Related
Given the way android is built is it technically possible to make android buttery smooth like ios? I read that article about that google engineer saying that it will never be, but several people disputed his points.
Fasty12 said:
Given the way android is built is it technically possible to make android buttery smooth like ios? I read that article about that google engineer saying that it will never be, but several people disputed his points.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my experience, my gs2 is extremely smooth. If you want close to ios, you should try miui. They are the best roms for extreme smoothness.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Sure
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
Thing is, iOS is a Operating system created for only 2 devices. The developers working on it have one focus only, making the iPhone and iPad work great.
Android instead has the power but to run on thousands of devices from any brand, any size, any CPU and other specifications.
Now knowing this, ask the question again:
Quote: is it technically possible to make android buttery smooth like ios?
No, but god bless you it's fast for it's great power. iOS might be 0.5ms faster or w/e people have tested, but you won't have such amazing results close to the Android, ever!
People say iOS is better and faster, I say that there phone looks just like 5 million other people's phone. Mine doesn't!
'nuff said
So the answer is no? Lolz
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Actually one if the main things for apple is that the user interface is a real time priority where android is not. Android is a much better os.
Sent from my HD2 using xda premium
I'm using an LG Optimus One. I'll take a little delay here and there in the GUI over buying an otherwise expensive and over-rated iPhone.
bambu85 said:
I'm using an LG Optimus One. I'll take a little delay here and there in the GUI over buying an otherwise expensive and over-rated iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well its better. By not assigning a real time priority to the GUI it can load more efficiently
Sent from my HD2 using xda premium
I find MIUI as smooth as IOS. It most likely will depend on your device though.
You have to give a little to get a little. To allow true multi-tasking (not available on the Iphone) you need to distribute the RAM differently. I for one would like to be able to multi task than to see a minimal difference in my FPS...
Waddle said:
From my experience, my gs2 is extremely smooth. If you want close to ios, you should try miui. They are the best roms for extreme smoothness.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd agree with that. MIUI is unbelievable!
lowandbehold said:
You have to give a little to get a little. To allow true multi-tasking (not available on the Iphone) you need to distribute the RAM differently. I for one would like to be able to multi task than to see a minimal difference in my FPS...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the difference between Android's multitasking and IOS's multitasking?
springsten said:
What's the difference between Android's multitasking and IOS's multitasking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm led to believe and have been told iOS' multitasking isn't true multitasking, and more power is put into the interface.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW
My Android (Xperia Arc S) is already as smooth as iOS.
I use Go Launcher Ex, and it's not only as smooth as iOS, it looks WAY better, added to the fact that Android supports true multi-tasking in ALL applications, it's win/win for Android owners.
springsten said:
What's the difference between Android's multitasking and IOS's multitasking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example on an apple device if you type in a web address in the browser and you switch to another app while it is loading, when you come back to the browser it is where you left it. With android the web address you entered would have loaded. The process is not truely running in the background. So where as in android you can have multiple functions running at once with apple it is more like a placeholder.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
No, if you want smooth stick with iOS or WP7. Android has terrible performance, because it's Java based and speed has never been Java's strong suite.
PVTD said:
Thing is, iOS is a Operating system created for only 2 devices. The developers working on it have one focus only, making the iPhone and iPad work great.
Android instead has the power but to run on thousands of devices from any brand, any size, any CPU and other specifications.
Now knowing this, ask the question again:
Quote: is it technically possible to make android buttery smooth like ios?
No, but god bless you it's fast for it's great power. iOS might be 0.5ms faster or w/e people have tested, but you won't have such amazing results close to the Android, ever!
People say iOS is better and faster, I say that there phone looks just like 5 million other people's phone. Mine doesn't!
'nuff said
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And your phone also randomly freezes,reboots and has more malware than those other 5 million.
alex2792 said:
And your phone also randomly freezes,reboots and has more malware than those other 5 million.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such a small portion of android devices behave this way I am not sure why you keep repeating it. I am on my flyer 3+ hours a day, never freezes, never reboots, and no issues with mallware.
