Android 15 has a new requirement that could leave your phone behind

4 days ago 9
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Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Android users who privation to upgrade to mentation 15 volition request to guarantee their instrumentality has astatine slightest 32GB of storage.

In a confidential GMS Requirements papers uncovered by Android Authority, Google has acceptable this level arsenic the minimum magnitude of abstraction required. This applies whether you bargain a caller telephone with Android 15 retired of the container oregon effort to upgrade your existing instrumentality to the newest version.

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As today's Android phones typically travel with astatine slightest 128GB of storage, the latest request is not particularly onerous. If anything, it seems rather generous. However, it means that older oregon cheaper phones with 16GB of abstraction oregon little volition not beryllium capable to tally Android 15, which officially kicked disconnected past October.

What was the erstwhile minimum requirement?

The caller minimum is treble the erstwhile magnitude of 16GB, introduced with Android 13 successful 2022, Android Authority explained. 

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Previously, Android 12 required conscionable 8GB of storage. Approximately 75 percent of the 32GB indispensable beryllium reserved for the information partition, which houses strategy apps and files, strategy app data, and each idiosyncratic apps and files.

How tin Google request a minimum level of storage?

Technically, it cannot. 

However, the institution tin importune connected a definite magnitude for manufacturers that privation to tally the authoritative spirit of Android (and not the open root mentation AOSP) and outfit their phones with Google Mobile Services (GMS). 

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Licensed by Google, GMS is simply a postulation of preinstalled apps and APIs, specified arsenic Google Search, Chrome, Google Play Store, Gmail, YouTube, and different programs that Android users person travel to expect.

Why does Google necessitate a minimum magnitude of storage?

The elemental reply is performance. 

A telephone with lone 8GB oregon 16GB of abstraction whitethorn person conscionable capable country for each the indispensable apps and data. Add successful the bundle that users privation to instal and the files they create, and they volition soon brushwood a barrier, triggering some retention and show issues. Even 32GB is not capable to location each the hefty games and different programs galore radical similar to use, but astatine slightest it is simply a start.

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Out of curiosity, I ran a hunt connected Amazon for Android phones with 4GB, 8GB, oregon 16GB of retention and recovered astir 800 results. Even assuming that immoderate phones incorrectly appeared successful the results, that is inactive a batch of devices that volition not conscionable the caller standard.

Since galore of these phones are older oregon cheaper models, they astir apt would not person Android 15 successful the archetypal place. However, mounting a minimum retention request is yet different mode for Google to guarantee that Android users indispensable bargain a newer, much modern telephone if they privation to support it updated.

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