Project Svelte: so is Android 'downsized' again - Android World

One of the major improvements of Android 4.4 (KitKat) according to Google that it is made for all devices. Well, at least it has become easier for manufacturers to run on Android phone without spec smoothly. The underlying project was jokingly called ‘Project Svelte.

Svelte

Project

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the Android version that the results of Project Butter brought. This internal Google project would have to ensure that the interface a lot smoother (smooth as butter) should make. Indeed, the changes brought improvements, but made sure, along with the new interface introduced in Android 4.0, that it was difficult for manufacturers to run on cheaper hardware.

Android

In an interview with ReadWrite Dave Burke, engineering gives head of Android at Google, that it was after Project Butter time that Android would go on a diet. That happened with Project Svelte. ‘Svelte’ means ‘slim’ here. With Android 4.4 and the adjustments resulting from Project Svelte made it easier for manufacturers to run on device with lesser specifications Android. are among other recommendations for system settings for devices in various segments. In addition, applications respond better when there is less memory is available.

Nexus 4

development unit for this project Svelte is chosen for the Nexus 4, at which time the latest Nexus device that had appeared on the market. Perhaps an odd choice at first, but the device is substantially modified: initially available memory was pinched and later became the processor clock speed reduced and the unit of four processor cores went to two. As ‘icing on cake’ the screen was also reduced slightly, and was put on qHD resolution (540 by 960 pixels). In this way, the team could use a device with the same specifications as a low-end device at this time.

Android Developers Burke himself had also use a custom Nexus 4, to experience how Android runs on a low-end device itself. This type of approach is called “dogfooding ‘. With this customized devices, the developers had four goals. First it was the intention that the memory usage would take. Drastically Secondly, the applications that were running to use. Less memory on Nexus devices were It is then included the Google applications like Gmail and the Play Store. Thirdly, applications need to respond to situations where there is not enough memory better and fourth would app developers have to measure how their applications are running, so that the memory usage of apps from these developers would also decrease.

At first it seems strange that Google has chosen to use the Nexus 4, as a development system while the company with the Galaxy Nexus had an excellent device that met the lower hardware requirements. before there Google has just announced that the Galaxy Nexus can not update to Android 4.4 will receive. The reason that we chose for the Nexus 4, it is likely that the Texas Instruments chipset of the Galaxy Nexus was not supported. This may have been the reason for the non release of the update for the Galaxy Nexus, along with the fact that the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung in part and partly with Google was of updates, which from the beginning has caused problems.

Android for all?

No, Android 4.4 is not “Android for All ‘in the sense that the Android version will be available for all devices that are currently available on the market. It comes to future Android devices: manufacturers are not ‘forced’ to turn because it is difficult to run on these devices Android versions newer than older Android 4.1 version of their new (low-end) devices.

More information about the lower hardware requirements can be found in our comprehensive article here.