The RAM Efficiency of Android 4.4 Kitkat, and what it means for Low-End Devices

How would it be if you owned a low-end device, stuck on Android 2.3 Gingerbread for ages, and could suddenly jump to Android 4.4 Kitkat. Yes, the idea does seem a bit far-fetched ( and probably won’t happen since low end device manufacturers simply don’t bother to release OTA updates), but it is a fact that even if you have 512MB of RAM, you could be able to run the latest Android. Orto put it more succinctly, run it smoothly.


This is because Google’s Project Svelte, which went into the Android 4.4 Kitkat creation, made significant changes to the way apps run and use memory. For instance, apps will now run sequentially, instead of all starting up at once (like they typically do at cold boot), thus preventing the device from slowing down. Further, the non  essential system apps will be trimmed down to ensure they eat less of the RAM pie. System apps themselves will guard the system memory carefully, preventing RAM guzzlers from eating up too much at once. Finally, it has separated the Google Experience from the Android Core and reduced both their footprints.

These changes naturally demand help from developers and manufacturers, and Google has therefore developed a number of tools. Without going into the complex details of these, it can be said that they will aid the developers in making simpler and more efficient apps, and manufacturers to provide better customizations. This doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing updates for low-end phones all at once, but it does suggest that the days of Gingerbread may finally be over.