Android
Android to gain performance boost with more RAM and 16 KB page size
Key Points:
- Android’s switch to a 16 KB page size offers a 5-10% performance boost but uses 9% more memory.
- Google is working to make Android adaptable to different page sizes, improving app launch times, power efficiency, and system boot time.
- Full support for the 16 KB page size is expected in future Android devices with more RAM.
Google is enhancing Android’s performance by supporting a 16 KB page size, a change that’s now undergoing broader testing. This update, focused on memory management, could significantly speed up Android devices.
Every CPU has a memory management unit (MMU) that translates program addresses to physical memory locations, and this translation occurs based on page size. When the page size is larger—like 16 KB instead of the traditional 4 KB—the system has to do less work, reducing overhead. This leaves more processing power for tasks like rendering videos, playing games, and running applications smoothly.
Historically, Android was designed to run on a 4 KB page size. However, Google has discovered that switching to a 16 KB page size can lead to an overall performance improvement of 5-10%, although this does increase memory usage by about 9%. Here are some specific benefits:
- Faster App Launches: Under memory pressure, app launch times improved by an average of 3.16%, with some apps seeing up to a 30% boost.
- Lower Power Consumption: During app launches, devices used 4.56% less power on average.
- Quicker Camera Start: Hot starts were 4.48% faster on average, while cold starts improved by 6.60%.
- Improved System Boot Time: Boot times saw a 1.5% improvement, saving approximately 0.8 seconds.
With the upcoming Android 15, Google has redesigned the operating system to be flexible with different page sizes, allowing it to function well whether the device uses a 4 KB or 16 KB page size. However, developers will need to recompile their apps to take full advantage of the 16 KB page size, although the same app can still run on both 4 KB and 16 KB devices.
Developers can start testing this feature with the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 1 on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. However, this “Boot with 16KB page size” option requires wiping the device and unlocking the bootloader, making it impractical for everyday use.
Google is collaborating with its SoC and OEM partners to extend this option to more devices soon and is also providing an x86_64 emulator for testing.
Although there are no Android devices currently in production or expected in the immediate future that support a 16 KB page size, Google anticipates that this change will align with the development of devices featuring larger amounts of RAM. As these devices emerge, the adoption of the 16 KB page size, and potentially even larger sizes, will become more common, leading to even greater performance improvements in Android devices.