Optimizing performance on low-end Android devices • Hacker News Board

Re: Optimizing performance on low-end Android devices

#11

Post by charleslmunger » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 6:57 AM UTC

tdkl wrote: post #4

I find it ironic seeing all those Google developer guidelines on how to be responsible with leaving Services running, but they leave their own crap running 24/7 while you don't even need to run the app. http://pastebin.com/AdUsUaG6 Not to mention their last Google Play Services update that gets forced to all users automatically is causing wakelocks wanting to update the system, which wrecks havoc on custom ROMs : htt…

Cyanogenmod is disabling parts of the Google Play Services APK and then acting surprised when that introduces bugs. I don't have a ton of sympathy towards that.

Re: Optimizing performance on low-end Android devices

#12

Post by Jyaif » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 8:46 AM UTC

bjnbb wrote: post #9

barrkel wrote: post #2

It's unfortunate that some of the recommendations here - particularly around reusing objects - are going to be out of date, and potentially deoptimizations, when Android gets smarter GC. There's a tension in platform optimization. Whether it's CPUs or runtimes, people who make platforms tend to look at where they can get the biggest wins for existing apps. So if you bend over backwards to do weird things that get you…

Reusing objects will always going to be faster. If memory is not being allocated, GC never runs. Look what happened to Minecraft when they stopped caring about allocations: http://what.thedailywtf.com/t/optifine-modder-rips-the-minec... It's allocating 150 MB/second. It's now much slower than it was before.

With new allocations you can have better cache consistency, so reusing objects is not always faster.

Re: Optimizing performance on low-end Android devices

#13

Post by tdkl » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 9:40 AM UTC

charleslmunger wrote: post #11

tdkl wrote: post #4

I find it ironic seeing all those Google developer guidelines on how to be responsible with leaving Services running, but they leave their own crap running 24/7 while you don't even need to run the app. http://pastebin.com/AdUsUaG6 Not to mention their last Google Play Services update that gets forced to all users automatically is causing wakelocks wanting to update the system, which wrecks havoc on custom ROMs : htt…

Cyanogenmod is disabling parts of the Google Play Services APK and then acting surprised when that introduces bugs. I don't have a ton of sympathy towards that.

Great choice of cherry picking a comment, disregarding the shit Google does before this. But OK, let me reply to your statement.

Before Google Play Services existed, there was already a mechanism in place that checked for OTA updates. It was in AOSP and could be easily disabled for custom ROMs. Remember those custom ROMs Google was so proud of when they advertised "open source" and how Android was dedicated to it ?

Then in a full "bait and switch" manner they placed everything in the Google Play Services. AOSP doesn't matter anymore, but the proprietary code no one has control of, except the Mountainview mothership. If CyanogenMod didn't disable those services, they would constantly download OTA package to /cache wasting user bandwidth and resources as in wakelocking the device causing battery drain. Is this "responsible programming" ?

My personal experience with the new GPS 7.0 update woes doesn't even include a custom ROM. I had Googles Nexus 5 factory image of Kitkat 4.4.4 installed and blocked the GPS SystemUpdate receivers manually to avoid OTA updates to Lollipop 5.0 .Why ? Because I don't want an update that turns a well working OS to one which leaks memory and has to be rebooted every two days. It's my choice. Other vendors include an option, whether user wants update notifications or not. Not on Googles turf, they want to force you with their beta software, then turn the head away when there are issues without comments when they'll be fixed.

Re: Optimizing performance on low-end Android devices

#14

Post by izacus » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 11:29 AM UTC

xenadu02 wrote: post #10

From another article on the site: "Can you ask for too many permissions? Short answer is no ... Our personal experience and that of other startups we’ve chatted with suggest any effect is overplayed. Just by browsing the Play store, you can easily find popular apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Candy Crush, that ask for a lot of permissions. Most users scan the permission requests, and a list with 3 vs 5 permiss…

The problem with other approaches is of course that you're relying on an American company to make security decisions based on what will get them sued and what is tailored for an average Joe. This usually results in any powerful functionality of those portable computers we have in our pockets being disabled.

And we already DO have OS that caters to that demographic - iOS. I'd like Android to move more in the direction of distinguishing itself apart from Apple way of doing things, not copying the same closed sandbox.