I just like how when you do app updates your device is practically unusable in Android, very annoying!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Android's dirty little secret
- Thread starter Cod3rror
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have not experienced this with my Galaxy S3. I normally play music while in the car. On some occasions when I am parked and waiting for my wife, I do use Chrome and have not experienced the music app closing.
Seems bs to me. Never experience music player reloading even on my 1Gb ram S2. I have experienced home screen reloading on my S2 (not the S3/Note2/3/4) but that's with 3rd party launcher. Never encounter Touchwiz reloading.
I've never experienced that on my Android phones, up until the latest Lollipop release. There was a bug where apps would have RAM leakages, but has since been marked as closed and to be included in a future OS release.
Android manages more apps open at once and allows for easier and faster multi tasking, which also requires more RAM. Apple doesn't quite do multi-tasking, rather, freezes the app in the background and reloads when you get back to it. So I'd say Android has the advantage here, especially since even though you might require more RAM, you are usually provided with several GBs by Android OEMs.
Google has also recently taken OS "lightness" very seriously, starting with KitKat, by reducing the amount of RAM required by the OS. This has allowed great devices such as the Moto G to thrive, and really opens up the low and mid range markets.
Android manages more apps open at once and allows for easier and faster multi tasking, which also requires more RAM. Apple doesn't quite do multi-tasking, rather, freezes the app in the background and reloads when you get back to it. So I'd say Android has the advantage here, especially since even though you might require more RAM, you are usually provided with several GBs by Android OEMs.
Google has also recently taken OS "lightness" very seriously, starting with KitKat, by reducing the amount of RAM required by the OS. This has allowed great devices such as the Moto G to thrive, and really opens up the low and mid range markets.
Both Moto G 2013 and 2014 have a RAM management bug at the moment, that's why it kills of applications way to fast.
1GB RAM still is a bit low for Android, but combine it with the bug and this is the result.
I have never experienced it on my devices, my Nexus 4 runs like a champ with Chrome filled with tabs. Music never stops playing because the app is killed.
Last edited:
From an end user point of view how does android have the advantage? What does this provide the end-user?
I have seen folks complain about forms on websites being blanked out when switching between apps on iOS. Of course that could be more a fault of 1GB of RAM than how strict Apple is with memory management.
Androids multitasking model is more full featured as well as inter app connections. 'Open in' is a poor substitute IMO. iOS lacks 'true backgrounding' for lack of a better word.
Android devices at this point tend to hold apps in memory more reliably. Don't know how the op came to those conclusions
Wouldn't say it has the De facto advantage but it has advantages
The biggest thing for me is that iOS has been decreasing in performance with major releases while android has been increasing in performance. My android device gets better over time while my iOS device gets more sluggish, if you are taking updates of course
Last edited:
Not sure what IOS devices you are referring to. My iPad 2 on 8.1.2 is as good as 7.1.2. IPhone 5s on 8.1.2 runs great. Of course the i6 is a beast.
Agreed, plus my N7 was much better on Kit Kat than Lollipop. The standby battery life was always bad, now it's atrocious, not to mention the terrible gaming performance and dumb volume management. Lollipop's a joke.
Never encountered anything you mentioned. The only reason Chrome would kill music is if it had media taking over the audio.
Android does funky stuff at times sure but I've yet to encounter what might be a ram related issue to the extent of what you posted.
IPad Air ran better on 7.1.2 than 8.1.2 and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Reduce transparency is required on iOS 8 imo and even then not as smooth
iPhone 4 runs best on iOS 4 followed by 5 , then 6 thankfully downgrading is possible on that device
Those are the only iOS devices I own.
My dads iPad 2 on 4.3 is definitely smoother than my wifes iPad 2 on 7.1.2
----------
Have you done a factory reset? My gs 4 ge runs best on lollipop, standby, SOT, smoothness, you name it. Haven't done much gaming.
Volume management is dumb indeed
Last edited:
My iphone 4 runs just fine on IOS 7.1.2; some slight lag here and there that does not affect my user experience.
I think the definition of acceptable is always at play here and is different between individuals.
I have two ipad 2s on 8.1.2. Yes there is some lag in unimportant places. Given that 8.1.2 is 3+ years newer than 4.3, I'm okay with where the lag is given that the newest operating system is supported; totally does not affect the overall experience for US.
Im glad your happy, iPhone 4 runs great on iOS 4 though, far better than fine
I would say performance degradation with iOS updates is iOS' dirty little secret though, especially since you cannot downgrade if you are not pleased.
Personally I wish I could get my iPad air back on 7.1.2 at this point, unless developers can start doing some interesting things with app extensions, which would be worth the degredation for me.
Here was a good article on the degredation between 6.1.3 and 7.1 on iPhone 4
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/03/ios-7-1-on-the-iphone-4-as-good-as-its-going-to-get/
Going forward I am concerned with 1 gb ram devices now that the air2 has 2 gb. Think twice before you update to iOS 9 :-/. I will wait to see reviews for sure.
Last edited:
In my opinion 6.1.3 was a disaster. I'm sorry you're not happy.
I don't do typical things on my windows desktop and have a home built box with high-end hardware and can make it lag without trying.
I wouldn't go back to IOS 6 on my iphone 4 or IOS 7 on my ipad or 5S; there is no reason to.
But this conversation is always about expectations, which is why there always is so much disagreement about this very topic.
edit: regarding that article I've seen that infographic. and frankly my life isn't impacted on bit if something takes .2 seconds more to load. As far as I'm concerned it's a talking point.
Last edited:
Well there is a reason, it is performance. You just don't care and that is fine.
People wouldn't get worked up about this if there was no reason to want to go back.
You are also cherry picking the .2 detail. The phone app took effectively double the time to open. Along with safari, which is pretty much doubled too
Last edited:
Some people get worked up over anything and everything.
Anyway it's interesting to see the contrasts in people's perception and expectations. You and I have differing opinions on the veracity of the same phone and operating system.
edit: I saw you edited your post and added the "cherry picking" part. I don't care of the phone went from .67 to 1.83. The number of phone calls I make vs checking mail makes this irrelevant. It's just another example of differing expectations.
Well I get worked up over performance, don't really appreciate the belittling of it by calling it "anything and everything" especially considering how much iOS fans love to say their devices don't lag.
I wasn't specifically referring to you. I thought we were having a good conversation, so I can see how that particular sentence was misinterpreted based on how it was worded.
That comment was in reference to some of the over the top comments regarding this very thing. The way some of these posts are worded, one wouldn't talk to their mother, father, s/o, boss like that. That is what I am referring to.
My 5S doesn't lag, at least I have not noticed it, which is what counts. I frankly don't care if 4 year old hardware slightly lags with the most up to date operating system. I would care if my i6 lagged though.
Just to update on my Note 4 lag experience. As I stated before my ATT Note 4 lagged somewhat. My new Tmobile Note 4, after several weeks of use does NOT lag in the least, I'm quite satisfied. I have a feeling that ATT loads so much crap on the phone it slows it down.
I definitely have ram issues on my lg l90, but it's a budget phone. Home screen is always blank when I hit the home button. Always. Running nova as my launcher.
I thought my ip4 was better at ram management, but nothing to prove it. 5 year old phone vs. a $100 off-contract phone. Seems about right.
I thought my ip4 was better at ram management, but nothing to prove it. 5 year old phone vs. a $100 off-contract phone. Seems about right.