This with a CPU clocked at 1600 (stock is 1500). Now my iPhone on the other hand has constant browser freezes, facebook crashes, and apps force closing. It struggles at times to get out of its own way, and it has like 15 apps installed. And battery since ios 5 is great as long as you do not use it at all. If I make 3 phone calls and send a couple emails it drops over 60% in an 8 hour work day
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium
I find it quite funny that not a single person here can tell why Android's multitasking is "better" than iOS' multitasking, and how it's true multitasking and iOS' is not (Spoiler: It's not).
iOS
iOS apps can exist in any of five states of execution. These are:
Not Running: The app has been terminated or has not been launched.
Inactive: The app is in the foreground but not receiving events (for example, the user has locked the device with the app active).
Active: The normal state of “in use” for an app.
Background: The app is no longer on-screen but is still executing code.
Suspended: The app is still resident in memory but is not executing code.
When you press the home button, the app moves from Active to Background. Most apps usually then go from Background to Suspended in a matter of seconds. (Suspended apps remain in the device’s memory. This is so they can resume more quickly when you go back to them. They’re not using processor time and they’re not sucking battery power.)
You may think that if an app is resident in memory, you might have to remove it manually in order to conserve memory. But you don’t: iOS does it for you. If you launch a memory-intensive app such as a game, iOS will start to purge Suspended apps from memory and move them to the Not Running state. That is, they will be completely removed from memory and will launch afresh the next time you tap their icon.
Here’s the confusing part: None of these states are reflected in the multitasking bar. That bar always shows a list of recently used apps, regardless of whether they’re in the Background, Suspended, or Not Running states. (You may also have noticed that the app that is currently Active does not appear in the multitasking bar.)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Android
A common misunderstanding about Android multitasking is the difference between a process and an application. In Android these are not tightly coupled entities: applications may seem present to the user without an actual process currently running the app; multiple applications may share processes, or one application may make use of multiple processes depending on its needs; the process(es) of an application may be kept around by Android even when that application is not actively doing something.
The fact that you can see an application's process "running" does not mean the application is running or doing anything. It may simply be there because Android needed it at some point, and has decided that it would be best to keep it around in case it needs it again. Likewise, you may leave an application for a little bit and return to it from where you left off, and during that time Android may have needed to get rid of the process for other things.
A key to how Android handles applications in this way is that processes don't shut down cleanly. When the user leaves an application, its process is kept around in the background, allowing it to continue working (for example downloading web pages) if needed, and come immediately to the foreground if the user returns to it. If a device never runs out of memory, then Android will keep all of these processes around, truly leaving all applications "running" all of the time.
Of course, there is a limited amount of memory, and to accommodate this Android must decide when to get rid of processes that are not needed. This leads to Android's process lifecycle, the rules it uses to decide how important each process is and thus the next one that should be dropped. These rules are based on both how important a process is for the user's current experience, as well as how long it has been since the process was last needed by the user.
Once Android determines that it needs to remove a process, it does this brutally, simply force-killing it. The kernel can then immediately reclaim all resources needed by the process, without relying on that application being well written and responsive to a polite request to exit. Allowing the kernel to immediately reclaim application resources makes it a lot easier to avoid serious out of memory situations.
If a user later returns to an application that's been killed, Android needs a way to re-launch it in the same state as it was last seen, to preserve the "all applications are running all of the time" experience. This is done by keeping track of the parts of the application the user is aware of (the Activities), and re-starting them with information about the last state they were seen in. This last state is generated each time the user leaves that part of the application, not when it is killed, so that the kernel can later freely kill it without depending on the application to respond correctly at that point.
In some ways, Android's process management can be seen as a form of swap space: application processes represent a certain amount of in-use memory; when memory is low, some processes can be killed (swapped out); when those processes are needed again, they can be re-started from their last saved state (swapped in).
It is useful to think of an application in Android having three "lifetimes" associated with the preceding diagram and table
The Entire Lifetime: the period between the first call to onCreate() to a single final call to onDestroy(). We may think of this as the time between setting up the initial global state for the app in onCreate() and the release of all resources associated with the app in onDestroy().
