Tip about launcher performance

[gtg465x]

In playing with the G4 over the past few weeks, I've discovered some interesting things about launcher performance, so I thought I would share.

After using Google Now Launcher for several days, I began to notice that it was sometimes dropping frames and stuttering a bit much for my liking when swiping between screens. I switched back to the stock LG Home launcher and amazingly, scrolling was almost perfectly smooth with hardly any dropped frames.

Curious as to why this was, I began testing various launchers... Nova, Action Launcher, Apex Launcher, L Launcher, an AOSP launcher3 build from KitKat, etc. Finally, I noticed a pattern. Launchers based on the KitKat AOSP launcher source all ran very smoothly, while launchers based on the Lollipop AOSP launcher source all dropped frames too often when scrolling around the home screens and app drawers.

So from this, we can deduce two things:
1) The stock LG Home launcher is based on KitKat or earlier AOSP launcher source code. No surprise there.... just look at the page indicator dots, the app drawer background, and the three dot menu style in the app drawer. They all have KitKat styling.
2) LG optimized the G4 to run KitKat based launchers more smoothly since that's what their own launcher is.

So what can we do about it? Well, use an old version of your favorite launcher, of course. Action Launcher 2 is still available in the Play Store and has its own listing. I went with an old version of Nova (Classic v3.3 from Nova Launcher) and find it performs more smoothly than the newly released Nova v4. And not to fear, Nova v3.3 can still be configured to look and act like a Lollipop based launcher by changing a few settings. See my screenshots of Nova v3.3 below to see for yourself.

Hope all of you who are driven crazy by the slightest stutters find this information helpful. Let me know about your experiences.

 

[alexsd123]

I haven't had any stutters using nova 4.01. Interesting find and I want to try and test it out on my own now that you mention it.

 

[GibMcFragger]

Nova 4 runs like butter on mine.

 

[gtg465x]

Some people don't see micro stutters and minor frame drops. Some do. If Nova 4 doesn't bother you, great. If it does, follow my advice.

BTdubs... Turn on Profile GPU rendering in dev options to see objectively how often frames are being dropped. Any time you see a red line that goes way above the horizontal line, frames are being dropped and there's a stutter.

 

[sswitzer]

Nova 4 runs like butter on mine.

Mine too.

 

[sswitzer]

BTdubs... Turn on Profile GPU rendering in dev options to see objectively how often frames are being dropped. Any time you see a red line that goes way above the horizontal line, frames are being dropped and there's a stutter.

Very interesting. I just turned that on and I'm seeing the a few big red spikes (as you described), but a) I don't know how many of those spikes are considered OK and how many/size are considered bad, and b) from a visual and usability point of view, my phone is running very smooth.

I can attest, however, that the LG launcher does have fewer "big red spikes" (hardly any) compared to Nova 4... but still Nova 4 is not dropping so many frames that it becomes noticeable.

For reference, here's a great article about using "Profile GPU Rendering": https://developer.android.com/tools/performance/profile-gpu-rendering/index.html

Kudos to you, gtg465x, for your hard work on this issue.

 

[belodion]

Thanks to both gtg465x and sswitzer.
Interesting stuff.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Javier P]

Very interesting. Thanks guys!

 

[sswitzer]

I've added this to the Common Issues and Solutions sticky -- I like it when we can come up with good consistent analysis of issues

 

[dpham00]

Interesting. I don't really notice anything slow about the current Nova

Sent from my Verizon LG G4

 

[GibMcFragger]

Me neither. I'm well versed in stutter. There is none with Nova 4.

 

[gtg465x]

Very interesting. I just turned that on and I'm seeing the a few big red spikes (as you described), but a) I don't know how many of those spikes are considered OK and how many/size are considered bad, and b) from a visual and usability point of view, my phone is running very smooth.

I can attest, however, that the LG launcher does have fewer "big red spikes" (hardly any) compared to Nova 4... but still Nova 4 is not dropping so many frames that it becomes noticeable.

For reference, here's a great article about using "Profile GPU Rendering": https://developer.android.com/tools/performance/profile-gpu-rendering/index.html

Kudos to you, gtg465x, for your hard work on this issue.

Yeah, different people's brains interpret dropped frames differently. Many people's brains simply ignore the fraction of a second stutters and it seems smooth to them. Other people like me are cursed and can visually see stutters each time you see one of those red spikes. I see the stutters clearly even without profile GPU rendering turned on to show me. It sucks. So for me the LG Home and Nova 3.3 are much better.

 

[gtg465x]

To be clear, I still think Nova 4 is fast. I wouldn't even call it stuttery or laggy. I would say, however, that it has microstutters. Like I said, microstutters are imperceptible to many people, probably the majority of people. Consider it a blessing if you don't notice them. Not trying to say nobody should use Nova 4 or anything.

 

[Javier P]

Hey guys, when playing with Nova and the GPU option, have you checked if there's a difference with "aggressive desktop" on and off?

 

[KPMcClave]

Yeah, different people's brains interpret dropped frames differently. Many people's brains simply ignore the fraction of a second stutters and it seems smooth to them. Other people like me are cursed and can visually see stutters each time you see one of those red spikes. I see the stutters clearly even without profile GPU rendering turned on to show me. It sucks. So for me the LG Home and Nova 3.3 are much better.

Is this something that is still present with animations set to off in Developer Options? I have all 3 of those settings turned off.

 

[KPMcClave]

Also, if we don't notice microstutters, what are the other issues we may notice? Battery drain? Crashes? I assume it isn't functioning as well as is ideal, but are the aesthetics the only real result?

Add me to the chorus of thanks!

 

[sswitzer]

Is this something that is still present with animations set to off in Developer Options? I have all 3 of those settings turned off.

I find that 0.5 is better than off for the animation settings.

 

[erwaso]

I find that 0.5 is better than off for the animation settings.

That's what I've been using since my Optimus G

 

[gtg465x]

Also, if we don't notice microstutters, what are the other issues we may notice? Battery drain? Crashes? I assume it isn't functioning as well as is ideal, but are the aesthetics the only real result?

Add me to the chorus of thanks!

No, just aesthetics. If you are happy with the way Nova 4 is working, no reason not to stick with it.

 

[gtg465x]

Is this something that is still present with animations set to off in Developer Options? I have all 3 of those settings turned off.

Those settings have no effect on scrolling smoothness. They will affect app and app drawer opening and closing speed, but that isn't really where I noticed any issue.