Historically, managing firmware updates has been a fragmented process for device manufacturers (OEMs). Airwave aims to unify that process by allowing over-the-air (OTA) updates in a streamlined and observable manner.

Firmware updates follow an approval process. Registered devices receive the firmware once the firmware is approved.

Airwave is available for OEMs and other customers that require OTA updates. Request access on our website.

Sections of the Airwave Console

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Dashboard

View total devices, total firmware updates, and hardware models from the dashboard. You’ll also see a list of recently registered devices.

Devices in Airwave

In Esper Airwave, devices are targets for firmware updates. Devices may be identified via a serial number or other unique identifier. The Esper team works with the OEM to install the necessary software on the device.

Hardware in Airwave

The Hardware list is pre-populated with available hardware models. Only devices that match the hardware models can be added to the Airwave console. To add a new hardware model, contact your Esper.

Firmware in Airwave

When Firmware is uploaded to Airwave, a hardware model is selected. Firmware can be uploaded as full or delta builds. Metadata is extracted automatically.

Users

The user management section of Airwave. Airwave accounts are separate from Esper Deploy accounts. The two consoles are not connected: logging in to one does not grant access to the other. If your organization uses both products, you'll need a separate account for each console.

Deploying Firmware to Devices

There is no explicit Deploy function in Airwave. If a firmware is approved, the corresponding hardware models will receive it the next they check in with the Airwave console.

Devices must be pre-registered in Airwave and have the Esper Airwave Agent installed. The Esper Airwave Agent may be installed via the OEM.

Devices pull approved Firmware releases. Deployment status may be observed via the Dashboard.

Approving Firmware Updates

To get started with firmware updates, the following are needed:

At least one target hardware device
At least one firmware update

Step 1: Adding Devices to Airwave

To add a device to the Airwave console, go to Devices and click on Pre-Register.

Select the Hardware number and add a serial number.

The Pre-Register Device modal with a Hardware Model dropdown set to "Google Pixel 10" and a Serial Number field containing "TEST123456."

Cancel and Pre-Register buttons at the bottom of the Pre-Register Device modal.

Then press Pre-Register.

The device will be added to the Devices list.

The Airwave Devices list showing nine registered devices. Columns display Serial Number, State (Registered or Updated), Build Fingerprint, Android Version, Agent Version, Registered At, and Last Updated. A Pre-Register button and State filter appear in the top-right corner.

After successful registration, a device is eligible for Firmware deployment.

Device details will populate automatically:

Serial Number: The device's serial number.
State: See a list of states in the glossary.
Build Fingerprint: the unique build fingerprint formatted by in the format: $(BRAND)/$(PRODUCT)/$(DEVICE)/$(BOARD):$(VERSION.RELEASE)/$(ID)/$(VERSION.INCREMENTAL):$(TYPE)/$(TAGS)
Android Version: the Android version.
Agent Version: the agent version on the device (if it exists).
Registered On: The date and time the device was registered.
Last Update: The date and time when the device last reported a change in its state. Updates only when the device reports a state change.

Step 2: Adding Firmware

To add firmware to Airwave, go to Firmware, and click on Upload Firmware.

The Airwave Firmwares list showing 12 firmware entries across multiple hardware models. States include "processing" and "released." Columns include Build Number, Model, Variant, State, File Size, Devices, Upload Date, Updated, and Actions.

Add the firmware and press Upload Firmware.

Choose the:

Hardware Model: The device’s hardware model.
Build Type: Choose from full build or delta build.
- Full: A complete OS image. Used for new hardware models or major OS upgrades.
- Delta: Incremental updates from a specific, previous build. Select the base firmware the delta is built from.

Then upload the:

Build Properties file: the build.prop file compressed as .zip file. Max: 10 GB
Firmware file: .zip file

If the upload is interrupted, it may resume.

After upload, the firmware will appear in the Firmware list. You may see it in the Processing state for some time.

The Airwave Firmwares list showing three firmware entries for Microsoft Surface Go 2 and TES IDC_Series models, all with a "released" state. Columns include ID, Build Number, Model, Variant, State, Release Notes, File Size, Upload Date, and Actions.

Approving and Deploying Firmware

After successful upload, a firmware release can be approved.

A single firmware row in the Firmwares list for build number 99999 on Microsoft Surface Go 2, showing a "processing" state. The edit (pencil) icon in the Actions column is highlighted.

Click on the Edit (pencil) icon to edit the build.

The Edit Firmware modal with the Approve Firmware toggle enabled, a Tag field containing "v.1.2.2," and a Release Notes field with two bullet points: "Devices now scan for access points more frequently" and "Reduced battery usage by 30%."

Cancel and Save Changes buttons at the bottom of the Edit Firmware modal.

Then press Save Changes.

The firmware will update with the appropriate tags and release notes.

If a firmware was approved, devices will begin pulling the firmware update the next time they check in with the Airwave console.

Using the Dashboard

Use the Dashboard to track the progress of registrations and firmware deployments.

The Esper Airwave Dashboard for user John Doe showing three summary charts: Devices by State (donut chart with 15 total, split among Failed, Registered, and Updated), Devices by Model (bar chart showing counts by hardware model), and Firmware Adoption (bar chart showing firmware version distribution). A Recently Registered Devices table lists five devices with their serial numbers, states, and registration timestamps.

Hover over a section of a graph to see more details.

The devices by state circle graph showing the registered, updated, and failed categories. The mouse is hovered over the failed bar showing four have failed.

Click on that section to see a filtered view of the registration or firmware.

The Airwave Devices list filtered to show only devices in the Failed state. Two devices are listed — serial numbers 035901304551 and 5CG1356KZW — with their build fingerprints, Android versions, agent versions, and registration and last-updated timestamps.

Airwave brings firmware deployment and device observability into a single, approval-driven workflow. To learn more or get started, contact your Esper representative.