Optimizing for low-end hardware

[djw39]

I am intrigued by the response to the question about Project Butter in the Android team q&a session tonight. Certainly if Google wants Android to conquer all these emerging markets, they need to do more work on making their services run smoothly on handsets that have low memory and weak GPUs. (Like my Nexus S.) I feel like all the recent improvements to Android have just made it increasingly resource-intensive.


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[HNNNNNGHHH]

I am intrigued by the response to the question about Project Butter in the Android team q&a session tonight. Certainly if Google wants Android to conquer all these emerging markets, they need to do more work on making their services run smoothly on handsets that have low memory and weak GPUs. (Like my Nexus S.) I feel like all the recent improvements to Android have just made it increasingly resource-intensive.


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Thankfully, we have our extensive developer fanbase working to bring google services to older devices. (How did you think that older 2010-11 devices ever get Jelly Bean 4.2?)

 

[djw39]

Thankfully, we have our extensive developer fanbase working to bring google services to older devices. (How did you think that older 2010-11 devices ever get Jelly Bean 4.2?)

I am running CM 10.1 on a 2010-11 device, but that is not at all what I am talking about. The question is, is Android 4.2 even a viable for truly low-end hardware intended to be sold unlocked in emerging markets? Google has said they intend for Android to power such devices, presumably they don't mean Android 2.3 when they say that, so then they ought to make a "lighter" Android build suitable for devices with low memory/graphics capabilities.

As a side note, I am feeling like the performance of this Nexus S has improved since I/O. Perhaps it's the new low-power location services modes?


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[HNNNNNGHHH]

I am running CM 10.1 on a 2010-11 device, but that is not at all what I am talking about. The question is, is Android 4.2 even a viable for truly low-end hardware intended to be sold unlocked in emerging markets? Google has said they intend for Android to power such devices, presumably they don't mean Android 2.3 when they say that, so then they ought to make a "lighter" Android build suitable for devices with low memory/graphics capabilities.

As a side note, I am feeling like the performance of this Nexus S has improved since I/O. Perhaps it's the new low-power location services modes?


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Google's statement on the subject is similar to that of what Apple and Microsoft did to their mobile platforms. (older iOS devices get the latest OS versions, but some functionality is not available. Older WP devices get WP7.8, basically WP8 without the hardware-dependent features.) The only thing that will interfere with their efforts are OEM's, since most are focused on their own ambitions and are likely to turn a blind eye to low-end hardware. In fact, Android is king when it comes to flagship phones, but the low-end offerings make WP7 phones look like high-end handsets.

Anyway, back to the point. Jelly Bean 4.2 MAY run on older hardware, but it'll need highly-specialized code to optimize system processes and keep them under hardware limits, as well as a highly-optimized version of Project Butter code. Just slapping 4.2 on a low-end android handset with only a 1Ghz CPU and 512MB of RAM is NOT going to produce a desirable result.

 

[djw39]

Hey, this rumor is exactly what I was imagining. If Google wants low-spec phones in the developing world to run Android and not e.g. Asha, they had better ship something that runs well on low end hardware. And I don't mean Gingerbread!

http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusi...ate-october-will-be-well-optimized/36950.html

Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[HNNNNNGHHH]

Hey, this rumor is exactly what I was imagining. If Google wants low-spec phones in the developing world to run Android and not e.g. Asha, they had better ship something that runs well on low end hardware. And I don't mean Gingerbread!

http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusi...ate-october-will-be-well-optimized/36950.html

Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

The hard part is getting Jelly Bean optimized with low-end hardware. Android is heavily reliant on hardware. If something doesn't stick, then the experience becomes substandard and overall unpleasant.

The good thing is that mid-range devices are slowly lurking into high-end while high-end phones are systematically becoming true 'super phones'. Low-end entry phones may no longer be needed as there exists affordable mid-range android smartphones. If that isn't enough, prices for older flagship phones are dropping pretty fast so you can snatch up last year's greatest at a great price.

Posted via Android Central App