With Android Oreo, Google unveiled Project Treble. This new project from the company was aimed at making Android updates quicker by making core parts of the OS modular. Sadly, not many Project Treble-compatible devices have hit the market so far so it is unclear if the project is a success or not. However, Project Treble has made it incredibly easy to boot an AOSP build of Android on compatible devices. The Galaxy S9 is compatible with Google’s Project Treble.

This means that in relatively quick time, developers have been able to port an AOSP build of Android Oreo on the Galaxy S9. Initially, an Android 8.0 Oreo build was ported to the handset but now developers have managed to get Android 8.1 Oreo up and running on the device. Given that the Galaxy S9 has been on the market for less than a week, this is a record turnaround time for an AOSP build of Android to be up and running on the device.

Installing a Project Treble based AOSP ROM on your Galaxy S9 is not as simple as flashing a TWRP ROM though. But then, it does pave the way for other popular AOSP custom ROMs like LineageOS and Carbon ROM to be available for the device.

For now, the AOSP Android 8.1 Oreo ROM has been ported to the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S9. The Snapdragon-powered variants sold in the United States likely come with a locked down bootloader that is making it difficult for developers to get access to the necessary partitions. However, whenever that is bypassed, rest assured that an AOSP Android 8.1 Oreo ROM for the handset will be available in no time all thanks to Project Treble.

Installing any custom ROM on your Galaxy S9 will end up voiding its warranty. But at least, you will now be able to enjoy a relatively stable AOSP experience on the handset.