The Visible Lifetime: The period between a call to onStart() until a corresponding call to onStop(). Although this is termed the "visible lifetime", the app may not be directly visible and interacting with the user at any one time if it is not in the foreground. The feature that distinguishes this lifetime is that, even if not in the foreground, the app maintains resources such that it can instantaneously return to the foreground.
The Foreground Lifetime: The period between a call to onResume() until a corresponding call to onPause(). During foreground lifetime the activity is in front of all other activities and interacting with the user.
This multitasking capability is part of what makes Android devices quite nimble, with apps often appearing to load and initialize much faster than for the iPhone. However, as with all good things there is a price: the developer must remember that just because you execute a finish() command in your app does not mean that it is no longer running. It is very likely still in the background in a paused or stopped state if the device is not overtaxed for resources. This means that as a programmer you have to be careful that an app not in the foreground is not consuming valuable system resources to no useful end. For example, various features of the device like the GPS or cameras can consume power rapidly, so a poorly written app can lead to very short battery life for the device, and an unhappy user.
Sources:
- Android
- iOS
And while we're at it, here's why Android's UI will never be as smooth as iOS.
"We’ll start off with Google engineer Dianne Hackborn’s post. She states that hardware acceleration – i.e. using the GPU, instead of CPU alone, to render the user-interface – has existed on Android since version 1.0 for things such as sliding the notification bar, pop-up dialogues etc. Full hardware acceleration only came with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and, unsurprisingly, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich actually has the same kind of hardware acceleration and this won’t necessarily sweeten things up.
Hackborn states that hardware acceleration “is not all full of win” since it takes away a lot of RAM when used for devices like Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus with OpenGL. Each process takes about 8MB of RAM and “isn’t worth it” considering the minimal effect it has on how “smooth” the UI looks after implementing it. So yes, hardware acceleration certainly helps, but it takes far too much processing power for it to be implemented to all parts of the UI.
She ends her post on how full, complete, A-to-Z hardware acceleration that results in 60 frames-per-second graphics is simply not possible, even with powerful chips like the Tegra 2.
Now, the question arises: why is it that even seemingly outdated phones like the iPhone 3GS offer a smoother UI than the latest Android smartphones? iOS uses hardware acceleration and that too on weaker hardware. How does Apple’s engineers manage to pull it off, then? Why can’t Google do the same?
That has been answered by Andrew Munn – software engineering student, ex-intern at Google and future intern with Windows Phone 7 team at Microsoft – who states that UI rendering processes in iOS occur with dedicated threads with real-time priority whereas on Android, UI rendering processes occur along with the main thread with normal priority. Whenever an iOS devices detects touch, it stops other processes and focuses all attention to rendering the UI. Android devices don’t do this, instead general processing and UI rendering occurs concurrently which results in choppy UI."
Source: RedmondPie
LordManhattan said:
I find it quite funny that not a single person here can tell why Android's multitasking is "better" than iOS' multitasking, and how it's true multitasking and iOS' is not (Spoiler: It's not).
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People like to regurgitate FUD and misinformation! Good post LM, a very informative read!
Youtube: RealTime UI - New Phone Interface Concept
Hey! So I made a video that shows what I feel like the future of mobile devices and phones should be. Perhaps this can be made into a new launcher or a special version of android... Essentially it merges Android notifications with iPhone spotlight and some webOS elements. I hope to get feedback on this idea so knowing xda, I am pretty sure I will get many great responses here.
Let me know what you think! Would love to hear from you guys! Thanks!
*Also feel free to share and repost!
First, almost all your ideas can become reality developing a new Launcher, but it'll require a lot of very hard work, since you'll need to develop the launcher and the clients for the social nets.
However, merge the Android notifications with your concept will be an impossible task for a Launcher. You can hide the status bar, but you can't manage the notifications (in an easy way, you only are allowed to delete your own notifications, you can't delete the notifications that other apps puts on the status bar).
Overall, you have an atractive idea for many users (although not for me, I don't need social nets on my phone hahaha).
Best regards.
RoberGalarga said:
First, almost all your ideas can become reality developing a new Launcher, but it'll require a lot of very hard work, since you'll need to develop the launcher and the clients for the social nets.
