Latest Android Runtime (ART) Update Led To Apps Starting 30% Faster

The latest update to the Android Runtime (ART) -- the "engine behind the Android operating system (OS)" -- has resulted in app startup time "improvements of up to 30% on some devices," says Google. 9to5Google reports: Behind the scenes, "ART is the same for all devices" and: "The ART APEX module is a complex piece of software with an order of magnitude more APIs than any other APEX module. It also backs a quarter of the developer APIs available in the Android SDK. In addition, ART has a compiler that aims to make the most of the underlying hardware by generating chipset-specific instructions, such as Arm SVE." The testing process for Android Runtime updates involves "compiling over 18 million APKs and running app compatibility tests, and startup, performance, and memory benchmarks on a variety of Android devices that replicate the diversity of our ecosystem as closely as possible." There's then a very gradual rollout process.

Google also notes developer improvements with every update "like OpenJDK improvements and compiler optimizations that benefit both Java and Kotlin," with ART 13 resulting in the "fastest-ever adoption of a new OpenJDK [11] release on Android devices." ART 14 is rolling out "in the coming months" with "new compiler and runtime optimizations that improve performance while reducing code size," as well as OpenJDK 17.

Here's another way to speed up Android

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Run a deGoogled OS.

You have no idea how much snappier it feels and how much more battery life you get when Google Play Services isn't running in the background and sending data to the mothership all the time.

I recently installed LineageOS on an rather ancient Nokia 4.2 and it truly feels like a brand new cellphone. As for my daily driver, a Faifphone 4, it gets 2 days of battery running CalyxOS / MicroG vs 1 day running vanilla Android.

Re:Here's another way to speed up Android

[JamesTRexx]

Running LineageOS on a Samsung S4 myself and I can only say it runs as well as Devuan on my computers: it works and doesn't stand in the way of what I want to do.
Can't say anything about battery because I use an app to limit maximum charge, which extended the last one's life to many years.

Life without software crap is so much more stress-free.

Re:

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I use an app to limit maximum charge

I limit the charge at 80% too to preserve the battery. But I did test the battery life with stock Android and the Google spyware running, and with the deGoogled ROM and either MicroG (CalyxOS) or nothing (LineageOS). I tested with the battery going from 100% to 15% using the phone as I normally would, going about my day(s). I never run my battery this high or this low though: it was just for testing.

The Fairphone 4 running CalyxOS provides the charge control right in the settings, like Pixel phones. So no a

Re:

[bobby]

My Samsung S10e has built-in charge limit you can enable, at 85%. So do a couple of Samsung tablets I use (but don't own).

I haven't "de-googled" it yet, but I don't have a google account, and I've turned off most or all google apps. Also it's configured to disable any apps that haven't been used in x days, so iirc all google stuff is happily off. I've occasionally turned on google maps, but maybe once in a blue moon (many months).

I hadn't heard of the charge control app, but I'll keep that in mind for a

Re:

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I haven't "de-googled" it yet, but I don't have a google account, and I've turned off most or all google apps.

Hehe, would that it were so easy :)

It takes rather a lot more than that to keep Google from putting you under constant surveillance, and Google is working very hard to keep it beyond the technical chops of the average Joe.

Even if you disable everything and remove/disable every Google app you can, Google Play Service - the main framework that provides important services such as push notifications, location and maps - still runs in the background at elevated privileges, and there's nothing you can do about it

Re:

[bobby]

Thank you.

Since I do very little on the cellphone, no "courage" needed. Not much to worry about wiping out.

Finding a "ROM" (severe misuse of a technical term) for specific phones is often impossible.

All that said: when I go into "settings -> apps" it says "disabled" for ALL google apps, including "google play services". No google thing, at all, is enabled. Maybe the phone is lying? All I know is if I do reboot, which I don't do often, I get several "notifications" complaining that I must enable googl

Re:

[Mononymous]

Simply not putting a Google account on your device already makes most of the difference, on nearly any Android device.

ART = Android RunTime?

[Burdell]

And here I thought ART was for Asshole Research Transport

Re: ART = Android RunTime?

[have_a_clu]

Murderbot

Android 12 and newer.

[Fly Swatter]

..looks at versions on phone and tablet

Nevermind. Gee thanks I guess.

So we aren't supposed to use Dalvik anymore?

[kriston]

So we aren't supposed to use the Dalvik runtime on Android anymore?

I have confusion.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

So we aren't supposed to use the Dalvik runtime on Android anymore?

It hasn't been available since Android 5...