Dave Burke announced his resignation as the vice president of engineering for Android on X, previously Twitter, on June 12. Burke writes in his article that he is exploring new chances in “AI/bio” and that he is staying at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, while also serving as a temporary “advisor” on the Android team. Burke adds a little more detail in his LinkedIn parting email, which reads as follows:

“AI has the potential to be a game-changer in the field of drug development, with broad applications that might include my own interest—hard-to-treat pediatric diseases. Together with Sundar, I’m looking at pertinent positions at Alphabet.

“It is impossible to condense over fifteen years of labor into one email. But I wanted to express my gratitude for this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. My extended stay was prompted by our remarkable influence – we are constructing the computer infrastructure of the world.

If you have used an Android phone in the previous 14 years, you are probably familiar with Dave Burke’s work, even if you don’t know him personally. Although Burke has been at Google since 2007, he began his position as vice president of engineering in October 2014. Burke was instrumental in the development of the Nexus and Pixel smartphone lines, Android TV, Google Chrome mobile apps, and more during his tenure at Google. Over the years, Burke has frequently appeared at Google I/O to present new Android features; this past month, Burke did so at Google I/O 2024.

Burke has not stated who will assume his responsibilities moving forward. Burke also states, “It’s important for me to leave you in good hands with a well thought out succession plan,” in an email that he shared on LinkedIn. “Please keep an eye out for some additional details about this change that we’ll be following up on shortly,” he says.

This disclosure comes less than two months after Google made another significant internal change. Google declared in April that Rick Osterloh will take over as head of the “Platform and Devices” team, which will include teams for Android, Chrome, Pixel, Nest, and other projects. Hiroshi Lockheimer, another veteran member of the Android team, departed the firm at the same time to concentrate on “other projects.”

It’s clearer than ever that Google is drastically changing things, particularly with the Android team, in light of this week’s Dave Burke revelation. Burke’s exit should not be taken lightly because he has been associated with Android for almost ten years.

What implications does this have for Android’s future? Too early to tell. It’s unlikely that we’ll witness any significant changes anytime soon, if at all. However, the departure of well-known figures like these suggests that something significant is occurring. It’s not really clear what that implies for you and me. But it’s safe to say that these are really intriguing times if you’re an Android lover and excited to see where the OS goes next.

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