improve batch writing COW (copy-on-write) operations in a cluster. This shaved four minutes off the installation time. Virtual A/B devices take “snapshots” of dynamic partitions that need to be updated, says Rahman. This allows it to save space on a user’s device compared to a regular A/B device.
We’re looking at a lot faster update times here
The other factor included in the process includes using two threads in order to compress the “snapshots” taken by the Virtual A/B. The new compression mechanism looks to reduce the time of the installation process by six minutes. All of that comes down to a total of a 10-minute decrease for a 2.2GB update. You will still need to reboot your phone once it’s finished updating, of course. This will make it possible to use your phone absolutely normally while the update itself is installing, though. Needless to say, this is a very welcomed change. Updating your phone won’t bother you in any way, shape, or form. The update will be downloaded in the background, and also installed in the background. All you’ll have to do is make a quick restart once it’s done. It works that way now too, kind of, but it takes a long time, and the installation process basically interrupts normal usage. Any improvement in that area is welcomed.
