Google trades Java APIs for OpenJDK for next Android version

For the next version of Android, Google will replace the Java APIs in Android for variants based on OpenJDK, the open source version of Oracle’s Java. The move would make it easier for developers, but there might also be a legal reason to switch.

Google tells VentureBeat that the reason for switching now is the release of Java 8. Google wants more control over the features and functions in Java and the contributions to OpenJDK would provide that opportunity. In addition, after converting the APIs to OpenJDK, developers can work from a single codebase, which should make development easier.

In addition, the site speculates about a legal reason. Google has been fighting a legal battle with Oracle for years, which became the administrator of Java after the acquisition of Sun. Oracle believes that Google is making unauthorized use of the APIs, while Google claims that APIs cannot be protected.

The conversion surfaced when a submitter on HackerNews discovered a commit in Android’s source code. Google confirms that it will roll out the APIs in the next version of Android, currently known as Android N. The current version is Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The conversion will probably have no consequences for end users.