Google will ensure Android 4.4 runs on low powered smartphones
Friday, November 29, 2013 - 13:25:00
The Android ecosystem has evolved significantly over the last five years, with regular updates rolling out to compatible devices, thanks to Google's never-ending work to improve it.
However, this approach has led to quite a bit of fragmentation, with many different iterations of Android still in use, many of which are not up there at the cutting edge of the market.
This is as a result of third party manufacturers widely using Android on devices that have varying levels of power available to them. So while a modern, high end handset may be able to cope with Android Jelly Bean 4.3, the same may not be true of a more basic model.
To counteract this, Google has revealed details of something called Project Svelte, which will be a key part of Android KitKat 4.4, enabling a stripped-down version of the software to find a home on bargain basement models.
Google demonstrated the power of Project Svelte to ReadWrite this month, showing that it could run on a special Nexus 4 handset, which had been purposefully deprived of its usual specifications, to prove a point.
Long time Android users will remember that the search giant made similar promises with Android 4.1 and Project butter, with mixed results.
It is not just about getting Android 4.4 running on a wide array of devices, but also encouraging third party manufacturers and network providers to invest in offering the update to customers, which is not always guaranteed to happen.
Many people will still need to sell their old mobile phone and pick up a newer handset if they want to experience the latest version of Android, especially if they are sticking to the cheaper end of the price scale, rather than focusing on the top tier devices.
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