However, merge the Android notifications with your concept will be an impossible task for a Launcher. You can hide the status bar, but you can't manage the notifications (in an easy way, you only are allowed to delete your own notifications, you can't delete the notifications that other apps puts on the status bar).
Overall, you have an atractive idea for many users (although not for me, I don't need social nets on my phone hahaha).
Best regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Perhaps a whole new OS would be the best solution.
Maybe modifying some system files, not the entire SO (as a beginning... )
RoberGalarga said:
Maybe modifying some system files, not the entire SO (as a beginning... )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha true that! Wonder if making a custom ROM with all this would be in the realm of possibility..perhaps someone would have some insight!
It does seem like a great idea, but perhaps targetting only those who primarily use their phones socially... I, personally, don't really use even the basic social apps on my phone (perhaps only whatsApp, and twitter when I'm reeaaally bored ). It seems to me, that you are gonna target a community that goes social network crazy on their phones (half the girls in my school )
I'm not a fan of Facebook per se. I don't care for the social media craze that seems to have permiated every facet of technology. When it comes down to it, I see Facebook as an enabler. It allows us insight into the intimate details of people we care about, without actually having to interact with them. It entices us to click "like" instead of personally conveying our appreciation or admiration. To top it off, I'm even less enthralled with Facebook on Android. Update after update that notoriously brings almost no improvement in performance, and many times results in an even worse experience. Not to mention the invasive permissions they keep slipping in with every new feature they implement. So why would I write an article about Facebook Home? Perhaps even more questionable, why in the world would I say they are "Winning"?
For most of us Android geeks/enthusiasts, there's been a quiet war going on behind the front lines of Android for quiet some time. Manufacturers continue to give us devices with their specific flavor of Android such as Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense, among other variations of Google's "Vanilla" Android experience. Meanwhile Android developers have been working endlessly to bring users more options with modified or custom ROMs such as Cyanogen Mod, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid to name a few. It's about choice - which the manufacturers don't want to give us. They want us to get used to their skins and their custom features, so that it becomes inherently habitual to use them. And we all know how hard it is to break habits.
Regardless of the ROM an Android user chooses, it doesn't end there. Android users are a unique bunch - and most of us want our phones to be unique as well. However, if you have been watching the evolution of the Android user closely (as Facebook undoubtedly has) you might have noticed that despite our yearning to be different, to customize our Android experience to our own taste, there is a sweeping movement taking place within the community: The Android user base has grown so quickly that it is no longer just a haven for the tech-geeks and device tinkerers. There is a large number of users that want to be able to customize their devices without having to learn what rooting is, or how to flash a custom ROM. They have no idea what a bootloader is, or even superuser for that matter. Yet their desire remains the same - to be able to tailor their phone as they see fit. This is where the ROM wars end - and the Launcher wars begin.
When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if you're running Samsung's TouchWiz or the latest Cyanogen Mod Nightly. You're most likely going to install a custom launcher which will serve as your main user interface. Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, or perhaps one of the new comers such as Chameleon Launcher or.. yep, you guessed it: Facebook Home.
This is where Facebook's genius begins to show. For the majority of Android users, it's not about what ROM you're running anymore (and for many newer users, it never was). It's the launcher that ultimately defines their device. And when you step back for a second and really dissect what's been going on with Android, it's always been about the launcher. TouchWiz and Sense are just that - launchers. Despite the fact they are deeply integrated with their respective phone's OS version, they're still basically just different user interfaces. Most of what they offer in regard to features can be successfully ported to other phones, other ROMs. The reason for Android user's past frustration with these manufacturer's customizations was their inability to remove them or change them. So where does that leave us today?
Facebook Home is exactly what a vast majority of the Android user base wants. Another option, another way for them to tailor their phone to their own usage habits. And if they don't like it, they can simply change their launcher or uninstall it completely. And let's be honest - there are millions of Android users who are Facebook fanatics. Facebook Home isn't just another app.. it's the new front line of the Android wars. Don't be surprised if you start seeing more of the major social media sites offering their own launcher. After all, it only makes "Sense".
Perhaps you purchased your
new Android phone because
you’re really into the latest
wireless technology, or
perhaps you purchased it
because you’ve been admiring
new phone covers on Etsy
(totally adorbs, btw). Either
way, we hope our top 10
Android tricks help you
uncover new functionality in
your smartphone.
1
Access a hidden menu
We’re not sure why you’d need
a hidden menu, but if you enjoy
living your life in the shadows
and the dark of the night, read
up on how to create and access
a hidden menu from your home
screen. You’ll be able to keep
both spies and perhaps your
children out of your secret
ploys.
2
Easy Phone Sync
If you think of Apple’s iOS and
Google’s Android system as
mortal enemies, consider the
Easy Phone Sync a skilled
mediator between the two. If
your desktop has iTunes and you
want those songs on your
Android phone, download the
Easy Phone Sync so the systems
can talk to one another and
share data.
3
Near Field Communication
If your Android has Near Field
Communication (NFC)
functionality, you can use your
phone to swipe a “tag” you
create on an electronic device.
Swiping the tag will tell the
device to do whatever it is that
you have pre-programmed it to
do, like turn on the lights in
your house or fire up your
Jacuzzi.
4
Swype keyboard
If you have a strange index
finger twitch, or perhaps bulky
fingers that are constantly
causing your keyboard to
autocorrect improperly, the
Swype app will allow you to text
or search without ever having to
pick your finger up from the
keyboard. Utilizing Swype will
reduce your autocorrect
embarrassment and risks of
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, all in
one easy download.
5
Widgets
We love widgets. Mostly, we
love saying the word
“widgets.” But widgets are
actually pretty cool, too. They
allow users to check out lots of
important information in one
spot on the home screen, like
news, weather and traffic. Here
is Techland’s list of the best
Android widgets for 2013.
6
Control phone from
computer
The AirDroid app is amazing. It
allows you to send text messages
through your phone from your
desktop computer. It also allows
you to locate your phone from
your desktop, and move all your
data to and from your phone.
7
Talk to text
Please don’t be the person that
drives and texts at the same
time. Really, there is no need to
do something so dangerous. Just
hit the microphone button when
your keyboard is open for
texting or searching, and
Android’s powerful voice
technology will do a pretty
bang-up job of understanding
you.
8
Utilize Dropbox
Consider the Dropbox app as a
Cloud system for all your
devices. Although you can
always back up your files on
your Google Drive account,
Dropbox adds a layer of
functionality to the process. If
you use Dropbox on your
Android phone, all of your
uploaded files become available
on all of your devices, and many
users find the interface easier to
navigate than Google Drive.
9
Get organized
As of April 2013, the Android
operating system boasted over
800,000 apps in its app
marketplace, Google Play. Even
if you’re not app-happy, it’s
probably a smart idea to
organize the apps you use by
type so that you can easily find
what you need on your phone.
The Android operating system
allows users to create folders
for their apps. Check out this
tutorial for information about
how to create folders.
10
Use Maps offline
Nothing
is as
irritating
as
looking
up
directions on Google Maps and
then running into difficulties
with internet connection once
you’re already en route. Next
time you look up directions,
click on the button “Make
Available Offline” so you can use
your map regardless of
connectivity.
Hit The Thanks Button If I Helped You
which one is the trick part?
all i get throu the text is just explanation about the app
but i guess it might help for noob thou,
The Android M developer preview was launched today at Google I/O 2015 in San Francisco. Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of products at Google, introduced the conference and said that the company had "gone back to basics" with the new version of Android. While Android Lollipop introduced a brand new design and aesthetic, Android M is bringing some much-needed stability and usability improvements, which might not be as immediately arresting, but may prove to be significant long-term additions.
Dave Burke, vice president of engineering at Google, followed Pichai on stage to outline six of the major new features you can expect to see in Android M.
Which phones will get the Android M update first?
1. App permissions
First up, app permissions. As had previously been speculated, app permissions have been overhauled in Android M, with users now being able to choose to accept or deny individual permissions as they see fit. Permissions have also been simplified.
Permissions will now be requested the first time you try to use a feature, not at the point of installation. "You don't have to agree to permissions that don't make sense to you," Burke said, and used WhatsApp to give an example of how this works.
If you want to record a voice message, WhatsApp will prompt you with a one-time request for permission to use your mic: if you still wish to give it access and record the message, you can, but you don't have to. Android M is giving users greater control of the information apps can access, and this is a truly positive step forward for Android.
You can modify the permissions granted to apps at a later date in your Settings, or you can view permissions by type and see which apps have that permission granted. It's all about giving the user complete control over their Android.
2. Web experience
Google has been exploring trends in the way web content is consumed to provide a better user-experience when interacting with websites and apps. "Chrome Custom Tabs is a new feature that gives developers a way to harness all of Chrome's capabilities, while still keeping control of the look and feel of the experience," said Burke.
Chrome Custom Tabs will allow apps to open a customized Chrome window on top of the active app, instead of launching the Chrome app separately. This will provide a faster and more intuitive user-experience when navigating between apps and the web.
Chrome Custom Tabs supports automatic sign-in, saved passwords, autofill, and multi-process security to assist the integration of the app and web experience. So, for example, a Pinterest custom tab will have a Pinterest share button embedded in it, can include custom overflow menu options and doesn't require the Pinterest developers to build their own web browser.
3. Fingerprint support
Google will "standardize support" for fingerprint scanners on phones running Android M. The new functionality will allow fingerprint scanners to be used not only to unlock phones, but to make purchases shopping in real-life or within Play Store apps.
Of course, your device will need a hardware fingerprint scanner to begin with, but with Google's full support, expect to see these appear on many more devices in the future.
4. Mobile payments
Android Pay is Google's new mobile payments system designed to make the checkout process easier and faster. Google is aiming to provide "simplicity, security, and choice," with Android Pay, allowing you to use your existing credit cards to pay for products in more than 700,000 stores in the US.
Compatible with any device housing NFC capabilities (and running 4.4 KitKat or above), the Android Pay platform is being supported by American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, as well as carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Google's response to Apple pay is here.
5. App links
"When a user selects a weblink from somewhere, Android doesn't know whether to show it in a web-browser, or some other app that claims support for the link," this was the problem facing the Google developers before Android M.
You may be familiar with the "Open with" dialogue box which appears when you try to open a link within an app on Android. You might be asked if you want to open a link with YouTube, or with Chrome, for example.
App links are being changed in M so that Android has a greater awareness of which apps can open content directly, instead of stopping users every time with the dialog box. If you tap a Twitter link in an email, for example, the Twitter app will open automatically instead of prompting you to ask if you want to use Twitter to view it.
This is almost a blink-and-you'll-miss-it improvement, but it's representative of Google's attention to detail: Android M is probably going to feel more usable without the user ever understanding why.
6. Power and charging
Android M makes use of a new function known as Doze to improve device standby time. By using motion detectors, Android will recognize when devices haven’t been interacted with for a while, such as when a person is asleep or a device has been left on a table, to reduce background processes.
Burke said that Google tested two Nexus 9 devices, one running Lollipop and one running the Android M preview, and learned that M will provide up to two-times longer standby time. Even in Doze mode, your Android can still start alarms or notify you of priority notifications.
Android M also supports USB Type-C which provides faster charging, and lets users charge other devices with their phone.
Android M release date
The Android M Developer Preview is available today for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player, and the final version is due to launch in Q3, 2015.
What else is in new in Android M?
Auto Backup and Restore for Apps
Possibly the most interesting aspect of Android M not discussed in Google’s I/O keynote speech was Android Auto Backup and Restore for Apps. This feature will be used in conjunction with Google Drive to automatically backup app data and settings with a file size of 25 MB or less.
These backups occur no more than once per day, and run only when the device is idle and connected to Wi-Fi and power. The uploaded data does not count towards your Google Drive storage quota, and is encrypted.
If you lose your device or delete the app, your previous progress will be restored the next time you install it, and it even works with apps which are side-loaded or accessed through a third-party app store.
New app drawer
One of the most immediately noticeable visual changes to Android M is the new app drawer. This now scrolls vertically instead of horizontally, and is held against a white background, rather than a muted shade of your homepage wallpaper. Across the top of the menu you will see your four most recently used apps, and down the left-hand side are the letters of the alphabet.
