RISC-V has been removed from the main Android kernel, and the reasons are not fully known yet.
The RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture, developed from previous RISC architectures, is gaining global support and teamwork. Yet, Google has chosen to withdraw from involvement with RISC-V.
Recently, a group of updates has eliminated the “riscv64” processor architecture from the codebase of the Android Common Kernel (ACK). ACK is a key part of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which guides both third-party and Google’s Android versions on mobile and wearable devices.
By removing RISC-V support from ACK and AOSP, it essentially means that Mountain View is ending the native use of this ISA on its main computing platform.
Recently, numerous semiconductor companies and processor designers have started investing in RISC-V technology. In October 2023, Google officially added support for RISC-V on Android.
Qualcomm is also working on RISC-V chips for Wear OS, a version of Android made for smartwatches and other wearable devices.
The open standard is also competing with Arm architecture in the SSD controller market, showing much better performance, as reported by the Chinese company Yingren Technology.
The removal of RISC-V support from ACK/AOSP implies that future Android versions will not be compatible with RISC-V chips, although manufacturers have the option to modify the mobile OS to reintroduce ISA support.
Given the number of companies eager to work with RISC-V, it’s puzzling why Google would halt its further development in AOSP. The RISC-V ISA hasn’t yet been fully developed in a proper SoC project for smartphone uses, and the recent updates to ACK will probably create a big obstacle for this progress.
When questioned about the matter, a Google spokesperson informed Android Authority that the mobile OS will keep supporting RISC-V going forward.
They explained that because the ISA technology is evolving quickly, Android isn’t yet prepared to offer a single supported kernel image for all Android providers.
Google has confirmed that it will continue to support RISC-V in Android, but removing the architecture from AOSP suggests that commercial advancements for this promising chip standard will be delayed more than expected.
At the same time, the RISC-V community is developing a Boot and Runtime Services specification to establish a compatible OS platform for device detection, system management, and other crucial system functions.
What we think?
I think Google’s decision to remove RISC-V support from the Android kernel might slow down the adoption of this technology in smartphones.
Since RISC-V is growing and other companies are investing in it, Google might reintroduce support later.
For now, this move could make it harder for phone makers who want to use RISC-V chips, but they can still modify Android on their own to support it.
