Google has released the Android 17 QPR1 update, which introduces new features and changes for Pixel devices. Developers from the GrapheneOS project report that Google has restricted access to certain new functions and security updates for third-party Android developers and AOSP-based projects.
For the first time since Android 3.x Honeycomb, Google has introduced new APIs that are not included in the Android Open Source Project. Documentation confirms discrepancies between the initial release of Android 17 and the QPR1 version, despite previous claims that GSI builds were based on identical source code.
GrapheneOS developers stated they have been unable to release their code for Android 17 QPR1 since September 15. The project is currently forced to backport Pixel firmware, kernel drivers, and hardware abstraction layers from QPR1 to the original Android 17 release to maintain compatibility.
Discrepancies were also noted in security bulletins. Google provided Pixel devices with patches for vulnerabilities that were not included in the preliminary update packages for other manufacturers. According to GrapheneOS, these security fixes will only be available to other Android devices in December with the release of Android 17 QPR2.