Android M RAM manager
Google has introduced a new RAM manager to Android M with the aim of providing users with more accurate and comprehensible information regarding the maximum and average RAM usage of apps.
The menu can be found in Settings > Apps > Options (three dots button) > Advanced > Memory. Though it's a little hard to navigate to, the page offers a far clearer insight into app demands, and the overall effect they will have on your device.
With a reading of an individual app's RAM consumption, as well as how often it is running in the background, users will be able to better determine which apps should be removed in endless bid to increase device performance and battery life.
Android M even includes a simple bar at the top of the page displaying the current performance status of a person's handset; if it says "good performance", you're likely running an efficient set of apps.
Adoptable Storage Devices
Though Google has in the past tried to step away from external storage use (the reason why none of its Nexus devices house a microSD card slot), it appears that Android M is striking a compromise.
Adoptable Storage Devices is Google's new storage feature which essentially takes an external storage source (such as an SD card or USB drive) and formats it like an internal storage space. This means that app and personal data can be moved freely between a devices internal storage and its "adopted" storage source.
Adopted storage devices are wrapped in a layer of encryption to soothe security concerns and both microSD cards and USB OTG drives are currently supported.
Google Now
Google Now has been improved upon once again in Android M. Focusing on three key ares: being aware of different contexts, providing answers and helping you take action, Google Now is now smarter than ever.
Google Now's context awareness understand over 100 million different places, so when you ask ''How far is it to there?'' Google Now know exactly which ''there'' you're referring to. This awareness is compounded by Google's Knowledge Graph, which understands one billion different entities, from sports teams to gas stations, TV shows to recipes.
Google Now is also rolling out a pilot program called ''Now on Tap'' with 100 popular apps. Now on Tap provides Google Now-like content right where you are, without having to leave the app you're in. So if you're in Spotify and say ''Ok Google, what is his real name?'' Now on Tap will know you're talking about the musician you're listening to and provide search results right there an then.
The same goes for content in emails. If someone asks you a question about a restaurant and to not forget something on your way home, Now on Tap can automatically pop up a restaurant card with Maps info, Yelp, OpenTable and the dialer, as well as offer to set a reminder for whatever it was you were supposed to not forget.
Google Chrome
Chrome is also leaner and faster than ever before. Initially revamped with Android One devices in mind, where stable and speedy internet connections are not always possible, Chrome's new optimizations are set to arrive for everyone.
Chrome is now aware of network strength and can modify what you see as a result. For example, if your connection is bad, you might see colored squares rather than preview images in Search results. Optimized web pages will load four times faster and use 80 percent fewer bytes. You'll also see a memory usage reduction of up to 80 MB. Chrome will also support offline mode.
Google Photos
As expected, Google pulled the wraps off its new Google Photos service. Previously a part of Google+, Google Photos is now standalone photo and video storage and sharing service that provides unlimited free storage for up to 16 MP photos and 1080p video. That is seriously impressive.
The Google Photos service stores high-quality compressed versions of your photos and movies but doesn't store anything on your device, so you can search through thousands of photos at high speed and without bogging your device down with gigabytes of photos.
Popular features like Auto-Awesome and Stories are a key highlight, accessible through a new Assistant feature, which will automatically suggest creative uses of your images and footage. Through simple pinch gestures you can see tiled images for particular days, weeks, months or even years and then zoom right back in at any point you like.
Google Photos is also powerful for search, as you'd expect. You can search by People, Places, Things and Types, which are all automatically created, and you can drill down in each of those categories to see, for example, every picture you have of a particular person, all without ever tagging them.
Sharing is also a breeze. You don't even need you contacts to have the Google Photos app. You can simply share a link that they can view in Chrome. If they are logged in they can easily download an entire album in seconds.
Are you impressed by what Google has been up to in Android M? What would you have liked to have seen?
First off, if you're going to copy & paste something from another Android site, it helps to at least give credit to the original writer of the article (I have supplied a link to the original article below). Second, please post in the correct forum. The Apps & Games forum is the wrong place for this sort of post.
http://www.androidpit.com/android-m-release-date-news-features-name
Thread closed.