Google Nexus 6 Encryption & Storage Performance

[Adranalyne]

AnandTech | Encryption and Storage Performance in Android 5.0 Lollipop


This is pretty concerning. Not that I wasn't aware of this awhile ago, but the extent of the hit on performance is something I underestimated. The other concerning issue? This is affecting battery life. Brandon is testing that today so I'm sure the results won't be too far off, but that's a big problem.

This can be fixed, but I'm not sure it will be. I'll post the battery test results as soon as they're available.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[gabbott]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

If you are one to tinker:

[How-To] Disable Forced Encryption | Nexus 6 | XDA Forums


Also, did you do the OTA update? That apparently cleared up some performance issues.

 

[Adranalyne]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

If you are one to tinker:

[How-To] Disable Forced Encryption | Nexus 6 | XDA Forums


Also, did you do the OTA update? That apparently cleared up some performance issues.

It updated out of the box. I'm not saying that I've seen these performance hits (I'm not one to play games on my phone) yet, but if they exist to that extent it's not a positive thing. Let me be clear; if you're not someone who's well versed in mobile, I doubt you'll notice these things. My main concern here is the hit on battery life. That's something we all will notice.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[theduder]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

It updated out of the box. I'm not saying that I've seen these performance hits (I'm not one to play games on my phone) yet, but if they exist to that extent it's not a positive thing. Let me be clear; if you're not someone who's well versed in mobile, I doubt you'll notice these things. My main concern here is the hit on battery life. That's something we all will notice.

Posted via the Android Central App

In the comments section of the Anandtech article, the author says he is running battery tests on the Nexus 6 with/without encryption and will post on Twitter.

 

[Adranalyne]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

In the comments section of the Anandtech article, the author says he is running battery tests on the Nexus 6 with/without encryption and will post on Twitter.

Yeah, I know. I figured I'd post the results when I see them.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[tk-093]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

Ugg.... so I this must be software encryption? If you're going to force encryption there should be a hardware chip that takes care of it, not using software. This will slow device performance and impact battery life.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

Decryption (you can't run encrypted code or use encrypted data, you store it encrypted, then decrypt it to run or use) costs time and power. It always has. Not even Phil Katz (of zip fame) could get around that. Entropy is a fact of life in this universe. Don't expect to see anyone come up with an encrypted phone that doesn't take at least some hit on speed and battery - not until you see true time travel to the future and true faster than light travel. (IOW, it would violate a few laws of physics if you could decrypt without the hits - or even use actually-encrypted apps without decrypting them. [They're currently not human-readable in runnable form, but all Android phones can use them - that's not encryption.])

 

[tk-093]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

You'll take much less hits with hardware based encryption then with software based. Software based encryption is not good. And because they are not forcing users to use a lock code, it's pretty worthless if you get your phone stolen anyway.

 

[Adranalyne]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

You'll take much less hits with hardware based encryption then with software based. Software based encryption is not good. And because they are not forcing users to use a lock code, it's pretty worthless if you get your phone stolen anyway.

Another case of software being implemented a year or two before the hardware can catch up. It all stems from the perception that Android is less secure than iOS.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[theduder]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

Another case of software being implemented a year or two before the hardware can catch up. It all stems from the perception that Android is less secure than iOS.

Posted via the Android Central App

Tim Cook baited them into this... I bet Google had no intention of forcing it on new handsets until he started in on them. As much as I hate to say it, Apple did crypto right on the iPhone.

 

[MRW1215]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

I have to ask, how, exactly, is this "encryption" supposed to benefit users? I'm actually asking that question, out of curiosity, because I have no idea what it's supposed to do, in the first place.

 

[Robbie317]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

Comparing side by side to my nexus 5 without lollipop it's frustrating! You get annoyed each time you test it.. then I put the nexus 5 away and the 6 on its own I don't even realize it's slower and then I compare and just shrug and not worry about it... that said it should be an optional thing and I'm very certain Google could have done way better and probably will in future device for now oh well...

 

[Adranalyne]

The good news is that apparently it hasn't affected battery life on the 6. The bad news is that it means that the primary culprit for inconsistent/sub par battery life is the display. I think they can do enough on the software side to offset most of it, but we'll see.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[qnet]

Re: Encryption & Storage Performance

I have to ask, how, exactly, is this "encryption" supposed to benefit users? I'm actually asking that question, out of curiosity, because I have no idea what it's supposed to do, in the first place.

I believe it is, but I'm not totally sure either. When something is encrypted it's supposed to make it difficult to be accessed or hacked. My knowledge of this is only related to encrypting files or folders on a computer, or a drive attached to or in a computer. This is something you can do yourself and have control over it. I'm not sure how it works with mobile flash storage.

 

[theduder]

I have been pretty vocal and critical of this issue but I have to say I'm enjoying my Nexus 6.

I also appreciate not having to run the previously corporate mandated dual-persona encrypted container anymore since this device is encrypted. Getting Exchange email in Gmail 5.0 is nice.

 

[theduder]

So the only thing I'm noticing is that when you press an app icon to launch it there's a delay. Sometimes long enough that you question whether or not the press was registered by the touchscreen. That tells me it's significant - if I'm having a reaction that I don't have to think about like that...

Anyway, the apps open after this brief delay but it's definitely there.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk