Does Android still bog down over time?

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Yea, for me I tend to notice a slowdown/lag over time (probably more to the 6 months or longer) because I am one of those people with 200+ apps installed, and many running quite often, and the phone never turned off. So I expect things like that, wish it didn't make a difference but it does. Well I shouldn't say that, with each new generation it gets less and less.

[Shadrack]

There are multiple reasons why this happens.

It comes down to:

1. Apps you install. If an app you installed has memory leaks (aka not coded right or has a bug that causes that memory leak) only that one app can cause your phone to become unstable as it will eat your memory. Unlike iOS, the thing with Android is that it is a true multitasking OS. This means that your apps runs as a process in the background and can execute things. iOS kills apps completely after you switch away from it, so the app can't do anything when it's in that state. It's a bit more complex than that but that's basically the gist of it.

2. The ROM version or custom ROMs might also have memory leaks themselves. Especially in launchers they put on top and that could be the cause of instability. At first everything runs great, but after time your OS gets out of memory and it starts closing processes and just becoming unstable. That's when you get those WAIT or CLOSE PROCESSES dialog.

For those who have issues my advice is when your Android device starts lagging, go to Applications and you will see processes there and how much memory they consume. You can spot which apps have memory leaks and just kill those and don't run them or if you do, make sure you close their process after you are done with it.

A developer of an Android app has to explicitly write code that runs in the background, otherwise the OS (as of v4) could kill the task to free up resources. And it does. It more-or-less works like iOS now for the vast majority of apps. Difference being, a developer can explicitly force background execution of code for whatever reason on Android and it will be approved for the app store. In iOS, only applications featuring VoIP or Navigation are allowed to execute whatever code they want in the background (as a matter of App Store policy).

Both operating systems have "true multitasking*" (with an Astrix).

[Boz]

A developer of an Android app has to explicitly write code that runs in the background, otherwise the OS (as of v4) could kill the task to free up resources. And it does. It more-or-less works like iOS now for the vast majority of apps. Difference being, a developer can explicitly force background execution of code for whatever reason on Android and it will be approved for the app store. In iOS, only applications featuring VoIP or Navigation are allowed to execute whatever code they want in the background (as a matter of App Store policy).

Both operating systems have "true multitasking*" (with an Astrix).

Your application on Android will run as a process in the back. Android doesn't kill them. You have to ask permission whether or not you want to run a long running processes in the background which is something else.

And no, Android and iOS are not the same. Android is a true multitasking OS and allows execution of background services and parallel tasking while iOS is a quasi multitasking OS which allows only 7 APIs to run in the background and it's not a matter of App store policy it's how iOS is engineered.

[Shadrack]

Your application on Android will run as a process in the back. Android doesn't kill them. You have to ask permission whether or not you want to run a long running processes in the background which is something else.

And no, Android and iOS are not the same. Android is a true multitasking OS and allows execution of background services and parallel tasking while iOS is a quasi multitasking OS which allows only 7 APIs to run in the background and it's not a matter of App store policy it's how iOS is engineered.

...I didn't say they were the same I was saying as of v4 of Android that they are similar. But you know both of them inside and out so I digress.

The articles I've read on Android v4 multitasking state things differently but I guess they don't know as much on the subject than you do, Boz.

[Boz]

...I didn't say they were the same I was saying as of v4 of Android that they are similar. But you know both of them inside and out so I digress.

The articles I've read on Android v4 multitasking state things differently but I guess they don't know as much on the subject than you do, Boz.

You were not wrong btw.. Android will in fact eventually kill the process of the app running (unless it's doing something), however it is more open to making the OS unstable if there's an app that has serious memory leaks. iOS goes into so called suspended state, which is why Apple advises that you do any clean up, save data or whatever when a user hits home button (as the OS itself will do clean up if it needs to and remove the apps completely from suspended states) thus lowering the chances of memory leaks causing instability but in return unless you are using the 7 background APIs your app won't be able to do anything until it becomes active again (meaning you call it back on).

[BillyJack]

My wife used a Samsung with Android for two years and it slowly got slower to the point she could not stand using the phone anymore. She only had a few apps installed and rebooted often. It got worse with time. I almost seemed as if Google was purposefully slowing down the OS so that she would get a new phone. Well she did. She got a WP7 and loves it and will not be going back to Android. Several people I work with report the same with different Android phones.

[BeerFan]

My wife used a Samsung with Android for two years and it slowly got slower to the point she could not stand using the phone anymore. She only had a few apps installed and rebooted often. It got worse with time. I almost seemed as if Google was purposefully slowing down the OS so that she would get a new phone. Well she did. She got a WP7 and loves it and will not be going back to Android. Several people I work with report the same with different Android phones.

Complete and total FUD. Not even a hint of any merit to this post. How about some actual troubleshooting steps taken or some non-anecdotal evidence to support your wacko theory? Google is intentionally slowing down their OS to force you to upgrade? How exactly are they doing that? Why isn't it happening to my family's 5 android devices or any of the 20 or so people at my workplace where we maintain their android work cell phones? Completely unintelligent and content-less statement.

Simply put, you apparently hate Android for some reason, so you will support whatever silly theory you see that is anti-android. Your wifee's Windows phone will probably slow down over time, too. And then you'll make a post saying that Windows Phone blows and you'll get an iPhone for her. congrats.

I've used Windows Phone, Apple, and Android smartphones over the past 4 years. My experience with Windows Phone is limited, admittedly, but I like them all for different reasons. I prefer Android for the much heightened ability to tweak and customize... which is not something you will ever have in anything Apple. We'll see about Windows Phone... they're still too new to decide.

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

Here are my experiences with all the smartphones I have had since 2007:

- Blackberry 8703e by Sprint - Sprint has awful coverage - would not go into 1X EV when I was on college campus .... and doesn't even have a camera.

Result: Had it in June 2007, then got rid of it in August 2008.

- Blackberry Curve 8330 by Verizon - that is a lot better .... has camera .... problem is the QWERTY keyboard and the trackball deteriorating over time.

Result: Had it in August 2008, then got rid of it in Nov 2009.

- Blackberry Storm 1 by Verizon - first touchscreen phone I had. Battery life deteriorated over time and the BB Storm's hardware just bricked at the end.

Result: Had it in Nov 2009, then got rid of it in July 2011.

- Droid Charge by Verizon - tons of apps to download now .... got a lot of games. Downside? The friggin battery always going low. Had a ton of processes in the background and clearing the RAM (373 MB!) doesn't help at all. Took a LONG time to charge it to 100%.

Result: Had it in July 2011, then got rid of it in Dec 2012.

- Current Phone - iPhone 5 by Verizon. Charges faster than Droid due to the new Lightning charging connector (4/4S has 30-pin), downloaded a few apps from the App Store so far. Downside? Can't transfer contacts and photos from Droid to iPhone :( so I had to manually rebuild my contact list and email a few pics to myself then save them to my iPhone.

[Slammers]

Think of it like your computer. It's always gonna be buttery if you use it right and don't have lots of hungry apps/programs running.

Ive had my Arc since it came out and its just as smooth as the day I got it. I don't have any apps though apart from youtube, instagram, facebook and the stock ones.

[Nashy]

Every Android phone i had got slower over time, eventually to the point it rebooted itself, or just froze on a black screen. Always found this to be annoying.

Recently i got some cache clearing app which seems to help alot, but i still get the problems.

i had the original droid, and an x2. Thinking about getting a Galaxy s3, but i don't know. i think the problems will still be there.

Man i so wish iphones were itunesless.

S3 has been by far the worst Android device I've owned. I've had quite a few of them.

The HTC One X was up there with one of the better ones I've had.

[PiNoYz]

No problems with my Nexus 4, buttery smooth! Although I am using custom Roms and Kernels.. But when I used the stock Rom, everything was still buttery smooth!

[Lighthalzen]

Stock Rooter Galaxy S3, smooth as butter.

[Sikh]

Here are my experiences with all the smartphones I have had since 2007:

- Blackberry 8703e by Sprint - Sprint has awful coverage - would not go into 1X EV when I was on college campus .... and doesn't even have a camera.

Result: Had it in June 2007, then got rid of it in August 2008.

- Blackberry Curve 8330 by Verizon - that is a lot better .... has camera .... problem is the QWERTY keyboard and the trackball deteriorating over time.

Result: Had it in August 2008, then got rid of it in Nov 2009.

- Blackberry Storm 1 by Verizon - first touchscreen phone I had. Battery life deteriorated over time and the BB Storm's hardware just bricked at the end.

Result: Had it in Nov 2009, then got rid of it in July 2011.

- Droid Charge by Verizon - tons of apps to download now .... got a lot of games. Downside? The friggin battery always going low. Had a ton of processes in the background and clearing the RAM (373 MB!) doesn't help at all. Took a LONG time to charge it to 100%.

Result: Had it in July 2011, then got rid of it in Dec 2012.

- Current Phone - iPhone 5 by Verizon. Charges faster than Droid due to the new Lightning charging connector (4/4S has 30-pin), downloaded a few apps from the App Store so far. Downside? Can't transfer contacts and photos from Droid to iPhone :( so I had to manually rebuild my contact list and email a few pics to myself then save them to my iPhone.

This is to your last point.

If you had a google account on your droid, which i hope you did, you could of just set up Google Sync to do the work for contacts. Google did Sync via EAS now its done through CardDav, regardless you didnt have to rebuild the contacts by hand. Photos you could of copied to your computer, and then drop them in the DCIM folder on your iPhone.

[nekkidtruth]

SGS3 here running AOKP by Task650 & Ktoonsez (4.2.1). What's a bog down? :p

Seriously, if your phone feels "bogged down" even if it's running something below 4.0, you either bought a crappy spec'd phone or you've bloated it with a ridiculous amount of apps. I've owned an Xperia X10a, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE (Skyrocket) and now the S3. None of them were ever "bogged down".

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

This is to your last point.

If you had a google account on your droid, which i hope you did, you could of just set up Google Sync to do the work for contacts. Google did Sync via EAS now its done through CardDav, regardless you didnt have to rebuild the contacts by hand. Photos you could of copied to your computer, and then drop them in the DCIM folder on your iPhone.

I already tried that. Sadly the iPhone is in a different file system (DCF) and the Droid is a FAT32, I think.

[Nashy]

I already tried that. Sadly the iPhone is in a different file system (DCF) and the Droid is a FAT32, I think.

That doesn't matter.

Copy paste of PC. Copy paste to new phone.

[BillyJack]

Complete and total FUD. Not even a hint of any merit to this post. How about some actual troubleshooting steps taken or some non-anecdotal evidence to support your wacko theory? Google is intentionally slowing down their OS to force you to upgrade? How exactly are they doing that? Why isn't it happening to my family's 5 android devices or any of the 20 or so people at my workplace where we maintain their android work cell phones? Completely unintelligent and content-less statement.

Simply put, you apparently hate Android for some reason, so you will support whatever silly theory you see that is anti-android. Your wifee's Windows phone will probably slow down over time, too. And then you'll make a post saying that Windows Phone blows and you'll get an iPhone for her. congrats.

I've used Windows Phone, Apple, and Android smartphones over the past 4 years. My experience with Windows Phone is limited, admittedly, but I like them all for different reasons. I prefer Android for the much heightened ability to tweak and customize... which is not something you will ever have in anything Apple. We'll see about Windows Phone... they're still too new to decide.

lol, I never said I hate Android and it is not implied either. I don't need evidence to back up my statement. It is my opinion for you to read but fact by my experience. I am glad your phones do not give you problems. There are also many more people that I know and their Androids do not give them problems. However, my wife's phone and one other guy I know are totally different manufacturers and both have slowed down over time for who knows what reason. I am not going to bust out instruments and make a scientific paper for you to read and believe. I am not trying to convince you. Belazor asked if anyone has had these problems and I have. You tell me that what I write is a silly theory but then you proceed to write to me about your experience. I do not think what you write is a silly theory. I think it is valid experience and I consider it like I do everyone else's. For the record I do not hate Android. I think Apple and WP7 are way better products. Despite how I feel about Android, I would never try to convince anyone to not like Android. Like I said, my wife tried WP7 and she loves it.

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

That doesn't matter.

Copy paste of PC. Copy paste to new phone.

I tried that a few times - still won't work. The Paste option is grayed out.

[Nashy]

You should be able to take them off iPhone by plugging it in, and opening the phone. If not, export them from the phone using iTunes. Then drag and drop them to the next device. It's odd if that isn't working for you.